In an era where sustainability is not just valued but vital, aligning business practices with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is both a strategic and an ethical choice. The SDGs, established by the United Nations, provide a global blueprint for dignity, peace, and prosperity for people and the planet, now and in the future. By integrating these goals, businesses can contribute to tackling the world’s most pressing challenges such as climate change, inequality, and environmental degradation.

For my brother, Tornike Tsiramua, and me, creating Biliki AI was about turning our personal commitment to the planet into global action. From following “leave no trace” principles on hikes to participating in local clean-ups here in Tbilisi, Georgia, we’ve always aimed to positively impact our environment. With Biliki AI, we saw a chance to use technology to expand this impact worldwide, empowering others to travel sustainably and make choices that support the earth. We strive to inspire others to leave places cleaner than they found them, promoting a culture of care and respect for nature.

Choosing to align Biliki AI with specific SDG targets was a strategic decision for us. We believe that by focusing on these global goals, we can leverage our skills and technologies in the most impactful way. This alignment ensures that our efforts are not only meaningful but also contribute to a larger, global framework aimed at fostering sustainable development.

Let’s explore how Biliki AI aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth

Target 8.9: By 2030, devise and implement policies to promote sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products.

Here’s how Biliki AI aligns with this target:

Promotion of Local Culture and Products: Biliki AI generates travel itineraries that prioritize local experiences, encouraging travellers to engage with and contribute to local cultures and communities. Utilizing partnership with Viator and Freetours, Biliki AI recommends activities such as local craft workshops, visits to indigenous communities, and tours led by local guides, that help to preserve cultural identities and ensure economic benefits flow directly to local providers.

Support for Sustainable Local Businesses: In partnership with Booking.com and Hostelworld, the platform focuses on recommending eco-friendly accommodations and services that are locally owned or have significant local involvement. This approach not only reduces the carbon footprint associated with large-scale tourism but also maximizes the economic benefits to local communities. This also increases motivation among local accommodation businesses to introduce sustainable practices.

Job Creation through Eco-Tourism: By promoting destinations that are less traveled and more sustainable, Biliki AI contributes to spreading tourism revenue more evenly and creating jobs in areas that might not benefit as much from mainstream tourism. This type of tourism often requires more human interaction and guidance, thereby creating more jobs.

Educational Impact on Travelers: Through blogs and social media Biliki AI provides educational content about the importance of sustainable travel practices, which can influence tourists to make more responsible choices that support local economies and preserve cultural heritage.

Integration with Local Initiatives: Biliki AI plans to integrate with local initiatives and partnerships that focus on sustainable development within tourism. This could include supporting conservation projects, cultural preservation initiatives, and local non-profits working towards community development.

By focusing on these areas, Biliki AI not only adheres to the principles of SDG Target 8.9 but also helps to create a more sustainable and equitable tourism industry that supports local communities while promoting their unique cultures and products.

SDG 9: Industry Innovation and Infrastructure

Biliki AI aligns with SDG 9 Target 9.1, which is focused on developing quality, reliable, sustainable, and resilient infrastructure, including regional and trans-border infrastructure, to support economic development and human well-being, with a focus on affordable and equitable access for all.

Here’s how Biliki AI aligns with this target:

Promoting Sustainable Infrastructure in Tourism: Biliki AI helps promote the development of sustainable tourism infrastructure by directing users to eco-friendly accommodations and transport options. By recommending establishments and services that prioritize sustainability, Biliki AI indirectly supports the development of infrastructure that aligns with environmental, economic, and social sustainability principles.

Enhancing Accessibility: Biliki AI makes sustainable travel planning more accessible to a broader audience. By providing an easy-to-use platform that simplifies the creation of eco-friendly travel itineraries, Biliki AI helps ensure that more people can participate in sustainable tourism, thus supporting equitable access to sustainable infrastructures in the tourism sector.

Technology as Infrastructure: At a broader level, Biliki AI itself represents a form of digital infrastructure that facilitates sustainable economic development. As an AI-powered platform, it leverages advanced technologies like Gemini and Google Cloud to provide smart solutions that enhance the sustainability of the tourism industry, a key component of economic infrastructure.

Supporting Resilient Practices: By encouraging and facilitating sustainable travel practices, Biliki AI contributes to building resilience in the tourism sector. This aligns with the target’s focus on resilient infrastructure, as sustainability is a core component of resilience, helping ensure that tourism infrastructure can better withstand environmental and economic challenges.

Through these strategies, Biliki AI contributes to the advancement of SDG Target 9.1 by promoting the development and use of sustainable and resilient tourism infrastructure, which supports broader goals of sustainable economic growth and well-being.

SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

Biliki AI aligns with SDG 12 Target 12.b, which focuses on developing and implementing tools to monitor sustainable development impacts for sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products.

Here’s how Biliki AI aligns with this target:

Monitoring Sustainability: Biliki AI integrates features that allow users to see the sustainability score of their travel plans. This feature assesses the environmental impact of various travel choices, including accommodations and activities, helping travelers make more sustainable decisions.

Promoting Sustainable Tourism Practices: By providing eco-friendly travel recommendations, Biliki AI encourages travelers to choose options that have less environmental impact, support local economies, and preserve cultural heritage. This directly contributes to promoting sustainable tourism practices.

Integration of Sustainable Metrics: Biliki AI calculates and displays the carbon footprint reduction of each trip planned through its platform. This allows travelers to see the tangible benefits of choosing sustainable options, thus raising awareness and fostering responsible travel behaviour.

Through these mechanisms, Biliki AI actively contributes to the achievement of SDG Target 12.b by providing tools and resources that monitor and promote sustainable tourism, ultimately helping to reduce the overall impact of tourism on the environment while supporting local communities.

SDG 13: Climate Action

Biliki AI particularly contributes to SDG 13 Target 13.3, which emphasizes improving education, awareness-raising, and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction, and early warning.

Here’s how Biliki AI aligns with this target:

Carbon Footprint Reduction: Biliki AI helps travelers reduce their carbon footprint by suggesting more sustainable modes of transportation, eco-friendly accommodations, and activities that have a lower environmental impact. By prioritizing options that contribute to less CO2 emissions, Biliki AI directly addresses the need for climate action.

Eco-Friendly Travel Recommendations: The platform promotes destinations and activities that are known for sustainable practices, such as conservation efforts, wildlife protection, and minimal environmental disruption. This not only helps in preserving ecosystems but also educates travelers about the importance of maintaining the planet’s biodiversity.

Awareness and Education: Biliki AI incorporates educational content about the impacts of climate change and the importance of sustainable travel choices. This aspect of the platform helps raise awareness among users, empowering them to make informed decisions that contribute positively to environmental conservation.

Empowering Users with Tools: Biliki AI provides tools that allow travelers to see the potential carbon footprint reduction of their travel choices, empowering them to actively participate in climate change mitigation. This feature not only educates but also enables users to contribute directly to combating climate change through their travel decisions.

By focusing on these aspects, Biliki AI actively supports and contributes to educating and empowering individuals about climate change mitigation and sustainable practices in line with SDG Target 13.3.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

Biliki AI aligns with SDG 17 Target 17.16, which encourages and promotes global partnerships for sustainable development.

Here’s how Biliki AI aligns with this target:

Building Partnerships: Biliki AI actively seeks to collaborate with various stakeholders in the travel industry, including accommodation providers, transportation services, and local tour operators. These partnerships are aimed at creating a network that supports sustainable travel options and promotes the adoption of eco-friendly practices across the tourism sector.

Leveraging Technology for Sustainable Development: By utilizing advanced AI technology, Biliki AI fosters a connection between technology and sustainability, demonstrating how digital innovations can be harnessed to address environmental challenges and promote sustainable tourism.

Affiliate Relationships: Through its affiliate partnerships with platforms like Booking.com, Hostelworld, Viator and Freetours, Biliki AI integrates eco-friendly accommodations and services, which are promoted on its platform. This helps to direct consumer choices towards more sustainable options, thus contributing to the broader goals of sustainable development.

Promoting Local Cultures and Products: By recommending local experiences and products, Biliki AI supports local economies and helps in the preservation and promotion of cultural heritage, which is a crucial aspect of sustainable tourism.

Through these actions, Biliki AI embodies the spirit of SDG Target 17.16 by building meaningful partnerships that leverage technology for sustainable development, promote local cultures, and enhance global cooperation for sustainable tourism.

As Biliki AI continues to weave the principles of the SDGs into its operations and offerings, it not only catalyzes change in the travel sector but also sets a benchmark for how technology can be leveraged for meaningful impact.

By choosing Biliki AI, travelers are not just planning trips; they are joining a movement towards more responsible and sustainable global exploration. This commitment positions Biliki AI as a leader in the future of travel, where every journey makes a positive difference, supporting a sustainable future for all.

At this moment, we are just at the beginning of our journey with Biliki AI. While the first version is live and functional, it’s truly just the start. We extend a heartfelt invitation to everyone who shares our values and vision for a sustainable future to join us. Your support can help bring our broader ideas to life, driving meaningful change on a global scale. Together, we can continue to develop Biliki AI into a tool that not only plans trips but also preserves our planet for future generations.