Tourism Leaders to Serve Tourism Cares

Carolyn A. Cauceglia of Amadeus

Amadeus, NYC, Vacation.com, RCCL and Travel Weekly people join board

Tourism Cares, the charitable organization dedicated to preserving the travel experience for future generations, has announced the election of five travel and tourism industry leaders to its Board of Directors.

Joining the board are: Carolyn A. Cauceglia, Vice President, Strategic Sales and Account Management, Amadeus North America, Inc.; Fred Dixon, Sr. VP, Tourism Development, NYC & Company; John Lovell, President, Vacation.com; Betsy O’Rourke, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Royal Caribbean International; and Arnie Weissmann, Vice President and Editor in Chief of Travel Weekly.

"Amadeus has been a proud supporter of Tourism Cares and its important mission for over 10 years," said Carolyn A. Cauceglia. "Amadeus has provided charitable contributions to help assure the preservation of the travel experience around the world, while our employees have also been committed to lending a helping hand for Tourism Cares’ rebuilding efforts in various historical locations like Mount Vernon, New Orleans, Gettysburg, Bermuda and many more. We believe that the preservation of these historical sites is critical for our future generations and will assure we continue to build a strong and long-lasting tourism economy."

Fred Dixon said "There is no greater work that we can do as members of this great industry than to preserve the travel experience for future generations. Tourism Cares reminds us of the importance of preserving our past while building a living legacy of service and giving back. I was honored to be there for the first Tourism Cares volunteer project at Ellis Island some 10 years ago and look forward to contributing in new ways to its future."

John Lovell said "As president of Vacation.com, I am proud to be involved in an organization as influential as Tourism Cares. The impact the organization has on preserving some of the world’s most treasured sites and its commitment to educating the travel industry goes a long way in highlighting something we all believe in – the real value that travel and travel professionals have in helping people see the world."

Betsy O’Rourke said "It is terrific to see the results of bringing so many members of the travel and tourism industry together to restore and preserve some of our world’s most valuable assets. It gives the industry an opportunity to volunteer in unison and have a meaningful impact on the chosen destination."

"It all starts with destinations," said Arnie Weissmann.  "The history, culture, natural beauty and creative accomplishments of civilizations around the world provide the foundation of our industry, and it’s important to give back. I’ve always admired the work of Tourism Cares, first from a distance and then as a participant in one of their hands-on projects. The organization works to protecting the very heart, soul and economic base of the travel industry. I hope to make meaningful contributions to Tourism Cares’ important work."

Tourism Cares’ Executive Director Bruce Beckham thanked five departing directors who served on the organization’s board for a combined 26 years of service: Marilyn Bell, Executive Director of Tour & Wholesale Sales for the Fairmont, Raffles and Swissotels; Ed Hall, CTC, President/CEO of VisitRochester; Cathleen Johnson, Executive Vice President, Global Director, Tourism, Edelman; Robert Sullivan, Executive Vice President and Publisher of Travel Weekly; and Sandy Swider, Vice President, Global Citizenship, Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide.

Remaining as Chair will be Daniel Sullivan, Jr., President of Collette Vacations. John Stachnik, CTC, CTP, President of Mayflower Tours remains as Vice Chair, and Brad Finkle, President of Trip Mate, Inc, will continue as Treasurer. Derek Hydon, President of Ma Cher USA, was elected as Secretary.
Also serving on Tourism Cares’ board are: Terry Dale, President of the United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA);   Mike Fegley, Vice President, InterContinental Hotels Groups (IHG); Tony Gonchar, President of the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA); Don Hawkins, PhD, Eisenhower Professor of Tourism Policy, School of Business, George Washington University; Ellen Lurz, Partner, BookMyGroup; Jean Charles Odele Gruau, Director for the Americas and the International Air Transport Association, (IATAN),  and Lisa Simon, CTP, President of NTA.

Tourism Cares, Inc. is the leading philanthropy of the travel and tourism industry. Since 2003, Tourism Cares has helped restore sites across the United States through its Tourism Cares for America volunteer projects. The 2012 Tourism Cares for America program brought together 200 volunteers to help preserve and restore two sites in Pensacola, Florida: the historic Pensacola Lighthouse and an environmental restoration site at Bayou Texar.  Tourism Cares is also organizing a new Global Outreach program that replicates its programs overseas.  The inaugural program, Global Outreach Peru (GoPeru) will take place in Cusco and Machu Picchu from May 3-7, 2012.

In addition to its volunteer programs, Tourism Cares offers grants to iconic natural, cultural and historic sites around the world and offers scholarships, internships and professional networking opportunities for college students and others entering the travel profession.

Valere Tjolle
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