TORONTO — The Canadian Association of Tour Operators (CATO) has announced a strategic partnership with Tourism Cares to collaborate, educate, and advance sustainable tourism.

Tourism Cares is a non-profit organization that 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 two groups say the new strategic alliance will propel these organizations’ shared mission to support and advance sustainable tourism.

CATO Chairman Brett Walker says: “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. 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.”

Tourism Cares has empowered the travel industry for close to 20 years, he adds, with tools, resources, and opportunities to address global challenges and empower sustainable travel around the world.

The group’s Meaningful Travel Summits take place 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 upcoming Tourism Cares Meaningful Travel Summit in Victoria, B.C. is set to take place Sept. 28-30, 2022 and will bring together North American industry representatives, including airlines, DMOs, hotels, tour operators, and travel agents. Highlights will include facilitated education sessions, visits to meaningful travel experiences and volunteering. CATO representatives attending the B.C. event include CATO Chairman Walker (Collette) along with CATO Vice-Chair Stephanie Bishop (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 Emma Cottis, General Manager Business Systems for Goway, a long-time supporter of Tourism Cares. “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, says Walker.

For registration and more information, visit https://www.tourismcares.org/victoria-summit.