The Travel Corporation (TTC) Foundation for Conservation is the combined initiative of several leading travel companies. TTC is a company owned by the Tollman family. Founded by Stanley Tollman more than fifty years ago, the company is today led by his son Brett Tollman, who serves as CEO and President. Travel Corporation’s operations include leading niche travel brands such as Trafalgar Tours, the boutique collection of Red Carnations Hotels, Uniworld’s boutique river cruises and more.
With a sensitive awareness of environmental issues, the TTC Conservation Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting sustainable tourism and protecting some of the world’s culturally and ecologically threatened areas. Tollman’s vision is to “continue to fund this important work” through the Travel Corporation Conservation Foundation. Companies like Trafalgar, Brendan Vacations, Insight Vacations, Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection, AAT Kings and others. Currently, the Conservation Trust is fully funded by its supporting travel companies. He has recently been involved in a number of projects in South America, Europe, Africa and Australia. The Foundation’s Board of Directors carefully reviews each and every project to ensure funds are used wisely and correctly. The Board is supported by an Advisory Panel of experts in the fields of conservation and development.
In South America, the Foundation contributed $350,000 for the protection of the Atlantic Forest in Brazil, which has been designated a World Biosphere Reserve and contains many endangered species. Over the years, the forest has been extensively cleared for sugar cane cultivation and urban settlement, with the remaining forest estimated to be less than 10% of the original area. The foundation’s grant helped protect some three million hectares of forest in high-priority areas.
In Europe, through the Trust, Trafalgar is working with the UK’s National Trust to protect several of its areas, starting with the Giant’s Causeway in Ireland this year (and the White Cliffs of Dover next year). Insight Vacations is working to help protect and preserve some of Europe’s battlefields from World War I and World War II. Uniworld is working to clean up the Nile River and Contiki is working on an ocean initiative.
In northern Botswana, Africa, the Foundation previously supported the Wilderness Wildlife Trust, which works to support the African environment and wildlife. Specifically, the funds have been allocated to the construction and equipment of three research camps dedicated to the investigation of elephants, antelopes and zebras, to guarantee the protection of both the species and their habitat.
In Australia, the beautiful Kimberly region has benefited from Foundation funding for the past three years, which has gone towards helping local communities develop and maintain sustainable tourism there. This will help both protect the environment and promote an indigenous tourism industry, which in turn will support local communities.
The World Travel & Tourism Council has held the Tourism for Tomorrow Awards for the past six years, and for the past three, the TTC Conservation Foundation has been one of the two main co-sponsors, along with Travelport. This award recognizes leading organizations in the industry in promoting responsible tourism, an issue of great importance in a world of increasingly scarce natural resources and growing concern for the environment.
TTC also believes that one of the most important impacts that its collective efforts can contribute to reducing the carbon footprint of its travelers is to better educate customers of its brands, to increase their awareness and participation in reducing their respective footprints during their trips. travels. This can be done by each of them by always turning off the lights and air conditioning in the hotel rooms in which they are staying while they are away, and by participating in hotel linen recycling and reuse programs when offered. . It is also important to respect local cultures and not pollute during the visit. TTC works to engage and educate its customers before they travel on these issues to ensure maximum awareness and acceptance while traveling.