CURRENTLY
GLOBAL SUSTAINABLE TOURISM COUNCIL
Member of the Communications & Membership Working Group (2016-present)
Member of the Board of Directors (2013-2019)
Secretary of the Board (2013-2019)
Member of the Knowledge, Education & Training (KNET) Working Group (2013-2016)
World Tourism Association for Culture & Heritage
Member of Advisory Board (2019-present)
Sanctuary Resorts
Sustainability Mentor (2020-present)
IUCN TAPAS GROUP
Biodiversity Group (2021-present)
talent basket
Advisor (2022-present)
Wildlife friendly enterprise network
Circle of Experts (2019-2022)
WRITING
Supporting Clients' Sustainable Travel: Green Lights and Red Flags
An article for Host Agency Reviews/Host Week highlighting the basics of sustainability for new travel operators, agents, and advisors. (January 2024)
For Visit Lake Charles, DEI is about Building Stronger Communities
Why does diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) matter for destinations and what can DMOs do to better integrate DEI principles into its work? A Southeast United States destination, Visit Lake Charles, shares its story. Contribution to the Destination Stewardship Report. (Fall 2023)
Building a career in sustainable tourism
Contribution to TrainingAid’s Sustainability Journey article series that shares ideas, examples and stories to help inspire more and more tourism industry colleagues to become actively engaged in sustainability. (June 2022)
ATTA and Travelife for Tour Operators Team Up to Promote Sustainability in the Adventure Travel Sector
Announcing an exciting partnership between Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) and Travelife for Tour Operators & Travel Agents (Travelife). (March 2022)
The Happiness Agenda – Happy People Mean Happy Destinations
A massive webinar to mark the International Day of Happiness yielded some serious pointers for destinations seeking a broader measure of successful tourism recovery than counting revenue and arrivals. “Covid has shown us we can’t be happy on an unhappy planet” was one message for destinations around the world, report DSC associates Marta Mills and Chi Lo – the point being that local contentment should be part of the tourism equation: “A good place to live is a good place to visit.”. (March 2021)
BUFFET (Building an Understanding For Food Excess in Tourism) — A PATA Sustainability Report
There is a huge opportunity for the tourism and hospitality industry in the Asia Pacific region to take a bite out of the food waste problem. This award-winning report aims to evaluate the opportunities for the industry and region to step up to the plate and do our part. (May 2019)
Why We Launched the Food Waste Report
Globally, 1.3 billion tonnes of food is lost or wasted. The hospitality and retail food industry contributes to nearly 40% of food waste.
Food that ends up in landfill emits methane, which is roughly 30 times more harmful than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas. In addition, while 842 billion people worldwide go undernourished every year, as much as one third of food produced for human consumption will never reach those who need it most. (May 2019)
The Role of Elephants in Asian Cultures and Communities
Many Asian cultures have been living and working with elephants for centuries. The first reports of elephant domestication were in the Indus Valley civilization in South Asia as early as 2500 BC[1]. Due to their high intelligence, elephants have been able to develop a unique relationship with humans, leading to their use as working animals aiding in tasks such as logging, transportation, and warfare[2]. As such, throughout Asian art and culture, elephants have come to serve as a source of admiration, symbolizing positive attributes including strength and power, royalty, intelligence, longevity, luck and fortune. (May 2017)
Perspective: Animals in Entertainment
Should animals be used for entertainment? What value – from an educational, preservation or scientific perspective – is there to animal attractions in the Asia Pacific? (May 2017)
How to be a Responsible Traveler when Visiting an Elephant Attraction in the Asia Pacific Region
Are you planning a trip to Asia and thinking of visiting an elephant attraction? If so, here are some questions to consider in order to help you make an informed choice. (May 2017)
Issues & Trends: Corporate Social Responsibility in the Visitor Economy – from Semantics to Integrity
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has become more important to businesses. As the tourism industry is covered by many other sectors such as education, transportation and hospitality, it’s easier to spread the responsibility throughout other sectors to be better to our earth.
