p16 News mar20 18/3/09 19:03 Page 16
news travel gives back
ttglive.com
Aito and Tui
give Africa aid
WELFARE projects in Morocco, Zimbabwe and
Malawi have benefited in the past year from
funds raised by the travel trade and UK travellers.
Delegates at the Aito conference in Marrakech
last year raised £5,000 for a project helping girls
from rural areas in Morocco get secondary
education.
Travel Foundation’s Julie Middleton (left) and Thomas Cook’s Jo Baddeley flank Turkish placement students Aito donated the money to the Education
Ruyar Ginar, Cigdem Gumussory, Gulush Boztepe, Hulya Ozmeral and Gulistan Isik for All initiative, which is building and run-
ning girls’ boarding houses near secondary
Cook funds placements
colleges, so they can stay near the school. The
cash went to a boarding house in Asni, a village
at the foot of the High Atlas mountains.
Kate Kenward, executive director of Aito, said:
for five Turkish students
“Almost all of the girls are inspired to stay at
school for the full six years, and a large number
wish to go on to university studies.
“The money that Aito has provided ensures
that they can learn so much more about the
Chris Gray.
after The Travel Foundation offered help to world than they ever thought possible.”
FIVE young women from rural Turkey will start the university because the operator wanted to Meanwhile, holidaymakers flying from Man-
work placements with Thomas Cook this summer help Turkish communities as its business in the chester airport with Thomson and First Choice
after the firm gave them university scholarships. country grew. have raised more than £51,000 for some of the
The five will spend 20 days with Thomas Cook, Thomas Cook sustainable tourism manager poorest communities in Africa over the last year.
working in customer-facing and administrative Jo Baddeley and Travel Foundation industry The money was raised through sales of Thirsty
roles, before moving on to placements with local programmes manager Julie Middleton have just Planet bottled water on Thomson and First
tourism businesses. returned from visiting the girls, who were Choice flights and will fund the digging of wells.
Their work placements mark the start of selected because of their academic ability.
their third year of a five-year tourism and hotel Baddeley said it was the most inspiring proj-
management course at the University of Mugla. ect she had visited in her job. “The girls would
The group all come from rural areas where never have had the opportunity to study if it was-
girls are not normally educated beyond age 14. n’t for our sponsorship programme,” she said.
Some of them struggled against their families’ Jo and Julie are now in touch with the girls by
opposition to education to get permission to email, helping them with their written English.
apply to university, but would have struggled to Travel Foundation director Sue Hurdle said:
afford the course even if they were accepted. “The girls have all had a struggle and this
But they won their scholarships with Cook represents a significant opportunity for them.”
Sandals supports
Last week campaign group Tourism Concern
called for a halt to “mega-resort” development,
eco campaigners
which it claims is destroying ecosystems and
leaving locals homeless.
Stewart said many hoteliers were not consult-
THE CHIEF executive of Sandals has supported ing local government and residents enough.
campaigners’ claims that “mega-resort” devel- Despite agreeing with Tourism Concern’s
opment is damaging the environment and local worries, Stewart stressed that development GOOD HEARTS: All 42 of The Midcounties
communities. could still take place without causing damage. Co-operative’s travel branches have chosen
Adam Stewart said it was a major problem and Sandals’ Negril Beach Resort & Spa last week Help the Hospices as their Charity of the
he was particularly concerned about hoteliers became the first hotel to be given a platinum Year for 2009. Promoting the campaign are
developing man-made beaches from swampland award by the Green Globe organisation, Trish Poole (left), Midcounties Co-op’s group
in his native Caribbean. “What it does to the natu- recognising its 10-year work on sustainability. general manager for community, and Steve
ral landscape, and to turtles laying eggs, is a dis- Stewart said he invited any hotelier seeking Ballantyne, of Help the Hospices, with
aster. Tourism should not come to this,” he said. advice on sustainability to contact Sandals. Co-op Travel Ultra staff in Gloucester
16 20.03.2009
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