Tiny footprints, Big impact on eco-tourism

Big Tiny was founded on a simple but ambitious purpose: enable people to rediscover the joy of simple living while protecting the landscapes that make these experiences possible. Since introducing its first tiny houses in Australia in 2017, the Singapore-born brand has grown across the region—including Malaysia—championing a model of tourism that treads lightly yet delivers enriching experiences.

Sustainability was not an afterthought for Big Tiny. From the beginning, its founders set out to reimagine how people can experience travel by creating a model that reduces impact, restores balance and reconnects people with nature. This experience is made accessible through its Tiny Away booking platform, where travellers discover curated eco-conscious stays across the region.

Big Tiny believes that its products can assist in making better use of land, limit overdevelopment and offer a meaningful alternative to the resource-heavy, high-footfall model of mass tourism. The company does so via thoughtful systems including the way its tiny houses are built and deployed to how resources are managed, its partnership with landowners and engagements with the local communities. Every tiny house is built with light gauge steel, durable composite materials and modular construction to reduce waste. Across its global portfolio of more than 650 units, off-grid and hybrid models rely on solar energy, rainwater harvesting and composting systems, ensuring minimal disturbance to the land.

“We view our efforts as part of an evolving commitment to operationalise sustainability and accountability, and we are confident that with consistency and improvements, a better tomorrow is within reach,” – Adrian, CEO and Co-Founder, Big Tiny.

In 2025, Big Tiny advanced this promise by achieving Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) recognition for its Lazarus Island project, with more sites worldwide aiming for certification by 2026. Building on this achievement, Big Tiny is also working towards including its other global projects under the GSTC Industry Criteria for Hotels certification by 2026, for a consistent benchmark across its portfolio. Additionally, it has also initiated environmental impact assessments at Grampians Edge and Granite Belt in Australia.

Big Tiny’s impact extends beyond environmental stewardship as everywhere the brand sets foot in, it believes that local relevance and global consistency can co-exist. Its tiny houses support local economies by engaging over 1,200 stakeholders—from land hosts to owners—and partnering with 300 organisations. The company also collaborates with local artisans, brands, producers, merchants and landowners to infuse authenticity into each stay—whether through region-specific furnishings, community partnerships or curated experiences.

Soon, the brand looks to strengthen its advocacy for regenerative tourism, as guests’ sustainability expectations continue to rise. Efforts in the pipeline include increasing its green procurement with a goal of ensuring at least 15% of materials come from recycled sources by 2030. Big Tiny is also exploring solar-wind hybrid systems that can generate power even at night which will increase the usage of natural sources by another 10%, come 2030. It is also exploring ways to adopt even more energy-efficient appliances to further reduce overall consumption.

For Malaysia, Big Tiny looks to offer a sustainable alternative to traditional travel experience by activating underutilised rural or natural spaces, converting them into low-impact, eco-conscious getaways. With abundance of land and natural landscapes, Big Tiny sees vast potential for growth while simultaneously playing a role setting a benchmark for the country’s eco-tourism landscape and in time, shaping its regenerative tourism industry. Malaysians can also purchase entire tiny homes or share ownership, enjoying passive income from these sustainable stays.

All tiny houses are listed for stays through Big Tiny’s Tiny Away platform (tinyaway.com), alongside other major booking sites.