Celebrating World Tourism Day by Announcing Global Partnership with ME to WE
TORONTO – September 27, 2016 – The Travel Corporation and seven of its award-winning brands including Trafalgar, Contiki Holidays, Insight Vacations, Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection, Lion World Travel, African Travel Inc., Adventure World and the TreadRight Foundation celebrate on World Tourism Day the launch of their global partnership with ME to WE by offering immersive volunteer trips for all generations, worldwide. In partnership with ME to WE, travellers have a unique opportunity to visit three iconic destinations: India, the Ecuadorian Amazon and Kenya.
In conjunction with The Travel Corporation’s seven brands’ guided vacations, luxury river cruises and safaris, guests can book ME to WE Immersive Volunteer Trip extensions on upcoming set departure dates or as a requested custom trip in these three spectacular destinations. As part of the culturally immersive experience, travellers will stay among local communities in comfortable lodges, fully owned and operated by ME to WE. All meals, ground transfers, transportation and local sightseeing excursions hosted by an expert facilitator are included.
“Through our not-for-profit TreadRight Foundation, we have been working to create a positive impact to promote sustainable tourism worldwide, with carefully selected partners and projects and some of the numerous local communities we visit,” said Brett Tollman,” Chief Executive Officer of The Travel Corporation. “Many of our travellers are open to experiencing meaningful travel with unforgettable, moving experiences. We are therefore very excited to be supporting ME to WE’s outstanding immersive volunteer trips, which we will help promote with our 10,000 team members across the globe and with the involvement of our loyal travel partners globally.”
Each ME to WE Trip takes place in a community where ME to WE’s renowned charitable partner puts its 20-year history of holistic, sustainable development to work through its WE Villages program. What makes ME to WE Trips even more world changing is that half of ME to WE’s net profits are donated to its charitable partner— helping travellers make an even bigger impact on the communities they visit. The other half is reinvested to grow the enterprise and its social mission.
“What makes ME to WE Trips unique is that travellers have the opportunity to contribute to sustainable development work, which has a 20 year history impact and we are so pleased to be partnering with The Travel Corporation along with the committed support of their involved brands – Trafalgar, Insight Vacations, Uniworld Boutique River Cruises, Contiki Holidays, Lion World Travel, African Travel Inc. and Adventure World,” said Craig Kielburger, co-founder of WE. “The work of the WE Villages development program has been able to build more than 1,000 schools and school rooms in our partner communities, giving 200,000 children the opportunity to gain an education, provided over 1 million people with access to clean water, and our immersive volunteer trips have been a huge part of making that happen. Travelling with ME to WE is more than a trip. It’s a way to live WE – coming together to learn from each other and make the world a better place, because we are stronger together.”
On a journey to Ecuador, travellers will enjoy a rainforest adventure in the Amazon jungle at ME to WE’s Minga Lodge and join community members to work on a sustainable development project while learning about the indigenous Kichwa culture. They will also be invited to the home of a local shaman to experience a traditional cleansing ceremony and blessing. In vibrant India, guests will stay at Araveli Cottages and Tented Camp in Rajasthan, surrounded by the pink-hued Aravalli Mountains. Travellers will have the chance to help local women collect water for their families, learn to make chapatti bread or build a classroom for future generations. In Kenya, guests will stay at Bogani Cottages and Tented Camp in the Maasai Mara. They will join the women of the Maasai and Kispigis communities to learn the craft of beading, a tradition passed down through generations that empowers these women to earn a sustainable income to provide for their families.
“Giving people better choices for a better world is at the very heart of ME to WE, which is why we’re so excited to partner with The Travel Corporation,” said Roxanne Joyal, CEO of ME to WE. “When you take a ME to WE Trip, you not only work in partnership with local community members, you also immerse yourself in a new culture, foster genuine connections and see the world through a new lens. It’s travel with a purpose.”
The ME to WE travel team will handle any volunteer trip extension inquiries and all custom ME to WE Immersive Volunteer Trip bookings. Travellers can view these Travel Corporation trips at: