Assisting travelers to be come more responsible guests for every journey

Cypress, CA  – February 22, 2024 – With the upcoming World Wildlife Day on March 3rd and World Water Day on March 22nd, the TreadRight Foundation, a joint initiative between The Travel Corporation's (TTC) 40 award-winning brands, releases their 2024 MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Checklist. Recognizing the importance for travelers to travel sustainably, the not-for-profit foundation and TTC have updated their checklist as an informative way to help guests become more responsible travelers as well as to protect and make a positive impact on the planet, its people, and wildlife.

The checklist covers four main recommendations including “Planning and Packing” such as bringing a reusable bottle, locating water refill stations, and downloading the Tap app to find water anywhere. The second recommendation is “Getting Around”, focused on minimizing the carbon footprint of transportation choices with the tip of trying out a local bike share program. Also, the checklist provides guidance on choosing businesses such as hotels, airlines or tour operators based on those who have a commitment to responsible travel through initiatives such as a sustainability strategy with measurable goals, or a Climate Action Plan as a roadmap to reduce emissions. For example, The Travel Corporation releases an Annual Impact Report which shares progress on their sustainability goals aligned with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Thirdly, with the 'Sleeping and Eating' recommendation, guests are encouraged to choose accommodations which have recycling, waste and water conservation programs, and use renewable energy. The last recommendation consists of “Experiences that Matter” which focuses on supporting experiences and businesses that empower communities and protect wildlife, including ethical shopping and not supporting illegal wildlife trade by avoiding any purchase of wildlife products. Travelers can download the interactive 2024 MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Checklist.

“One of the most frequent questions we are asked is how to be a more conscious traveler. The intention of our 2024 MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Checklist is to help our guests, travelers and travel partners by providing them these accessible sustainable travel tips and making them aware of where they are spending and investing their travel funds,” says Shannon Guihan, The Travel Corporation's Chief Sustainability Officer and Head of The TreadRight Foundation, “Whether you are an experienced globetrotter or a first-time explorer, the checklist is straightforward yet covers pre-trip planning, what to do while traveling and other impactful ways that travelers can support a destination and the local communities they visit. It's a great resource to share with friends and engaged citizens and help make a collective difference,” she adds.

Learn more about TreadRight's sustainable travel initiatives at https://www.treadright.org/travel

About the TreadRight Foundation:  

TreadRight is a joint not-for-profit initiative established by The Travel Corporation's (TTC) family of brands. The foundation's singular mission is to MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® by providing support to community-based projects worldwide that safeguard the planet, people and wildlife. To date, the foundation has supported 60+ sustainable tourism projects in 26+ countries worldwide. In 2022, The Travel Corporation became the first global tour operator with near-term, long-term, and net zero targets, and to support its journey to net zero, TreadRight shifted its focus to supporting nature-based solutions and conservation efforts that protect biodiversity and restore the planet. Current initiatives include Rainforest Rescue, Trees For Life's Wild Pine project, Project Vesta, GreenWave, Rainbow Railroad, and The Tourism Pathways Project. To learn more about past and current work at TreadRight, please visit  TreadRight.org and follow TreadRight on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter using our hashtag #MakeTravelMatter.  

About The Travel Corporation:   

The Travel Corporation (TTC) is a highly successful, stable and solvent family-owned and passionately run international group of 40 award-winning brands, which celebrated our first 100th Anniversary in 2020. Our exceptional portfolio of brands spans across 70 countries and offers an extensive selection of international travel and tourism companies, encompassing a variety of guided travel experiences, independent holiday packages, boutique river cruising, luxury hotels and safaris. We are committed to consistently delivering outstanding service, experiences, and value to each and every one of our guests and we do so through continuous innovation. TTC is committed to positive impact through its sustainability strategy and non-profit foundation, TreadRight. With a goal of reaching net zero by 2050, validated science-based targets, and as a signatory of the Glasgow Declaration, TTC's sustainability efforts have been recognised by AFAR and Fast Company Magazine, while their MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experiences have been endorsed by WTTC, Travel Foundation and representatives from the University of Harvard.  For more information, please visit TTC.com or follow us on Twitter and Instagram (insert regional link) while using our hashtags #TravelWithTTC and #MakeTravelMatter. For the latest sustainability news and annual Impact Report, please visit TTC's Impact Hub.