Tourism Cares Facts & Program Overview
Our Mission
To preserve the travel experience for future generations.
Board of Directors
- Daniel J. Sullivan, Jr., Collette Vacations, Chairman
- John Stachnik, Mayflower Tours, Vice Chairman
- Marilyn Bell, Fairmont, Raffles & Swissôtels, Secretary
- Bradley Finkle, TripMate, Treasurer
- Chris Austin, Starwood Hotels
- Ed Hall, Visit Rochester (NY)
- Don Hawkins, PhD, George Washington University
- Derek Hydon, MaCher
- Cathleen Johnson, Edelman
- Ellen Lurz, BookMyGroup
- Bert Rivero, IATA
- Lisa Simon, NTA
- Robert Sullivan, Travel Weekly
- Arthur C. Tauck, Jr., Tauck World Discovery, Chairman Emeritus
- Bruce Beckham, Executive Director, Ex Officio
Our Programs
Tourism Cares for America
Volunteers from the travel and tourism industry clean up and restore culturally significant, tourism-related sites needing care and rejuvenation. More than 2,000 volunteers have donated more than 20,000 hours at sites across North America, including:
- 2003 - Ellis Island, NY/NJ, 300 volunteers
- 2004 - St. Louis Cemetery #1, New Orleans, LA, 350 volunteers
- 2005 - George Washington’s Mount Vernon, VA, 400 volunteers
- 2006 - Mississippi Gulf Coast, 330 volunteers
- 2007 - Virginia City, NV, 300 volunteers
- 2008 - Louis Armstrong Park, New Orleans, LA, 350 volunteers
- 2009 - Gettysburg, PA, 300 volunteers
- 2010 - Angel Island, San Francisco Bay, CA, 300 volunteers
Student Programs
- More than $75,000 awarded in scholarships to travel and tourism students in 2009 (endowment exceeds $2 million)
- “Experience the Industry” introduces scholarship recipients to industry professionals at NTA conventions
Grants
- Grants are awarded for conservation, preservation, restoration of global natural, cultural and historic sites
- Responsible for nearly $2 million to tourism-related natural, cultural and historic sites in 42 states and 26 countries via its Worldwide Grants Program and Special Grants provided in conjunction with Corporate Partners.
Save Our Sites Program
Save Our Sites is a program that engages the traveling public in giving back to preserve today’s treasures for tomorrow’s travelers. For Tour Operators, canisters or envelopes are provided along with the video and a sample script for the Tour Manager to use on motorcoach tours.
For Visitor’s Centers and Attractions, plexiglass donation boxes are provided along with collateral about the program. Save Our Sites donations are used to award a grant to a location across the United States. The general public is invited to vote for their favorite site to receive a grant.
Tourism Hall of Fame
The Tourism Hall of Fame, originated by the National Tourism Foundation in 1998, recognizes individuals who have made significant personal contributions to travel and tourism through philanthropic, volunteer and mentoring activities. Inductees are:
- 2008: J.W. “Bill” Marriott, Jr., Marriott International
- 2007: Daniel J. Sullivan, Jr., and the late Daniel J. Sullivan, Sr., Collette Vacations
- 2006: Bob Dickinson, Carnival Cruise Lines, and the late David Herren, United Airlines
- 2005: John Stachnik, Mayflower Tours, Gil Haroche, Liberty Travel
- 2004: William La Macchia, The Mark Travel Corporation
- 2003: Arthur C. Tauck, Jr., Tauck World Discovery
- 2001: Eric Friedheim, Travel Agent Magazine
- 2000: Ed Hall, Visit Rochester
- 1999: Lois Anderson, Bruce Beckham, Dane Cornell, Mary Lee, Ruth McKinney, Marilane Spencer, Murray Vidockler
- 1998: W. James Host
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