Would you pay a pound to help others?

Did you know that if you book a Thomson Cruise you have  the option to pay £1 towards the Tui Care Foundation?

Established in 2011 the Tui Care Foundation now contributes over two million pounds per year to sustainable tourism projects globally. They foster education and the well being of children and youth through education and  training, the protection of nature and the environment, and the positive impacts of tourism on people and places in destinations worldwide. Their aim is to provide long term solutions to bring development and prosperity to the regions that we travel to.

Their projects range from protecting the Cheetah in the Tsavo National Park in Kenya and providing shelters for Barbary Macques in Marrakesh  to working with farmers to build walls and provide protection from the wind in the  vineyards of Gran Canaria.

Education is clearly the key to the future of many societies and the Tui Care Foundation provides invaluable support for women in Tunisia, who are disadvantaged along side their male colleagues and supports the GreenKidz foundation in Curacao. This organisation encourages local school children to care for and act responsibly towards their local environment and actively contribute to a greener, cleaner, healthier Curaçao. Recycling bins have been introduced to tourist areas and the children are involved in keeping the beaches clean.

As a student, I studied Geography at university and took a course on the impact of tourism on local communities. Whilst tourism can bring money to an area, it can also adversely impact in many ways. Destroying environments and displacing the local populations. I don’t think everyone realises the impact that we have and therefore it is good to know that Tui (or Thomson as we all know them) are giving us the opportunity to not only enjoy these places but also to add to their future sustainability and prosperity, all for only £1.