CLIA Forms Alliance With Tourism Cares

Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) has announced that it has formed an alliance with Tourism Cares, the travel industry’s charitable organization for preservation, conservation, restoration and education, as a Silver Level Corporate Partner for 2011. Working through the Cruise Industry Charitable Foundation (CICF), CLIA’s primary role will be to assist in fundraising for Tourism Cares’ scholarship, grant-making and volunteerism projects around the world.

“Tourism Cares plays an essential role by ensuring that future generations of travelers will continue to enjoy and appreciate the landmarks, facilities and attractions that make the tourism experience memorable and inspirational," said Bob Sharak, CLIA’s executive vice president.

Tourism Cares is designed to serve as the travel and tourism industry’s vehicle to give back through grants to culturally and historically significant sites worldwide, volunteer restoration and clean up projects at sites in need of rejuvenation and through scholarships to students studying travel, tourism and hospitality. This is based on the organization’s belief that that travel is intrinsic to human nature and expands knowledge. This exploration broadens horizons and introduces a wealth of cultural experiences. The goal of Tourism Cares is to protect and enhance these experiences for benefit of future generations.

Bruce Beckham, Tourism Cares’ executive director, commented: “The current economic environment has been challenging. We look forward to working with CLIA and its members, including 25 cruise lines and almost 18,000 travel agencies and agents, to make sure our programs and projects are adequately funded as we go forward.”

Tourism Cares currently offers scholarship opportunities to students in the United States and Canada and the total impact of its grants program, combined with matching funds, has already reached nearly $2 million. Its volunteer cleanup projects have included such landmarks as Ellis Island, Mount Vernon, Angel Island in San Francisco, the National Mall in Washington D.C., and Louis Armstrong Park in New Orleans as well as the Mississippi Gulf Coast. In 2011, the project will be Mystic Seaport in Connecticut.

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