At the 2016 GSTC conference in Suwon, Korea
YAANA Ventures founder Willem Niemeijer shared his philosophy on sustainable tourism and why Southeast Asia presents such a compelling landscape for meaningful travel. Drawing from his decades of experience, Willem emphasized the need to balance tourism growth with genuine community benefit and environmental stewardship.
In the interview with Travindy’s Anula Galewska,
he reflected on how destinations like Laos and Cambodia—once off-the-radar—are emerging as models for low-impact, high-value tourism, particularly when local communities are involved as true stakeholders. He also highlighted the dangers of overdevelopment in popular areas and the importance of "visitor dispersion" to lesser-known yet culturally rich regions.
Willem argued that sustainable tourism is not just a niche—it's the future of travel.
He also touched on his approach to building ventures that prioritize conservation, education, and authentic cultural exchange, long before sustainability became a buzzword.
This forward-looking conversation,
held nearly a decade ago, underscores the vision that continues to guide YAANA Ventures today.
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