Audrey Mourguiart is Head of Social Innovation at Amadeus and Project Lead of Travel4Impact, an initiative run by Amadeus and IE University, dedicated to supporting small and medium-sized sustainable enterprises (SMEs) in the travel and tourism industry. With a global scope, the programme reinforces its commitment to building a more sustainable, inclusive, and responsible travel ecosystem.

Launched in 2021, Travel4Impact has already assisted over 100 SMEs in amplifying their positive impact and accelerating their digital transformation.

Travel4Impact provides small business leaders with a fully funded, six-month online training and mentorship programme led by IE University professors. Throughout the programme, SMEs engage in work sessions focused on enhancing their digital strategies and integrating sustainable practices into their business models.

Participants are invited to join a network of alumni, creating a vibrant community of like-minded professionals to collaboration, mutual support, and the exchange of best practices.

Audrey Mourguiart

Justin Cooke of World Sustainable Travel & Hospitality Awards sat down with Audrey to find out more about her role with Travel4Impact.

Justin Cooke: What role does social impact play at Amadeus?

Audrey Mourguiart: “We have six members in our social impact team, and we are part of the Amadeus sustainability office. We also collaborate with other business partners, including the People and Culture team and various other departments.

On a global level, our aim at Amadeus is to use travel as a catalyst for positive change by promoting inclusion and ensuring social impact. Our teams are currently working on a range of projects, each tailored to different audiences. At the employee level, our People and Culture team ensures we provide a welcoming and supportive environment for all.

Amadeus also runs a robust community impact programme wherever we operate around the world. We offer numerous volunteering opportunities and initiatives designed to make a positive difference using our unique strengths, enabling our employees to give back and build meaningful connections within the wider community.

Additionally, we have a team dedicated to travellers, ensuring that our solutions are both socially responsible and accessible. This team focuses on sustainability, particularly from social and accessibility perspectives.

The Social Innovation team, which I lead, focuses on supporting travel and tourism-based SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) and professionals. Our goal is to equip them with the tools and resources they need to thrive in a rapidly evolving market. We also offer specialised programmes centred on small businesses that prioritise sustainability as part of their core value proposition.”

Justin Cooke: What is the size and scale of Amadeus itself?

Audrey Mourguiart: “Amadeus has around 19,000 employees, though that number is constantly growing as we expand. We provide IT services to the travel industry, supporting airlines, airports, hospitality companies, and more. As a B2B company, our goal is to make the travel experience better for everyone, everywhere.

Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do. We strive to inspire innovation, foster partnerships and uphold our responsibility to people, places, and the planet. Every member of our team contributes to this mission.

While our social impact team is small, with only six people, social responsibility is embedded throughout the company. We all play a part through initiatives like our community impact program, and we continue to deliver sustainable solutions through industry collaborations and the services we provide.”

Justin Cooke: How did Travel4Impact come about?

Audrey Mourguiart: Travel4Impact was launched in 2021 as a direct response to the Covid-19 pandemic. With our industry severely impacted, particularly SMEs, we saw this as an opportunity to not only help rebuild the industry but to do so in a more responsible, inclusive and sustainable way.

From the start, we partnered with IE University, a fantastic collaborator, and launched a pilot programme in Spain with 22 SMEs to ensure our offering was of value to the industry. The positive feedback we received and the impact we saw motivated us to continue the programme even after the pandemic.

In September 2024, we launched our first global cohort, expanding the program to include participants from the Americas – our final region to be included. Since 2021, more than 100 SMEs have been supported, and we continue to grow and evolve the program to provide ongoing value.

Justin Cooke: How have you embedded sustainability into the heart of the programme? Audrey Mourguiart: “This programme is designed with sustainability at its core and targets SMEs that have sustainability embedded in their value proposition. Everything we do is connected to sustainability, but we focus on three key pillars: sustainability, digitalization, and collaboration.

Under sustainability, we offer training sessions on topics like regenerative tourism, the circular economy and resource reuse. We also help SMEs build stories that resonate with conscious travellers, which is a key aspect of sustainable tourism.

In addition to sustainability, the programme emphasises digitalization and collaboration. For example, we offer artificial intelligence courses, but a focus on using AI for positive impact. We also provide training on high-impact leadership and how to form alliances for lasting change.”

Justin Cooke: Which outcomes of the project are you most proud of?

Audrey Mourguiart: “We’re most proud of the network we’ve built. At Amadeus, collaboration is a core value, and we’ve worked hard to foster that sense of community. Today, if we count the participants of the 4th edition, currently in the launchpad phase, we have over 100 leaders within this network. They tell us it adds real value, and some have started collaborating with each other, even without our involvement.

This self-sustaining network is what we’re most proud of. We’ve created a community where we’re no longer leading the way – we’re supporting them to achieve more together. Seeing the sharing of knowledge, the co-innovation, and the co-creation happening within this network is incredibly fulfilling. We all share the same goal: to build a better travel industry.”

Justin Cooke: You must also be very proud of your recent World Sustainable Travel & Hospitality Awards victory. Tell us about the process.

