Selective Asia

Selective Asia Founder, Nick Pulley, and his specialist team of travel enthusiasts thoughtfully put together curated itineraries and experiences that inquisitive travellers will remember for a lifetime.

From the deepest parts of Borneo’s tropical rainforests to the lesser-known scattering of islands in southernmost Japan and everywhere in between, Selective Asia make it their mission to lead travellers off the beaten track to discover new destinations all while reducing their contribution to overtourism. It’s all about unfollowing the herd and striving to be part of the solution, not the problem.

• As a B Corp™ Selective Asia take pride in making travel purposeful for each and every guest. Their philosophy is that travel is a privilege that should be approached with thoughtful curiosity and a desire to immerse in the destination.
• Sustainability Commitment: Prioritizing the environment, community, and economy for true sustainability, this means that all their trips are "better" rather than "bigger”.
• Slow Travel: Emphasizing the importance of taking time to create thoughtful travel experiences that make every moment count while maintaining a light environmental footprint and prioritizing cultural connections while respecting community boundaries.

Lemongrass Marketing, a B Corp-certified travel communications agency, introduced Selective Asia, a B Corp-certified tour operator, to the UK media.

Results:

• Coverage positioning Selective Asia as subject-matter experts
• A feature linked to David Attenborough's 100th birthday published in The Mirror and syndicated across 15+ titles
• Inclusion in Wanderlust within a piece on regenerative tourism
• Spokesperson quotes in The Daily Mail and The i Paper
• Interest secured from National Geographic Traveller and The Independent for dedicated features on lesser-visited parts of Asia, including Ha Giang, Vietnam
• Representation at the Travel with Purpose Media Roadshow

Selective Asia was an established tour operator but had no prior PR representation in the UK and limited awareness among UK media. The objective was to position the brand as genuine experts in Asia travel, secure high-quality coverage, and open the door to longer-term media relationships.

We led with knowledge, because that was the only asset

With no media relationships and no news, destination expertise was the entire proposition. We positioned Selective Asia's deep destination knowledge as the primary asset, securing opportunities where editorial value came from expertise rather than promotion.

We found a hook nobody else was using

A piece tied to David Attenborough's 100th birthday was published in The Mirror and syndicated across 15+ titles - a single well-chosen angle doing more for awareness than a month of conventional outreach.

We took the brand to editors in person

We represented Selective Asia at the Travel with Purpose Media Roadshow, placing the brand directly in front of key UK travel editors and embedding it in the media landscape far faster than email alone would have.

High-quality coverage positioning Selective Asia as subject-matter experts, including the Attenborough-linked piece in The Mirror syndicated across 15+ titles, inclusion in Wanderlust on regenerative tourism, and spokesperson quotes in The Daily Mail and The i Paper.

We also secured interest from National Geographic Traveller and The Independent for dedicated features promoting lesser-visited parts of Asia, including Ha Giang in Vietnam.

How does a brand with no PR history start building media relationships? By leading with genuine expertise rather than promotional messaging, identifying distinctive news hooks, and using in-person media introductions such as roadshows to accelerate relationship building.

What is a media roadshow? A structured programme of face-to-face meetings between brands and journalists. Selective Asia was represented at the Lemongrass Travel with Purpose Media Roadshow.