Planeterra is encouraging the Canadian travel trade to join the non-profit’s movement to support community tourism enterprises by taking part in the “Around the World Challenge,” in which participants will collectively travel the globe by walking, running, or biking 40,087 km – the distance around the equator – while aiming to raise US $40,087.
The challenge will take place over the course of 10 days, between May 17-26, with e-mails and social media posts each day highlighting a new region. Highlights will include exclusive events and videos from community tourism enterprises in locations like India, Rwanda, and Bolivia, as well as unique cuisine, facts, and culture in more than a dozen destinations.
“Planeterra just launched the Global Community Tourism Network last week, having more than doubled our community partnerships since December and we now work with communities in over 65 countries,” says Planeterra president Jamie Sweeting. “We thought it was the perfect time to highlight these new community partners and help Planeterra support them as they prepare to recover and the world prepares to travel again.”
The Global Community Tourism Network supports community tourism enterprises to achieve their unique social and environmental goals by breaking down barriers that exist in the tourism marketplace. It aims to increase capacity, quality, and accessibility of community tourism enterprises all around the world by providing online training, peer-to-peer connection, marketing, and promotion.
“We also wanted to acknowledge the current (COVID-19 crisis) in India,” explains Sweeting. “Planeterra has pledged to match the first US$1,500 raised during the Around the World Challenge, to be allocated to operations and community partners in Delhi.”
The Around the World Challenge comes after overwhelming support for last year’s Planeterra Trek Challenge, which saw 550 individuals on 62 teams trek the distance to virtually climb Everest Base Camp. A survey of participants, with a strong representation of travel agents, asked Planeterra to put on another fitness challenge in the Spring.
“Agents are excited to get behind the Around the World Challenge,” explains TPI president and CEO, and Planeterra board member, Zeina Gedeon. “I’m calling on agencies to sign up for this challenge so they can support, learn about, and embrace community tourism as we start to help our customers travel again.”
Participants can sign up individually or put together a team (minimum donation $25) and aim to walk/hike/cycle 10 km per day. Donations in other amounts are also accepted, and participants can solicit donations from friends and family to support their efforts.
For more information or to register for the challenge, click HERE.