TUI Care Foundation

Empowering small businesses and driving entrepreneurial innovation in Greece 💡 🤝 We're joining forces with Wise Greece to introduce the new TUI Futureshapers Greece initiative. It provides training, mentorship and business links to support individuals and small businesses that tackle social and environmental challenges in Greece. Through the project, 1,000 aspiring entrepreneurs will be trained in the practical skills and knowledge needed to launch or expand their business ideas in the tourism, food, culture, arts & crafts and cosmetics sectors. 🚀 The project was launched by TUI Care Foundation's Chairman Thomas Ellerbeck; Greek Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni; the founder of Wise Greece, Melina Taprantzi; and 𝑨𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒍𝒂 Gerekou, President of the Greek National Tourism Organisation. The project is part of the TUI Care Foundation’s Entrepreneurship October, a month dedicated to highlighting support for sustainable businesses in tourism destinations. Curious to learn more? Follow the link in the comments. 🔗

Hot off the press 📰 An article about #Peru, our community support and our reforestation efforts through the TUI Forest has been published in the Austrian newspaper DER STANDARD. Curious to learn more? Check out the article for all the details.

There are 10 million social enterprises around the world. So far, through our initiatives we’ve already had the chance to support almost 8,000 #entrepreneurs that will lead the way in positive impact-driven businesses! 🧡 From creating employment and engagement opportunities for local communities through tourism activities, to repurposing waste into new products to create cleaner environments, we can’t wait to see how these #futureshapers will use their brilliance to make our world a better place for everyone! 🌎 🚀

Vathana, the founder of Siem Reaper Travel, a sustainable bike tour company in #Cambodia, has worked in tourism for years. However, he saw a disconnect between locals and the industry. “I set out to create a responsible #tourism model focused on cultural exchange, #community involvement, and environmental awareness. Siem Reaper Travel isn’t just about visiting famous sites but about connecting travellers with Cambodia’s people and traditions. This is especially important for local young people, who are leaving their ancestral lands for city jobs,” says Vathana. 💭 This responsible approach to tourism created a cycle of positive #impact: tourists left with unforgettable memories, local communities thrived, and Cambodia's unique traditions continued to flourish. 🚀 But Siem Reaper Travel was soon challenged by the global pandemic. That’s when the TUI Care Foundation and UnTours Foundation connected with Siem Reaper Travel and started to work together to help this incredible social enterprise thrive. 🧡 Through our TUI Futureshapers Global collaboration, Siem Reaper Travel was able to rebuild stronger, expand its community-based tours and create jobs for local young people, continuing to make a positive impact on both visitors and the local community. 🤝 “My next goal is to expand the love for responsible travel and adventure all across Southeast Asia“ - shares Vathana. 🚲🌏🌱

Tourism is a force for good and we’re helping small social enterprises to harness it! 🌎✨ In partnership with UnTours Foundation, we’re introducing the TUI Futureshapers Global initiative, that uses #impact investment to support small businesses around the world. These enterprises, often led by women, ethnic minorities, and social entrepreneurs, are using tourism to uplift local #communities, preserve cultural heritage, and protect the environment. 🌱 10% of global GDP is generated by #tourism, but it can be difficult for businesses to access the support they need to succeed in this sector. By providing funding and technical assistance, access to new markets and #mentorship, we’re aiming to ensure these social enterprises are set for long-term success. 🚀 From eco-friendly biking tours in Cambodia with Siem Reaper Travel, to marine conservation efforts with Coral Colabs in the Dominican Republic, we’re excited to help #empower businesses that make a real impact. 💚 📌 The initiative is part of TUI Care Foundation’s Entrepreneurship October, a month dedicated to highlighting support for sustainable businesses in tourism destinations. Click the link in the comments to learn more. 🔗 Siem Reaper Travel Global Coralition Red Rocks Rwanda Astungkara Way

🎉 95,000 🎉 Or - almost the entire population of Bruges, Belgium or two full football stadiums - that’s how many #women have unlocked new #opportunities through our initiatives! 🥳 From training and education to employment and #entrepreneurship, our initiatives have already supported 95,000 women from tourism destinations around the world in taking proactive steps to reach their full potential and create brighter futures for themselves and their communities. 🙋🚀 On this International Day of the Girl, let’s emphasise the importance of supporting future female #leaders. With the right resources and opportunities, the potential of the world’s 1.1 billion #girls is limitless. So let’s do everything we can to create a future in which every girl and woman can fulfil her #potential. 🧡

We’re excited to introduce TUI Futureshapers #Namibia. The initiative aims to advance gender #equality and to reshape societal norms in a previously traditionally male-dominated field. It's a pioneering initiative in partnership with the urban mobility company LEFA, which trains women to take leading roles as professional tour guides for a new fleet of electric vehicles in Namibia. Each tour led by the guides showcases the beauty and culture of #Windhoek whilst boosting socio-economic progress and reducing noise pollution from gas-powered cars. 🌍🚗💼 The initiative is part of TUI Care Foundation’s Entrepreneurship October, a month dedicated to highlight the support for sustainable businesses in tourism destinations. Click the link in the comments to learn more.

📣 The call for #applications is open! 📣 UN Tourism launches the first ever small grants programme for #tourism and rural #development, enabled by the TUI Care Foundation. The new Colourful Cultures small grants programme is a revolution towards shaping the future of #rural tourism, handicrafts and cultural heritage preservation. 🎨 The call for applications is now open. Are you an NGO or a charitable organisation working in #Africa to empower local #artisans in rural areas? ✔️ Then apply now through the link in the comments. 📸 Photo credit: Inna Felker (photo 1); Simeon Oluwatosin (photo 2); Sergey Uryadnikov (photo 3).

🚀 Welcome to #Entrepreneurship October! 🚀 Our ‘Entrepreneurship October‘ is a month of activities dedicated to supporting #sustainable businesses in tourism destinations. Through a series of project launches, we’re going to highlight the importance of empowering small businesses with a holistic approach of financial assistance, mentoring and access to the tourism market. 💼🌎 Follow us throughout October to discover how we’re supporting small sustainable businesses and #entrepreneurs around the world, on their journey to making a lasting positive #impact. 🧡

And the #award goes to… 🥁✨ We’re excited to share that our Destination Zero Waste Programme partner, CHAKO Zanzibar, has been awarded the prestigious World Fair Trade Organisation’s MIDA Award in this year’s Fair Trade Summit. 👏 🏅 The award recognises excellence in design, innovation and ethical production in the Fair Trade sector. Through our Destination Zero Waste Programme, we’ve been supporting Chako in creating a cleaner #Zanzibar 🏝️ and developing employment opportunities for marginalised communities, especially women. All whilst recycling and #upcycling waste into beautiful interior items, souvenirs and accessories which are sold to tourists and tourism businesses on Zanzibar and beyond! 🌎💚 Click through the pictures to see the amazing creation that helped Chako get on this year’s Fair Trade Summit’s champion stage - the Bahari chandelier, made from #repurposed plastic waste and traditional Zanzibar wood carvings. ✨ 📸 Photo credit: Petri Oeschger