| The TreadRight Foundation, a joint initiative between The Travel Corporation’s family of brands, has launched The TreadRight Heritage Initiative. In its first year, in partnership with the Aspen Institute’s Alliance for Artisan Enterprise, the initiative will focus its support on artisans in Europe.“Exploring, discovering and illuminating cultural heritage is a crucial component of the travel experiences we provide,” says Brett Tollman, CEO, The Travel Corporation. “With the launch of The TreadRight Heritage Initiative, in partnership with the Alliance for Artisan Enterprise, we can help contribute to the strengthening of culture, provide much-needed support and resources to artisans who might otherwise have none, and invigorate an essential part of local economies.”Through a series of grants, TreadRight will help support select European artisan enterprises that engage in the creation of handmade and culturally significant products. Grant applications are now open and interested organizations and individuals can apply through the Alliance for Artisan Enterprise. Recipients will be announced in January 2015.
Artisan activity is crucial to many economies around the world; however, integrating artisans into the global marketplace is historically challenging, as many fail to see artisan enterprise as a means to driving economic growth. TreadRight is helping to support the formidable efforts of the Alliance for Artisan Enterprise, as it looks to overcome that challenge.
“The Alliance is proud to support artisans through its partnership with The TreadRight Foundation. Together, TreadRight and the Alliance for Artisan Enterprise will support ancient cultural traditions that preserve the unique richness and diversity of people and place,” says Peggy Clark, Director, Alliance for Artisan Enterprise. “This partnership will provide invaluable livelihoods to artisans and will increase the visibility and importance of artisanal craft and cultural heritage. Small grants will allow artisans access to resources to improve their production capacity, business operations, facilities, and opportunities to work with designers and attend global markets. This partnership will shine a light in the often invisible, yet invaluable, artisan sector.”
The TreadRight Heritage Initiative marks the second initiative launched by TreadRight, following the September launch of The TreadRight Wildlife Initiative, bringing together multiple brands under one banner to support another worthy cause. The new initiatives signal TreadRight’s contemporary and engaging approach to its sustainable efforts, further confirming its dedication to ensuring the environments and communities we visit remain vibrant for generations to come.
For more information, please visit us at www.TreadRight.org,
and join the conversation using the hashtag #LetsTreadRighton Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.About The Alliance for Artisan Enterprise
The Alliance for Artisan Enterprise, hosted by the Aspen Institute, was launched by former Secretary Hillary Clinton in 2012. The Alliance is a collaborative effort of over 45 members, including small and medium enterprises, corporations, non-profit organizations and individuals who are working together to promote the full potential of artisan enterprises around the world. As a platform for public-private partnerships, the Alliance leverages the collective strength of our members to break down barriers commonly faced in the artisan sector.
The mission of the Alliance is to support the power and potential of the artisan sector, to create jobs, increase incomes, enhance cultural heritage and promote development that respects the uniqueness of people and place.
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. |
