THE RIGHT DIRECTION
TOURISM CARES
This non-profit ’ s mission is to be the changemaker of the tourism industry .
WORDS / CODIE LIERMANN
COURTESY OF TOURISM CARES
Tourism Cares volunteers support a small farm cooperative in Puerto Rico .
What if there was an organization that brought together all segments of the travel industry with the goal of working together to create change and make a positive impact ? Luckily for our industry , there is . It ’ s called Tourism Cares .
A non-profit organization , Tourism Cares is not only dedicated to the survival of the tourism industry but also to making it a better place . The company allows like-minded people and places to work together through uniting , inspiring and amplifying .
According to Tourism Cares CEO Greg
Takehara , the company often describes itself by saying , “ We are the people and places of travel , dedicated to the people and places of travel .” From assisting with disaster relief efforts around the world to hosting networking opportunities , Tourism Cares focuses on bringing the industry together in order to make a positive change .
“ We ’ re really fortunate to be that one collective within the industry that kind of brings the whole industry together to really help to do good within the industry ,” said Takehara , adding that a lot of what they do has a focus around sustainability and diversity , equity and inclusion .
For example , during the Tourism Cares for South Florida program in 2018 , volunteers spent time cleaning and rebuilding in several different ways in order to help relieve some of the effects of the recent hurricane . Along the way , volunteers learned all about the important role coral plays in the ecosystem .
Through the organization ’ s Meaningful Travel Summits , industry professionals have the chance to participate in events that combine education , service and social enterprise development . The opportunity for industry networking is sprinkled as well . Tourism
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