Our Monthly Client Event - October 2011
Giving a little…gaining a lot
Trends in travel have developed significantly over the years and leading independent, multi-awarding winning travel agency, Haslemere Travel has seen a huge increase in interest from clients who not only want to travel to exotic and luxurious destinations, but also want to combine this with some philanthropic activity.
Families of all ages, groups and single travellers are looking to give something back to the destinations that they travel to and to meet this demand, Haslemere Travel has teamed up with one of its most trusted travel partners, ITC Classics, to bring clients ITC Giving.
ITC Giving is a new holiday option for UK travellers devised by luxury tour operator ITC Classics, which was the subject of a 1221 Luncheon Club event hosted by Haslemere Travel last month.
“Many of our clients have expressed an interest in giving something back to the destinations they love,” said Gemma Antrobus, managing director of Haslemere Travel. “We were pleased to offer ITC Classics the opportunity to inform our clients about this novel approach to travel and philanthropy.”
Guests at the Branksome Place Hotel in Hindhead were treated to a two-course luncheon with wine and a fascinating talk by Donna Okell, director of ITC. A former Coutts banker, she spoke passionately about her recent change of career in a bid to find a more meaningful work/home life balance, which led to the foundation of ‘voluntourism’ programme ITC Giving.
“We have created ITC Giving to provide opportunities for clients to combine an exclusive, tailormade holiday with profound experiences of the heroic lives and work of local people,” she said.
Working in partnership with international, award-winning organisation peopleandplaces, ITC Giving is currently involved with projects in St Lucia in the Caribbean; Peru; Thailand; India, South Africa and Morocco. Programmes range from working with the South African township of Port Elizabeth; a conservation project in the rainforests of Peru, to an education project in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco.
But is luxury and ‘giving back’ a contradiction? Certainly not, according to Okell: “It’s irrelevant how people prefer to travel and where they stay. What’s important to both hosts and guests is that they share their time and experiences to mutual benefit.”
The project selection process is “comprehensive and robust”, with obligatory CRB checks and lengthy discussion about individual skills and experience with peopleandplaces. “It’s important to get it right for the clients, the project and the community involved,” said Okell. “We aim to provide a service of integrity to thinking people who want to broaden their experience, learn more about the world of others and make a difference in their world.”
“We hope to be organising many of these trips in future,” said Antrobus. “Our expert team at our Petworth Road office in Haslemere would be only too happy to supply information on request.”
To find out more about booking a trip with ITC Giving, call Haslemere Travel on 01428 658 777.
