MORAL COMPASS: Great Places to Go Where the Going Does Good

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benefits of travel, Benefits of Travel & Tourism, Cultural Travel, Importance of Tourism, Uncategorized

TreadRight Foundation Announces New Project Partnership with Seville’s Cristina Heeren Foundation to Support Flamenco Dance

December 25, 2019 MoralCompass

The Travel Corporation’s non-profit foundation, Treadright, welcomes new project partnership in Seville, Spain with The Cristina Heeren Foundation of Flamenco Art to support the conservation of flamenco dance.

Cypress, Calif.- The TreadRight Foundation, a joint initiative between The Travel Corporation’s (TTC) family of award-winning brands, including Trafalgar, Uniworld, Insight Vacations, Contiki and Red Carnation Hotels, has announced a new project partnership with The Cristina Heeren Foundation of Flamenco Art in Seville, Spain. The new project falls under TreadRight’s ‘People’ pillar, which encourages the cultures, traditions and arts of the communities TTC visits.

The Cristina Heeren Foundation of Flamenco Art is a private, non-profit entity, created in 1993 in Seville by Cristina Heeren, Hispanist and American patron. Its aims are the promotion, the teaching and the conservation of flamenco both in Andalusia and Spain, as well as internationally.

The TreadRight Foundation is supporting The Cristina Heeren Foundation of Flamenco Art by establishing four scholarships for advanced guitar, singing and dance students at the Foundation. The TreadRight scholarships will be dedicated to advanced students who need financial assistance to complete their third or fourth year of training. These higher-level students display great skill and competence in their disciplines, however, they often struggle to find the funds to continue or complete their training. The TreadRight scholarship will now allow them to see their training through to its completion.

In addition, Insight Vacations and Luxury Gold guests will have a culturally immersive and unique experience while visiting The Cristina Heeren Foundation on select trips. They will start with a flamenco dance class before taking front-seats for a fiery performance of flamenco to truly embrace the artform.

“Anyone who has ever had the chance to experience a flamenco performance can’t help but be moved by the centuries old artistic tradition. It is obvious why UNESCO recognized flamenco as one of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2010,” says Brett Tollman, Chief Executive, TTC and Founder, The TreadRight Foundation. “It represents such an incredible and indelible contribution to Spanish culture and heritage, as well as world culture and heritage. We are delighted to be partnering with The Cristina Heeren Foundation to help support the brilliant young artists working to keep this beautiful tradition alive and thriving.”

“That our friends at the TreadRight Foundation should have understood the importance of Flamenco, a unique art form, is close to miraculous,” shared Cristina Heeren, President of The Cristina Heeren Foundation of Flamenco Art. “Indeed, few people realize that flamenco is unique, being a product of the numerous ethnic influences left behind by those groups that settled in southern Spain over the centuries. Now, thanks to the TreadRight scholarships, our most promising students will be able to enter the professional world,” she continued.

Since 1996, the prestigious school has trained more than 6,000 youths from around the world in song, dance and guitar. It has been recognized with the Flamenco in the Classroom Prize from the Andalusian Government, the Order of Alfonso X from Spain’s Ministry of Culture, the National Teaching Prize from the Chair of Flamencology in Jerez and the distinction Flamenco Thursdays from the Cajasol Foundation, among other honors.

Created as a joint initiative between The Travel Corporation’s (TTC) family of brands, The TreadRight Foundation is a not-for-profit working to safeguard the planet, wildlife & people for generations to come. TreadRight’s mission is to #MakeTravelMatter through conservation, leadership and support for communities. To date, TreadRight has supported over 55+ sustainable tourism projects in 280+ communities worldwide. Foundation priorities are set by the Steering Committee. Past project partners include WWF, Conservation International, WildAid, The Travel Foundation and The National Trust in the UK. Current initiatives include the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Big Cat fund, WE.org and inspiring nature advocates like Céline Cousteau, Costas Christ and Terri Irwin. To learn more about our past and current work at TreadRight, please visit us at treadright.org and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter using our hashtag #MakeTravelMatter.

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benefits of travel, Eco-friendly resorts and hotels, Environmental Activism, Responsible Travel, Sustainable Travel, Uncategorized

Four Seasons Resort Nevis Partners with Sea Turtle Conservancy on Research

August 11, 2019 MoralCompass

Four Seasons Resort Nevis sponsors GPS satellite transmitters to support the Sea Turtle Conservancy track the migration patterns of sea turtles that return to Nevis to lay their eggs, and this year, even with the Resort’s ongoing renovation, the research needed to continue.

NEVIS, WEST INDIES – From June to October, the beaches of Nevis come alive with the scurrying of one of nature’s most beloved animals, the sea turtle. Each year, the partnership between Four Seasons Resort Nevis and the Sea Turtle Conservancy aims to educate and create awareness about the protection of these beautiful sea creatures through a joint program that helps researchers study the migration patterns of the endangered species that nest on Nevis’ beaches.

Four Seasons Resort Nevis sponsors GPS satellite transmitters to support the Sea Turtle Conservancy in tracking the migration patterns of sea turtles that return to Nevis to lay their eggs, and this year, even with the Resort’s ongoing renovation, the research needed to continue.

“This is our 13th year coming to Nevis and conducting research on these beautiful hawksbill sea turtles,” says David Godfrey, Executive Director of the Sea Turtle Conservancy. ”For us, this partnership is more than just the research; it’s an opportunity to be a part of the Nevisian community year after year and see how much they truly value our efforts and being a part of this very important initiative.”

