TORONTO, July 30, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The TreadRight Foundation , working to help ensure the environment and communities we visit remain vibrant and preserved for generations to come, is proud to announce that it is a Founding Partner and a sponsor of the National Geographic Travel World Legacy Awards.
The World Legacy Awards are a new initiative of the National Geographic Society, one of the world's largest and most prestigious non-profit scientific, educational and travel organizations, reaching more than 450 million people worldwide.
The awards honour the companies, organizations and destinations - ranging from airlines to hotels, from communities to countries - that are driving the positive transformation of the tourism industry, showcasing leaders and visionaries in sustainable tourism best practices, and sharing their stories with millions of today's travellers. Unprecedented in international visibility and promotion, World Legacy Awards winners and finalists will receive coverage in National Geographic Traveler and other National Geographic print and digital media, reaching a global audience.
Based on the three pillars of sustainable tourism, including environmentally-friendly operations, protection of natural and cultural heritage, and support for the well-being of local communities, the five World Legacy Award categories are: Earth Changers, Sense of Place, Conserving the Natural World, Engaging Communities, and Destination Leadership.
Founding sponsorship of the National Geographic Travel World Legacy Awards furthers TreadRight's commitment to support and encourage leading sustainable tourism efforts that help to revolutionize the travel industry. The Foundation continues to champion these important endeavours, working to help create a single way to calculate carbon footprint through the Hotel Carbon Measurement Initiative (HCMI), acting as a former sponsor of the WTTC Tourism For Tomorrow Awards, and contributing to The Travel Foundation's development of "The Environmental Sustainability for River Cruising" guide.
"It is imperative that the innovators and pioneers helping to lead the sustainable tourism charge be appropriately recognized for the extremely valuable work they undertake," says Brett Tollman, president and CEO, The Travel Corporation. "The National Geographic Travel World Legacy Awards will give the companies, organizations and destinations that are helping to create a better world the acknowledgement their initiatives deserve, in addition to communicating their important work to the National Geographic Society's 450-million person strong audience."
"In addition to The Travel Corporation's commitment to these prestigious awards through TreadRight, one of our own brands, Adventure World, has also announced its sponsorship of the inaugural World Legacy Awards," adds Tollman.
The first World Legacy Awards ceremony will take place in March 2015 at the ITB conference in Berlin, Germany. For more information about the World Legacy Awards, visit www.nationalgeographic.com/worldlegacyawards .
About The TreadRight Foundation
Created as a joint initiative between The Travel Corporation's family of brands, the TreadRight Foundation is a not-for-profit working to ensure the environment and communities we visit remain vibrant for generations to come. To date, TreadRight has donated more than USD 2.5 million to sustainable tourism projects worldwide. The Foundation's guiding principle is to encourage sustainable tourism development through conservation, leadership and support for communities. Foundation priorities are set by the Steering Committee, which includes sustainability leaders like Céline Cousteau and Costas Christ.
TreadRight's past project partners include WWF, Conservation International and The National Trust in the UK. Current initiatives include sponsoring the National Geographic Society's inaugural "World Legacy Awards," and inspiring wildlife advocates like Terri Irwin.
To learn more about our past and current work at TreadRight, please visit us at treadright.org .
Michelle Lee Hoy PR & Digital Media Specialist The Travel Corporation | 33 Kern Rd., Toronto, ON, M3B 1S9 (416) 322-8468 ext. 7295 | Marie Anne MacRae Global VP, Strategic Partnerships The Travel Corporation | 33 Kern Rd., Toronto, ON, M3B 1S9 (416) 915-7016 |
