The Canadian Association of Tour Operators (CATO) has announced a strategic partnership with Tourism Cares to advance sustainable tourism through collaboration and education.

Tourism Cares is a non-profit organization that advances the travel industry’s positive impact to help people and places thrive. The organization mobilizes the travel industry to use its business as a force for good by uniting, activating, and inspiring all sectors to make a positive impact through travel. The strategic alliance between CATO and Tourism Cares is designed to propel the organizations’ shared mission to support and advance sustainable tourism.

“At CATO, we strongly support the efforts of Tourism Cares to advance the travel industry’s social and environmental impact to help people and places thrive,” says CATO Chairman Brett Walker. “We know there is strength in partnership, and we must unite to create positive contributions towards responsible, sustainable travel.

“This partnership with Tourism Cares is a natural extension of the causes we support and I look forward to the impact we will collectively make in the tourism industry,” he adds.

For almost 20 years, Tourism Cares has empowered the travel industry with tools, resources, and opportunities to address global challenges and empower sustainable travel around the world. This includes convening the industry with Meaningful Travel Summits around the world, accompanied by Meaningful Travel Maps (custom-made for each destination that hosts a Meaningful Travel Summit), which are made to help tour operators and travel advisors incorporate sustainable businesses and services into their itineraries.

The partnership announcement comes at an opportune time with an upcoming Tourism Cares Meaningful Travel Summit in Victoria, BC, taking place on Sept. 28-30. This summit will bring together North American industry representatives, including airlines, DMO’s, hotels, tour operators, and travel agents.

Through facilitated education sessions, visits to meaningful travel experiences and volunteering, attendees will learn from environmental and Indigenous groups on how we can be better destination stewards for all to thrive. CATO representatives attending will include Walker (Collette), and CATO Vice-Chairs, Stephanie Bishop (Avalon/Globus family of brands), and Emma Cottis (Goway).

“We are all responsible to ensure that the people and places that we visit are positively impacted, not only at the economic level, but also environmentally and socially,” says Cottis. “Tourism Cares provides a community and resources to ensure that travel is a force for good, and events such as the Summit in Victoria provide an opportunity to collaborate with our peers.”

Registration for the Tourism Cares Meaningful Travel Summit is still open but those interested in attending are encouraged to register as soon as possible. For registration and more information, click HERE.