THE TREADRIGHT FOUNDATION LOOKS TOWARD THE RETURN TO TRAVEL

Planet, People, and Wildlife; these are the three pillars that uphold The TreadRight Foundation’s mission to develop sustainable tourism. TreadRight, The Travel Corporation’s (TTC) not-forprofit, also sets the direction for sustainability within TTC and its 40 award-winning travel brands. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council, one in ten jobs worldwide are supported by the travel and tourism industry. The current pause in global travel, due to COVID-19, has directly impacted millions of people in its workforce, with 75.2 million job losses projected. TTC’s Travel Directors see the impact that the travel industry has on people, the environment, and wildlife, and are passionate about upholding the TreadRight pledge to “make travel matter.”

In March, The TreadRight Foundation chose four organizations to receive the Tread the Pledge Fund, as nominated by TTC’s Travel Director community in November of 2019. The Tread the Pledge Fund recipients have been awarded a $2,500 USD grant to help them continue their efforts in supporting local communities around the world.

The inaugural fund recipients are spread out globally, with some on the frontlines of the COVID-19 response. TreadRight and TTC were thrilled to award the 2020 Tread the Pledge Fund to:

1) RPJ Helping Hands in Cape Town,

a not-for-profit dedicated to feeding the homeless and hungry twice a week, averaging 2,000 meals per month. Due to COVID-19, their beneficiaries have increased. They’re on the frontlines to ensure more than 3,000 meals are being served at a time.

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2) Smiling Children Italia

sponsors children in Kenya, allowing them to attend primary and secondary school. Lorena Schiavon, a Travel Director for Insight Vacations, began this charity and personally contributes much of her free time to provide the children with school materials, clothing, books, and transportation during the holidays.

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3) Clean and Proud, in Mzuzu,

Malawi collects and upcycles singleuse plastic waste into handicrafts along with unique, locally-sourced fabrics, which are then distributed to tourists in Malawi and wholesalers in Europe. In response to COVID-19, they’ve developed hygiene packs that include face masks. They are also investigating potential solutions to the challenge of accessing reliable and clean electricity in Malawi’s rural communities.

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4. Walkers4Water/Charity Water

helps bring clean water to thousands of people in remote communities by raising funds, 100% of which go to the project which donors can then directly track online. Their most recent project was in Mali.

“Our resilient and vibrant tourism industry will recover, though we can’t be sure of precisely when. Our efforts at TreadRight, both through the support of our projects and through our strategic efforts to operate as responsibly as we can, will be proven as no longer “nice to haves,” but rather “need to haves.” When we return to travel, we must be better, stronger, and more aware of the world and the planet we call home.” - Brett Tollman, TreadRight Founder & Chief Executive of TTC

In preparation for a return to global travel, TTC has also introduced stringent hygiene and well-being measures for the safety and peace of mind of all travellers.

• Expertly Trained Travel Directors ʶ

• A Full Team of Support 24/7 ʶ

• Stringent On-the-Road Protocols (Including sanitized coaches, expertly trained drivers, and freely available hand sanitizer) ʶ

• Trusted Partners, Exceptional Partners (TTC will try hard to only work with establishments that they are confident will consistently adhere to our standards)

• Physical Distancing ʶ

• Smaller Groups, More Personal Space ʶ

• Face Masks, Rubber Gloves, Antiviral Sprays and Wipes on Hand

Please visit TreadRight.org to hear more about these projects.

To learn more about The Travel Corporation’s COVID-19 Well-Being Protocols visit ttc.com/comfort.

Join them as they #MakeTravelMatter by signing The Pledge (treadright.org/pledge).

ABOUT THE TRAVEL CORPORATION:

The Travel Corporation (TTC) is a highly successful, family-owned, and passionately run international group of 40 awardwinning brands. Our exceptional portfolio of brands spans across 70 countries and offers an extensive selection of international travel and tourism companies, encompassing a variety of guided travel experiences, independent holiday packages, boutique river cruising, luxury hotels, and safaris.