In this edition of Issues & Trends the subject CSR will be the main focus. How it works, how it is implemented to integration. By using some examples, as well as how PATA preaches CSR, is given throughout this Issues & Trends. (July 2013)
SPEAKING
Panelist: Travel Unity Summit Southeastoutheast/: “Integrating DEI and Sustainability for Your Community” (March 2023)
Expert Presenter: ATTA Webinar: "Sustainability Education for Tour Operators" (April 2022)
Panelist: ATTA Adventure Elevate Conference: Travel Advisors: "Evaluating and Building Relationships with ResponsibleTourism Advisors" (November 2021)
Panelist: Travel Unity Summit: "DEI Standards for Sports & Events" (October 2021)
Panelist: CSAVR NET Summit: "Hospitality & Travel" (February 2021)
Moderator: Travel Unity Summit:"DEI in the Tourism Supply Chain" (October 2020)
Speaker: Travel Unity Youth Advisory Council Summit (October 2020)
Speaker: Happiness Alliance Happiness Roundtable (June 2020)
CONTRIBUTIONS
UN Global Report on Women in Tourism 2010
This report was commissioned to examine how and to what degree tourism can positively impact the lives of women in developing regions of the world. By examining the current status of women in tourism and establishing a set of indicators to monitor the impact of tourism on women on an ongoing basis, the study is designed to help provide a framework for improved policymaking concerning women and tourism in the future. (2010)
The Elephant tourism business
The Elephant Tourism Business will contribute to a better understanding of how elephant tourism is organized, regulated and promoted, both in tourist origin countries and in elephant areas. It identifies priorities for future research into elephant tourism and provides a unique, authoritative resource for researchers, elephant managers and administrators, and tourism managers in this developing area of international concern. The book will be of interest to academics and practitioners with backgrounds in conservation, environment, tourism and veterinary sciences. (2020)
IN THE MEDIA
No Vacancy #156: Stop Food Waste Now! Death of Room Service and What to Do About it
New No Vacancy Podcast!!! First, Bryan Estep, Chief Revenue Officer at iSeatz on how to make money off food as room service declines. Then, Chi Lo, Sustainability & Social Responsibility, Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) on a new study regarding food waste and how to stop it.
Do well by doing gooD
PATA’s Sustainability & Social Responsibility Specialist Chi Lo shares why CSR is important and examples of travel companies doing it right. (September 2018)
Asia Pacific Ecotourism Trends
More people are travelling now than ever before. Given the rise of visitor arrivals and increased trips to natural areas including ecologically sensitive ones as well as places where local culture is a highlight, uphold ecotourism principles have become important so as to minimise negative impacts on people and the environment. Gaia Discovery’s publisher Mallika Naguran speaks to three industry experts for their views on ecotourism trends, developments and industry movements toward sustainability. (March 2017)
Jonathan M. Tisch Center for Hospitality Alumni Spotlight
Nonprofit Tourism. Chi Lo came to the Tisch Center to change the world through tourism. (February 2015)
Sustainable travel: Asia’s catching up
[Magazine Exclusive] The tide of sustainable travel is sweeping across Asia Pacific, thanks to a growing awareness of sustainable development, eco-conscious travellers and smart hoteliers who understand the business case for doing so. (May 2015)
TESTIMONIALS
I’ve been working with Chi for the past 5 years and I’ve learned so much from wealth of knowledge on sustainability. She has driven our association’s sustainability agenda diligently and creatively and successfully launched several initiatives such our sustain web platform; our food waste initiatives and much more ... all of our partners have truly enjoyed working with her.
— Mario Hardy, CEO, Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA)
Chi is an incredibly motivated, sensitive, bright, and well organized individual. Her dedication to her work and the responsibility she embraces in doing it are impressive. She is totally dependable to do work without close supervision, to analyze what to do, and to do it correctly. She is a pleasure to have as a colleague. I would recommend her without reservation for any position that is challenging enough to command her full use of her many talents.
— Stephen Richer, Managing Principal, PRIMAPACT
I've truly enjoyed working for and together with Chi on various sustainability and social responsibility matters during my time at PATA in Bangkok. Chi has been an amazing supervisor and mentor, enabling me and others to grow as well as empowering and trusting me with taking over responsibilities, in particular while she was on maternity leave. Her creativity, great ability to delegate and communicate as well as her strong commitment to her work make it a pleasure and easy to collaborate with. Chi is an inspiring and dedicated person who will be an asset to any project, team or organisation she chooses.
— Veronika Forstmeier, Senior Hospitality Programme Officer – World Wide Fund for Nature
Over the past five years, I have been honored to work with Chi. I was continually impressed with her positive outlook, knowledge, creativity and initiative. Chi is very bright, highly engaged in industry trends and issues, and is motivated in tackling any task, and I am proud to call her my friend. I am also confident that she will devote herself to a helping any organization achieve its sustainability and social responsibility goals.
— Paul Pruangkarn, Director — Communications & External Affairs, Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA)
COMMUNITY
LAFAYETTE Elementary
Class Parent & PTA Member (2021-present)
South Seattle Cooperative Preschool
Admiral 2s Class Chair (2020-2021)
Just Walkers Class Treasurer (2019-2020)
Just Walkers Class Co-Chair (2017-2018)