Along with the help of the Nevis Turtle Group and Ignacio Ottley, one of longest standing sea turtle participants from the Resort, the team was able to successfully locate and track two new nesting hawksbill sea turtles on the beaches of Cades Bay, located just 15 minutes from Four Seasons.

As they headed out to the beach in the late evening, no sooner had they spotted the first turtle nesting along the beach. The conservation team began taking notes, measurements, and nesting patterns when another turtle began to make its way up the banks, just a few steps away. And, just like that “Spongie” and “Patches” were cleaned up, tagged and sent back to the ocean.

Just one week before the team came to Nevis, the Nevis Turtle Group was already out looking for turtles when they found “Sundrop” nesting on Jones Bay Beach. Initially tagged in 2016, her return to Nevis shows the thriving population on the island and that the turtles do come back to nest on the same beaches.

Three species of sea turtles nest on the shores of Nevis: the hawksbill, the leatherback, and the green turtle. These majestic creatures journey hundreds of miles each nesting season to return to the same place where they were hatched and, under the glow of the moonlight, lay the next generation of sea turtles that will one day make the same journey. With only 1 in 1,000 to 10,000 baby sea turtles surviving to adulthood, the sea turtle conservation program needs to continue tracking and protecting these animals for future generations. To follow the tagged sea turtles, visit ConserveTurtles.org.

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benefits of travel, international travel, Lonely Planet, Student Travel, Sustainable Travel, value of travel

President Barack Obama Pens Article for Lonely Planet on Importance of Travel

November 21, 2016 MoralCompass

*President Obama discusses the value of international travel, especially to young people in an exclusive article for LonelyPlanet.com.*

(NOV 20, 2016) –– President Barack Obama shared his thoughts on the important role travel plays and his hopes for the future of the planet with Lonely Planet’s travelers on lonelyplanet.com, during his final foreign trip as President.

President Obama offered to share his thoughts with Lonely Planet on how interacting with people and cultures from different countries is essential for the world’s future. In an exclusive article written, he describes how travel is fundamental to progress and essential to overcome challenges across borders.

The President traveled extensively during his eight years in office, becoming the first sitting US president to visit Cambodia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Laos and Myanmar. He also paid homage at Hiroshima, Japan, and visited Vietnam. Recognizing the value of travel in cultivating face-to-face interactions, he also lifted the more than 50-year ban on US travel to Cuba.

Since the publication of its first guidebook in 1973, Lonely Planet has always believed responsible travel can be a force for good, and continues to today as the world travels with Lonely Planet content on mobile, web and in print. It’s a belief shared by President Barack Obama, detailed in his exclusive article on lonelyplanet.com, highlighting how the optimistic, tolerant and engaged young people he has met around the world give him hope for the future.

A key takeaway from his extensive travels as President is the importance of engaging beyond governments, and connecting with young people – who will determine the future of the planet – in a meaningful way. This is particularly crucial for the future of the developing world, where 90 percent of the global population under 30 lives.

“It is the world’s young people who will determine whether their voices direct the change that is sweeping our world towards greater justice, opportunity, tolerance, and mutual respect,” President Obama stated.

President Obama shared the plans he has put in place to support the empowerment of young global citizens prior to hosting a town hall meeting with young people in Peru.

For more information and to read President Barack Obama’s first person article, visit lonelyplanet.com.

Obama Administration Paves Path for Students, Millennials to Travel

Throughout his presidency, Obama has appreciated the importance of travel to bring people together, forge better understanding. Travelers become ambassadors for America and also bring back to the US appreciation for other cultures and people. The opportunity to travel abroad is particularly important for young people, and the Obama Administration has also facilitated opportunities for students and millennials to study, volunteer, work and travel abroad.

In December 2014, the National Security Council hosted a summit with 100 of the most influential travel bloggers and digital media outlets to highlight U.S. Government initiatives and discuss strategies for encouraging American students to study, volunteer, and work abroad. The summit emphasized that international education and exposure are increasingly essential for the competitiveness of American companies and the American workforce, yet fewer than ten percent of students in the United States choose to study abroad.

By transforming interest in travel into study, volunteer, and work opportunities, the Administration sought to significantly increase the number and diversity of young people participating in educational, cultural, and professional experiences internationally.

Throughout Obama’s presidency, his administration has focused on broadening the scope of the U.S. government’s engagement with citizens abroad. Efforts included the President’s signature Young African Leaders Initiative, the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative, 100,000 Strong in the Americas, and a project connecting Americans to youth in the Middle East, the J. Christopher Stevens Virtual Exchange Initiative.

Studying abroad is a critical component to deepening and broadening relationships with citizens overseas. Today, fewer than 10% of students take part in study abroad. In 2012 to 2013, the total number of U.S. students taking part in study abroad was under 300,000 — only 1.5 percent of the almost 20 million American students enrolled in U.S. higher education programs.

To combat these trends, the State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs created the U.S. Study Abroad Office. This office manages the Department’s study abroad scholarships and capacity building programs for American students and institutions, as well as plays a leading role in promoting the benefits of study abroad to U.S. students and parents, faculty, and education administrators. It provides resources that can help interested U.S. students navigate a complex process to study or intern abroad by offering scholarships, recommendations, and guidelines.

The summit also featured remarks, presentations, and panels of experts on current efforts around studying, volunteering, and working abroad. Experts from National Geographic, iHeartMedia, Institute for International Education, George Mason University, Millennial Trains Project, Minerva Project, Travel Channel, and Yahoo Travel shared their ideas for increasing students’ international interest.

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