This issue comes out in the middle of the holiday season, between Thanksgiving and Christmas. It’s a time when many of us are focused on families and on giving back — two themes at the heart of an effort by TravelAge West Associate Editor Emma Weissmann and her father, my friend and colleague, Arnie Weissmann, Editor-in-Chief of Travel Weekly.
Emma and Arnie, along with Emma’s brother/Arnie’s son Dash, are training to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania next month. But the Weissmann family decided to make the effort much more than just a personal quest. In conjunction with trip sponsors Tusker Trail, Kenya Airways and Northstar Travel Group (parent company of TravelAge West and Travel Weekly), the family is using the trip as a way to raise awareness and funds for industry nonprofit Tourism Cares.
Among other efforts, Tourism Cares partners with governments, businesses and local communities around the world to make sure that tourism is sustainable and its benefits are distributed fairly. It harnesses the power of the travel industry to support meaningful change for all people.
“It’s been my observation that the most interesting places are often the most fragile,” Arnie wrote in a recent column for Travel Weekly. “Having the privilege of visiting them carries with it the responsibility not only to help preserve it for residents and other visitors, but to help strengthen its resiliency.”
This family’s climb is an example of what people mean when they talk about social enterprise travel. The Weissmanns are using their personal and professional networks — along with good partnerships — to extend the benefits of this bucket-list trip so it has a positive effect on the larger community.
“I feel so honored to be able to support Tourism Cares through our hike,” Emma said. “Each step we take toward the summit of the mountain will be made more meaningful thanks to the support of this amazing industry.”
You can follow the Weissmanns’ initiative on social media with the hashtag #KiliCares. To donate to Tourism Cares, visit www.tourismcares.org/kilicares.
The Details
Tourism Cares #KiliCares
www.tourismcares.org/kilicares
