NORWOOD, MASS.—Leading travel industry nonprofit Tourism Cares will celebrate its 20th anniversary this year, marking two decades of impact programming in the sustainable tourism space.
Tourism Cares was formed when USTOA’s Travelers Conservation Foundation and NTA’s National Tour Foundation merged and became an independent nonprofit in 2003. This was marked with the launch of Tourism Cares for America give back project on Ellis Island in New York City and the event was the first of its kind, bringing more than 300 travel and tourism professionals from across the industry together in volunteerism, uniting competitors, and collaborators alike.
“In the beginning, Tourism Cares was unlike any organization that existed in travel,” said Bruce Beckham, founding Executive Director of Tourism Cares. “For the first time, we met on an even playing field where giving back was our great equalizer. The goal for all was to leave a positive impact on the local community or historic site and at the same time create real and genuine business connections through the collaborative effort. That was the icing on the cake for attendees. We started a movement that day on Ellis Island in 2003 that has propelled us around the world and continues to be the inspiration for Tourism Cares—being a force where the entire industry can gather, united in purpose.”
Inspiring Businesses to Give Back
Since that historic day on Ellis Island, Tourism Cares has become an organization committed to addressing some of the world’s greatest challenges. Through events and programs focused on the social, environmental, and economic well-being of tourism communities, Tourism Cares has been moving the needle in the sustainable tourism space. In the U.S., Peru, Jordan, Colombia, and Canada, Tourism Cares has brought together tourism and travel companies, inspiring them to use their businesses to better serve the destinations to which they send their customers.
“To have been at Ellis Island and involved with this organization for twenty years is a highlight of my career. Tourism Cares represents the people and places of travel, dedicated to the people and places of travel. It has always been that way and will continue to be. We were born from volunteerism and now, we set the course for our industry’s sustainability journey through convening, education, and training,” said Greg Takehara, CEO of Tourism Cares. “We will never stop rolling up our sleeves to do the work necessary. Our experiences are collaborative, meaningful, and inspiring, and most importantly demonstrate the need for all sectors of our industry to come together. We will forge ahead in the next twenty years and continue to protect the assets that are at the center of the travel experience. It is critical for us to do so, together.”
To celebrate such a milestone, Tourism Cares will launch special programming this year in the spirit of industry collaboration with new partners. For the first time in Europe, Tourism Cares will host its Tourism Cares with Norway Meaningful Travel Summit in partnership with Innovation Norway and USTOA’s Sustainability is Responsibility (SIR) event. In October, Tourism Cares will launch a new event, The Power of Partnership Stewardship Summit, with three partners: The Cultural Heritage Economic Alliance, The Travel Foundation, and the US Cultural and Heritage Marketing Council. To learn more about what is planned, visit www.tourismcares.org/meaningful-travel-summit.
New Chair of Tourism Cares Board
The anniversary year will also see additions to the Tourism Cares Board of Directors, with Malia Asfour, long-time friend, supporter, and driving force behind Tourism Cares’ global program, taking the reins as the new Chair. As the Director of the Jordan Tourism Board North America, Malia has been foundational in launching Tourism Cares’ programmatic work to a global scale, hosting the Tourism Cares with Jordan Meaningful Travel Summit in 2018.
“I have been a supporter of Tourism Cares since its inception and believe in the mission to foster sustainable tourism development through meaningful travel around the world,” said Malia Asfour, Director, Jordan Tourism Board North America. “The growth of this organization globally, primarily through the development of the Meaningful Travel Map, has helped local communities benefit from tourism dollars, leaving a direct economic impact in these destinations. I worked with Tourism Cares on the development of the Meaningful Travel Map of Jordan and Colombia and the impact left behind on the people we met proves that tourism can be a force for good. I am thrilled to sit as Chair of Tourism Cares, where those programs will continue to grow with the help of an experienced and passionate Board of Directors.”
The theme of Tourism Cares’ anniversary year is one of unity, collaboration, and a shared vision for the future. Tourism Cares would like to thank its founding partners for supporting that vision from the start, the United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA), the National Tour Association (NTA), and the more than 19 travel and tourism association partners, including strategic Association partners, the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA/IATAN).
