In an era of environmental degradation and climate change, two entrepreneurs dedicated themselves to transforming tourism into a force for resilience and environmental good. Meet Yee Shuen Hwee and Fangqin Chua, the founders of Terraformers, a social enterprise dedicated to regenerative tourism and the empowerment of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs).
Yee Shuan Hwee’s journey into environmental advocacy began in 2019, after a moment of realization during a backpacking trip in Mongolia. While searching and failing to find a simple treat of ice cream due to the lack of rainfall, she saw a small instance of how climate change had impacted the lives, the businesses, and the livelihoods of people around the world.
“I didn’t ever imagine that I would be interested in entrepreneurship or sustainability,” Hwee said. “It hit me really hard to realise that the climate crisis had direct impacts on people’s lives. I went on to learn more about the value IPLCs provide for our environment and society, but yet at the same time learnt about the threats they faced, I wanted to introduce regenerative tourism as a means to empower them.”
Hwee was a part of the Audacity community, an impact community based in Singapore building humanity-centric futures. She worked as project lead in climate technologies, allowing her the opportunity to explore the complexities of sustainability. This would soon lead to the beginning of Terraformers.
As for Fangqin Chua, her path is rooted from her deep connection to nature and the environments all around us. Born and raised in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, she felt drawn to the landscapes, ecology, and ecosystems that surrounded her. At the age of 15, she found a book titled “The Sixth Extinction,” and learned about the devastating effects human had inflicted upon the environment.
“I felt pain and anxiety, and wanted to do something that maximizes positive impact for the environment in my life,” Chua said. “That same year I participated in an Entrepreneurship bootcamp, and that was when I learn[ed] how innovation can potentially be a tool to disrupt “Business As Usual” and give nature a fighting chance.”
Through her exploration in the startup ecosystem space, Chua found a challenging contradiction in the way many people, including herself, lived their lives: “traveling has become a means for me to create memories instead of purchasing material goods – in a bid to remain minimal waste. However, its carbon emissions and local devastations seriously contradict my passion for the environment.”
It dawned on Chua that the conventional tourism development processes and the popularity of traveling could eventually destroy nature and culture, causing many unwanted changes for the locals and their economy.
In response to this conflict, Yee Shuen Hwee and Fangqin Chua came up with the idea for Terraformers. They saw regenerative tourism as a way to address the environmental contradictions of traditional tourism while empowering IPLCs. By focusing on local collaborations, they aim to preserve cultural heritage and natural ecosystems.
“I started working on it with Shuen, my cofounder,” Chua said. “She had begun regenerative tourism research before I did, but we took the time to consolidate together the tenets we want to uphold in our methodology.”
After a village in Northern Vietnam expressed interest in collaborating to pursue regenerative tourism, Terraformers was officially born. Terraformers is committed to providing end-to-end travel experiences involving curated destinations with an equitable income distribution model and a commitment to environmental sustainability goals. They promote and provide an enriching perspective on responsible tourism, in terms of preserving local cultures and environments while simultaneously providing a well-rounded travel experience.
Both founders joined the Yunus and Youth Fellowship Program in 2023, which has been instrumental in refining their internal operations and sales processes. Their mentors were able to provide alternative perspectives and further strengthen their business plan.
“[Our mentors] have been really patient and go the extra mile to share additional resources and tips with us. We feel really supported on this journey. We have also benefited greatly from the resources and experiences shared generously by other fellows,” Hwee said.
Together, Chua and Hwee are redefining what it means to travel, transforming the disruptive industry of tourism and focusing on the empowerment of IPLCs. Through Terraformers, they believe tourism can be changed into a force for good, allowing for further immersion in different cultures and true understanding of other communities.
