Tourism Cares – Global Outreach to GO Peru 2012

It’s official ! Machu Picchu, Cusco and the Sacred Valley of Peru will be the site for the first Global Outreach program of Tourism Cares. The mission was unanimously voted by the Board to be supported by key member companies of the non-profit organization since 1998.

For two years, it has been my real pleasure to work as Vice Chair alongside many of travel and tourism’s leaders in the development of Global Outreach’s innovative vision; aimed at taking the American travel industry abroad to collaborate in key areas for sustainability at some of the world’s greatest treasures.

Designed to mirror Tourism Cares’ successful domestic model, Global Outreach (GO) brings together industry leaders in sharing expertise, talent and passion to assist in the conservation and preservation of iconic tourism destinations worldwide. Through public/private partnerships where travel is key to economic growth and authentic heritage development we will work to safeguard treasured sites of universal value, and their local communities; through multilateral scholarships, ongoing grants, educational forums and volunteer events.

GO Peru Inaugural launch in May 2012

Twenty committee members designed a program for some fifty American travel leaders to visit Peru and begin a 2-3 year collaborative grant-making program providing assistance to Peru’s World Heritage Sites. Having initiated the original concept of “Adopt a Country” in 2009, I am delighted to see how this groundbreaking initiative will bridge the interests of not only U.S. and Peruvian travel and tourism supporters, but gain attention from the global community at large.

Travel to Peru is growing rapidly, with 3.5 million visitors annually and diversity from the high Andes to the Amazon rainforest.  Peru has 11 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including Machu Picchu; and 6 on the Tentative List; one in fact is designated as “the oldest civilization in all of the Americas”.

GO Peru’s effort to build partnerships among tourism stakeholders in planning for iconic World Heritage sites such as Machu Picchu and the center of Cusco (inscribed by UNESCO for “outstanding universal value” in 1985)  is more important than ever. As we kick-off this exciting inaugural project, I look forward to sharing how common goals of sustainability and preservation create positive change in the world’s most significant travel destinations. See you there!