Audrey Mourguiart: “Yes, it’s truly an honour to receive this recognition. When we first launched the program in 2021, it was a small pilot. We wanted to ensure it added real value, and over the years, we’ve received positive feedback from participants. This year, we took the program global for the first time.

While we knew the programme was valuable, we also wanted external recognition to affirm our efforts. This award is particularly meaningful because it validates the hard work we’ve put in since 2021. We’ve consistently invested in the programme because we strongly believe in its potential to create a lasting impact. This recognition helps amplify our reach and demonstrates our commitment to continuing it for years to come.”

Justin Cooke: How do you measure the impact of Travel4Impact?

Audrey Mourguiart: “Applicants submit a form, and if selected, they fill out a baseline survey to help us understand their business, KPIs they track and the markets they target.

After the programme, we conduct a follow-up survey with similar questions to compare how participants have progressed and improvements made in key areas.

In addition to these annual surveys, we collect feedback after each of the 14 sessions in the curriculum. This is a quick feedback process to help us assess how the sessions worked and identify areas for improvement.

We continue to gather feedback throughout the year, even after the training phase. We send surveys annually to assess how the network and its activities have added value to participants. We also seek ideas for future improvements.

While we use KPIs to monitor impact, we place great importance on qualitative feedback. In addition to survey responses, we send personalized emails to select participants to gather more in-depth insights. As the community grows, we focus on a few profiles to have one-on-one conversations about their experiences and how we can improve.

We also leverage industry events like WTM, ITB, and Fitur to meet face-to-face and gather informal feedback.”

Justin Cooke: What’s the strategy behind your focus on SMEs? Audrey Mourguiart: “As Julia Simpson, President of the WTTC, has said, SMEs form the backbone of the travel sector. They drive growth and innovation, and at Amadeus we align fully with this statement. My team is focused on supporting SMEs and travel professionals, and SMEs represent 80% of travel and tourism companies worldwide.

SMEs often face challenges, such as limited access to funding, training and resources. This makes it especially important for us to focus on their inclusion. While they make up the majority of the industry, they don’t always have the same resources as larger companies. However, on the positive side, SMEs play a critical role in connecting with local communities and improving travel experiences globally.

Our programme has a global footprint, with participants from countries like Peru, Spain, and Australia. This network ensures that the value we provide is spread worldwide. The key to making this work is collaboration – we connect SMEs with start-ups, public institutions, and large corporations. By working together, we can enhance travel through better social and environmental practices.

Justin Cooke: And how have you been using technology to help generate that impact?

Audrey Mourguiart: “Technology has been essential in expanding our global reach. By offering a fully remote and controlled programme, we can target SMEs worldwide.

This year, we introduced a new initiative where we provide expert support to SMEs in the network. If an SME has a tech-related issue, we invite Amadeus volunteers to offer tailored sessions to provide advice and guidance.

Additionally, technology is a key pillar of our program alongside sustainability and collaboration. We offer sessions focused on how technology can support sustainability, such as using AI for impact, machine learning to improve business competitiveness, and other ways tech can drive positive change. These three areas – technology, sustainability, and collaboration – are at the heart of our programme.”

Justin Cooke: How are you using tactics to get senior stakeholders on board? It’s so important, isn’t it, to have top-down support?

Audrey Mourguiart (Amadeus): “Absolutely. The key to gaining senior leadership support started with aligning the programme with our core business values. From the outset, the programme was designed to support SMEs in the travel industry.

Next, it’s all about demonstrating the value, gathering data through surveys, track KPIs, and share both quantitative results and qualitative feedback from participants. Sharing this progress and the positive impact with senior leadership is essential.

Involving senior leaders is also critical. For instance, Jackson Pek, SVP Group General Counsel and Sustainability executive sponsor of Amadeus is part of the jury, helping us evaluate and select the most relevant SMEs for each edition. He also participates in our kick-off event and speaks about why Amadeus invests in these SMEs. We also invite senior leaders to face-to-face events, such as having our CEO attend one of the sessions. Additionally, our SVP of Hospitality volunteered to support an SME, which gives them a hands-on connection to the program.

The personal connection is key – when senior leaders meet SME founders, they see their passion firsthand. For example, one SME is focused on revitalizing small villages in Spain as new workation destinations. When senior leaders interact with these passionate entrepreneurs, it reinforces the value of the program, making them want to continue supporting it year after year.”

Justin Cooke: What’s one piece of advice you would give someone looking to begin their sustainability journey?

Audrey Mourguiart: “My advice is to start with 1 to 3 clear priorities that align with your business goals and company culture. Focus your energy on those areas that make the most sense for your organization.

But it doesn’t stop there. To make this work, you need to set simple, measurable KPIs – something easy to track so you can monitor progress over time. Sustainability is about gradual improvement, not perfection. It’s not about doing everything at once; it’s about doing one thing well and refining it as you go.

Start small, learn from your actions, and improve over time. Eventually, these small steps will build into a comprehensive sustainable strategy. The most important part is taking that first, strategic step – if it’s the right one, it will keep you motivated to continue.”