Phuket PSU Hosts Zero-Waste Tourism Hackathon
Prince of Songkla University Phuket hosted the Tourism Zero Hackathon 2026, challenging students to develop zero-waste solutions for the tourism industry. Seventeen teams competed across three categories, with five winning projects including a circular slipper service, a hotel food booking platform, and upcycled hotel textiles. The EU-funded event aims to turn student innovations into practical prototypes for sustainable tourism.
The competition featured 17 student teams tackling three key challenges: Smart Food Waste Reduction, Smart Tourist Behavior for Zero Waste, and Smart Waste Management for Tourism Destinations. Ten teams advanced to the finals to develop prototypes and present to a judging panel from industry and academia, evaluated on creativity, practical feasibility, and potential positive impact on tourism. Judges included Rangsiman Khingkaew, President of the Phuket Tourism Industry Council; Esther Sengyamkul, founder of Flamingo 492 and AI advisor; and Assistant Professor Dr. Kulda Petcharat, Head of Tourism Management at PSU Phuket. The top prize went to team Trash2Treasure from PSU Phuket's College of Computing for "StayLoop: Circular Slipper Service." First runner-up was team Umbrella Slider from PSU Phuket's Faculty of Technology and Environment for a hotel food booking website. Second runner-up went to team Re from PSU's Faculty of Science and Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism for fabric made from hotel textile waste. Honorable mentions went to team 024 - ABL LEAD from Phuket Rajabhat University for converting airline kitchen vegetable scraps into community chicken eggs for wellness tourism, and team Rak Phuket from PSU Phuket's Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism for a QR Code Waste Sorting Guide.
