Thomson First Choice and customers raise £10millon for fair green world

Companies remain the largest carbon offsetter in the travel industry 

£10million has been raised by Thomson and First Choice customers in just under five years, following the introduction of the World Care Fund – a customer donation scheme giving holidaymakers the chance to support worthwhile projects when booking their holiday.

The World Care Fund was set up in April 2007 and in just five years the holiday company has reached this figure with a combination of customer and company contributions to the fund. They have pledged to raise a further £4million by 2014 as part of their Holidays Forever commitment to sustainable tourism.

The money raised goes to the Travel Foundation – the UK’s sustainable tourism charity and to energy efficiency and renewable energy projects in destinations.

By maintaining a leading level of support for the Travel Foundation, Thomson and First Choice is supporting their work to help 3000 hotels reduce their environmental footprint, and to help 500 local businesses improve livelihoods in destinations.

Already the funds have gone towards supporting more than 30 sustainable tourism projects, including helping a local Mayan Community produce and sell their own range of jam to hotels, such as Sensatori in Mexico.

Investment in clean energy and energy-efficiency projects through the fund is projected to offset 1 million tonnes of CO2 by 2014. The money raised funds initiatives such as a hydro-electric plant in Zambia, which provides clean affordable energy to communities, schools and a local hospital, many for the first time. Other projects also include an innovative earth stoves project in India and three wind farms in India and Turkey.

Thomson and First Choice remain the largest carbon off-setter in the travel industry, supporting Gold Standard and Voluntary Carbon Standard projects that not only reduce carbon and protect the environment, but also focus on sustainable development in local communities.  

Jane Ashton, Director of Group Sustainable Development for TUI UK & Ireland, said:  "We are extremely proud of the positive change we have been able to make over the years through the World Care Fund."

"We remain as committed as ever to increasing the positive impacts with large-scale support of projects, industry leading research and continued engagement with our customers, colleagues and suppliers in sustainability."

"Through our Holidays Forever 2014 plan, we are committed to making travel experiences lighter on the environment, celebrating local culture and supporting communities in our holiday destinations"

Valere Tjolle
Valere is editor of the Sustainable Tourism Report Suite 2011 Special Offers HERE