TCS Will Offset Carbon Emissions for All Trips Booked from 2019 Onward and Give Back to Destinations Around the World
SEATTLE, WA (August 14, 2019) — Award-winning luxury tour operator TCS World Travel today announces its new philanthropy strategy centered around two key pillars: sustainability and community building. The company’s main focus will be to offset its carbon footprint through a partnership with Sustainable Travel International and to make charitable contributions to the places it travels to most.
“At TCS World Travel, we make it a priority to leave a positive impact on the destinations we visit and enrich the lives of those who live there,” said TCS World Travel President Shelley Cline. “We’re committed to traveling responsibly and reducing our environmental footprint, as well as to ensuring we are helping the communities in these important destinations.”
Sustainability
To help with the carbon footprint that results from flying, TCS World Travel will offset carbon emissions for 2019 and all future trips. TCS has partnered with Sustainable Travel International, a global non-profit organization with 15 years of experience developing successful carbon offset programs for the travel industry. Sustainable Travel International has calculated the carbon footprint of all TCS jet trips in 2019 and will purchase highly vetted carbon offsets equivalent to that amount.
The carbon offset contributions will support two carbon reduction projects in two of the destinations most frequented on TCS expeditions: Peru and Cambodia. In addition to mitigating climate change impacts, these projects enhance sustainability by protecting native ecosystems and benefiting local communities.
Madre de Dios Program: In Peru, TCS will contribute funds to this community-based project in the Peruvian Amazon that was created to protect approximately 740,000 acres of biodiverse and natural resource-rich primary rainforest. The project was also designed to safeguard the social and ecological heritage in the region through sustainable Brazil nut harvesting.
TCS’ 2019 contribution will support the protection of almost 600 acres of the project and offset 1,600 metric tons of CO2.
Water Filter Program: In Cambodia, TCS will support the Water Filter Program, which works to reduce carbon emissions by providing sustainable access to clean drinking water in rural households in Cambodia through the donation of ceramic water purifiers. This program reduces the depletion of natural resources by offering an alternative to decontamination through boiling, which uses firewood or charcoal as fuel and releases carbon into the atmosphere in the process.
The contributions from TCS will support the distribution of almost 16,000 ceramic water purifiers in addition to protecting 22 acres of forest, creating four jobs, and offsetting 3,547 metric tons of CO2.
Community Building
Through this pillar, TCS World Travel focuses on human connection among guests, employees and communities around the world. The company aims to improve the lives of people in the destinations it visits most through charitable contributions to the following organizations:
Ujenzi Charitable Trust: TCS has donated over $1.1 million to the Ujenzi Charitable Trust over the past 19 years, supporting accessible health solutions for the poor and vulnerable across more than 22 countries including Tanzania and India. Recognizing the impact that women have on the health of their families and communities, the organization invests in maternal and child projects that lead to healthier pregnancies, babies, and communities.
Contributions from TCS have supported the development of two important projects: an ultra-low-cost method to stop postpartum hemorrhaging and an ultra-low-cost breathing machine that supports newborns and children with breathing difficulties, both of which have saved countless lives and have the capacity to help millions more.
Gorilla Doctors: TCS also supports the work of The Gorilla Doctors, an organization in Rwanda dedicated to conserving wild mountain and eastern lowland gorillas through life-saving veterinary care in the wild. As the health of the gorillas is linked to that of the entire ecosystem, the Gorilla Doctors not only care for the gorillas in the field, but further protect them by supporting health programs for people living and working in and around gorilla habitat.
TCS’ donations enable regular visits by their veterinary staff to local schools to educate primary and secondary school students on conservation, hygiene and health. They also support regular training for park staff and members of park-related cooperatives on the importance and practice of good hygiene.
Currency Donations: On all trips, TCS provides guests with local currency at each destination for convenience when purchasing local souvenirs. Upon departure, they collect all leftover money to donate to carefully-vetted community projects in the area.
Annual Employee Volunteer Days
To ensure its employees feel a sense of connection and have the opportunity to give back, TCS World Travel sponsors two employee volunteer days per year where staff have the opportunity to work on projects that impact the immediate Seattle area. One day has a focus on community building and the other has a focus on sustainability, echoing TCS’ two key pillars.
For more information on TCS World Travel’s philanthropy strategy and partnership with Sustainable Travel International, please visit https://www.tcsworldtravel.com/about/philanthropy.
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About TCS World Travel
TCS World Travel leads the industry in private jet journeys with the experience and knowledge built from developing hundreds of trips for 25 years. The company excels at providing unparalleled local access and exclusive activities tailored to any travel style. Circle the globe or take a dive deep into a region on a luxury private jet expedition or embark on a luxury custom journey created especially for you to any destination in the world. For more information, visit www.tcsworldtravel.com or find TCS World Travel on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
About Sustainable Travel International
Sustainable Travel International is a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting and conserving our planet’s most vulnerable destinations. We are transforming tourism’s impact on nature and people by working alongside local communities, engaging travelers and businesses in responsible practices, and strengthening destination management. Through our work, we aim to safeguard nature, combat climate change, and empower communities to preserve the integrity of destinations around the globe. For more information, visit www.sustainabletravel.org or contact Kaitlyn Brajcich at [email protected].
Media Contacts
TCS World Travel
Kimi Ozawa / Elizabeth Maxim Melgoza / Ilana Dreiman
Murphy O’Brien, Inc.
(310) 453-2539