Check out what our volunteers did in Pensacola in March! Video donated by Collette Vacations

Tourism Cares is pleased to announce Sacramento, California's capital city and the historic gathering place for the California Gold Rush of 1849, as the destination for the Fall 2012 Tourism Cares for Historic Sacramento give back volunteer program.

Scheduled to celebrate World Tourism Day, the program invites hundreds of travel and tourism professionals to give back to historic sites in need of care and rejuvenation.  Volunteers will arrive in Sacramento on September 27 and work all day on September 28, 2012. Individuals and companies are encourage to participate. Registration is now available online. 

Travel industry volunteers will paint, landscape and rebuild areas in Old Sacramento, a National Historic Landmark District and State Historic Park located along the Sacramento River. Bustling with activity, the district comes alive depicting a bygone era of America's history with world-renowned museums, historic attractions, shopping, dining and entertainment.

Much needed work will also be done at Fort Sutter and other sites around the historic district.   In a time when budget cuts, understaffing and time constraints stifle simple but important maintenance, the city of Sacramento and its tourist attractions will benefit tremendously from the help of hundreds of enthusiastic volunteers who care.

Sponsorship opportunities are available! Please contact Kati Hagedorn, Events Manager, for details.

Tourism Cares is always interested in learning about tourism related places in need of volunteer help! Please contact Jessica Ahern, Director of Events, with suggestions.

Louis Armstrong Park - Making It's Way Back

The mission of Tourism Cares is to preserve the travel experience for future generations. How do we do that? Through our partnerships and dedicated volunteers, we rehabilitate and protect sites around the world in need of care. Where would our industry be without things to see and experience? Our story in New Orleans is a perfect example and reflects how we put our mission into action.

Five years ago, Tourism Cares, with the help of Mike Valentino, CEO of Valentino Hotels, formed a partnership with Parkway Partners in New Orleans to give back to Louis Armstrong Park - a 32-acre park located in the Tremé neighborhood, one of the oldest in the city, and early in its history, freely open to people of color. For six hours on a sunny day in April, 2008, Tourism Cares volunteers painted fences, swept debris, landscaped flower beds and climbed into cherry pickers to paint lampposts. In one short day, volunteers transformed that park, and gave hope to the people of New Orleans -assurance that even two years later, recovery after Katrina was still going strong.

The future of Louis Armstrong Park seemed bright but turned to bleak when politics and other issues got in the way. The gates were once again locked to keep visitors out and the park remained closed.

In 2010, Tourism Cares once again lit the spark by bringing 100 more volunteers to restart a revitalization of the park. From that point, repairs began again and a major recovery has since taken place.  The iconic Louis Armstrong arch is now lit, Congo Square and the Mahalia Center are once again filled with music and celebration, and tourists and locals alike can visit and pay tribute to its history and its favorite son.

None of this would be possible without the dedication and support of the travel industry. The many hands and grant funding from tour operator, Globus, through Tourism Cares,  have allowed travel and tourism to play a role in making sure this site is available for future generations to enjoy. Tourism Cares is thankful for the volunteers and partners who allowed us to be part of that story. If you are interested in learning more about the Tourism Cares grant program and how you and your company can get involved, please email Carolyn Viles, Director of Grant Programs.

Did you know? Since 2003, Tourism Cares has brought together more than 3,500 volunteers, donating more than $500,000 in labor costs to sites in need of care.

This past May, Tourism Cares embarked on its first Global Initiative, GO Peru. More than 30 US travel industry participants traveled to Peru for a five day Leadership Expedition that included an educational forum, a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Machu Picchu and a hands on give back project at the Mercado San Pedro.

The goal of the GO Peru program was to bring expertise, insight and a helping hand (literally) to the country to enhance tourism there. The program began with an Educational Forum that was attended by 100 local Peruvian tourism professionals giving the opportunity for both the US and Peru to share their industry knowledge and give insight to the US perspective of what draws visitors to Peru.  

Before heading home, the US participants joined forces with their Peruvian colleagues to jump start the restoration of a local landmark in Cusco, the Mercado San Pedro. Volunteers spent the day painting the Mercado and surrounding benches, kiosks and fences. Vendors decorated the Mercado to show their appreciation for the work of the participants, and local passersby showed their support by jumping in and grabbing a paint brush and working alongside the travel industry volunteers.  

Most importantly, the GO Peru initiative sparked the formation of Turismo Cuida, a non-profit organization that is dedicated to the preservation of tourism related sites within Peru. Over the next two years, Turismo Cuida and Tourism Cares will provide grants to natural, cultural, historic sites and educational programs that benefit the country.  

Check out GO participant Arnie Weissmann's article in Travel Weekly about his experiences in Peru.

Special thanks to Global Leaders Tauck and Trip Mate.

Special thanks to Trip Mate and Flight Centre USA for their continued year-round support of Tourism Cares and its efforts to preserve sites and invest in our industry's future professionals.

Want to join them and support Tourism Cares as a Corporate Partner? Contact Alyssa ODriscoll, Development Manager. 

Tourism Cares is proud to announce the winner of our Euphoria Scholarship for Tourism Excellence, Qihui Ng.  She is an international student from Singapore who is attending the New York University's prestigious Preston Robert Tisch Center as a graduate student pursuing a Masters of Science in Tourism. Her achievements in working with the Singapore Tourism Board as well as her academic excellence and her enthusiasm for the tourism industry contributed to her receiving this highly coveted scholarship.

The Tourism Cares Euphoria Scholarship  was offered for the first time in 2012 at the request of the late Sarah Graham Mann, a long-time faculty member at the Tisch Center and a consultant in the formative years of Tourism Cares.

"I feel honored to receive this academic scholarship", said Qihui Ng. "With my degree, I look forward to assisting my future employer, Singapore Tourism Board, in preserving tourism sites of significance and enhancing future tourists' experiences in Singapore."

Does your company have an internship program? Tourism Cares is excited to offer its InterninTourism.org platform that matches employeers and students with internship opportunities around the country.  Visit InterninTourism.org to learn more.

Save Summer Vacation!

With summer upon us,  the long days and warm nights remind us of our favorite vacations and adventures. Whether it's a family excursion to a National Park, a day spent at the seashore or a road trip with friends, it is these times spent in awe of the historic and natural treasures that surround us that we will remember and cherish most.

Tragically though, with every passing day we are in danger of losing these places that we hold dear in our hearts; to budget cuts, private interests, decay and neglect. The rich stories we tell about our favorite travel memories are threatened. How often do we tell stories that begin with, "There used to be..." ? 

Tourism Cares exists to keep that from happening so often. To make a tax-deductible donation to support our programs, please follow this link or email Alyssa

for more information. Thank you for your support!

Donate to an Online Auction

Tourism Cares is raising funds for our programs by holding monthly online auctions. Your company can help support our mission by donating a travel package, service or special item. For more information on how you can get involved, please email Brin.  

Open an account and TD Bank will make an annual donation to Tourism Cares based on the average balance of member's personal or business accounts.  Eligible accounts include checking, savings, money markets, certificates of deposit and retirement accounts.  Account information is guaranteed to be secure and is not shared.

Both new and existing accounts are eligible for the program! The Affinity Program is available at any TD Bank location in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Washington DC, Virginia and southeast Florida. Email Alyssa for more details or to sign up.   

 Special Thanks to Our Corporate Partners

  Platinum:

Flight Centre USA - Travel Weekly - Trip Mate