Travel Pledge Launches
Travel Pledge is an exciting new opportunity for holidaymakers and travellers to put something back into the destination where they have travelled or holidayed ? whether in the UK or abroad. When we travel we make connections, we make acquaintances and friends and we often want to give back through giving ? we want to make a contribution to making a place a better place to live in or to visit.
In the late 1990’s when I was working closely with a number of tour operators developing Responsible Tourism policies it was apparent that there was a great deal of charitable giving by holidaymakers and that this was a challenge for the operators, cash was often sent to field staff to pass on and parcels arrive at the offices with an expectation that the contents will be taken out to the destination. Later research in The Gambia revealed that 48% of UK holidaymakers arrive carrying gifts in support of health, education and livelihoods. The tsunami demonstrated that the travel industry in the UK was not equipped to respond rapidly and to provide a mechanism for travellers and holidaymakers who had connections ? friends and acquaintances ? in the areas affected and who wanted to put something back.
Travel Pledge has been in gestation a long time, Nick Chaffe has brought the energy and time to give it life. I believe it to be the best available one-stop-shop for travellers and holidaymakers wanting to give back to the people and places they have come to care about. It is there to be used ? use it.
This is Responsible Travel Philanthropy:
1. We do not charge the local Delivery Partners whose projects we put on the site.
2. We work with advisers and travel industry partners to ensure that the projects we support are worthwhile and we report, as initiatives complete, to those who have donated.
3. For UK tax payers we are able to add GiftAid.
4. The Charities Trust charges 4% of gross donations to cover card charges and processing.
5. Travel Pledge retains nothing of what is donated.
6. We aim to be the lowest cost provider ? contact me if you find a more responsible or cheaper one-stop-shop for ?giving back though giving?.
Harold Goodwin Chair of Trustees ? http://travelpledge.org and harold@haroldgoodwin.info
