Photo of a train running along a track next to a river with mountains on the other side

Making travel a force for good

Charitable Travel logoA new type of travel business has launched – Charitable Travel is a social enterprise with the clear aim of ensuring travel is a force for good, helping holidaymakers combine their travel planning with support for charities in the UK and around the world.

Charitable Travel has a unique business model; the first nationally available Community Interest Company (CIC) social enterprise in the travel industry, it is a not-for-private-profit travel agency, which provides customers with the opportunity to book a holiday to anywhere in the world and donate a proportion of the holiday price to a UK registered charity of their choice through a platform partnership with JustGiving.

The concept is simple, Charitable Travel sacrifices travel agency commission. Therefore, when customers book a cruise or a holiday, they convert 5% of the total price of their trip into a donation to a charity of their choice through the dedicated JustGiving webpage. Empowering customers to share the pleasure that a holiday brings by supporting local communities both at home and abroad.

Marshall Simmonds, JustGiving’s Director of Sales and Partnerships, said: “The combination of the travel industry, an underlying social and charitable purpose and an effective mechanism for fundraising through JustGiving makes Charitable Travel a powerful opportunity for travel consumers wanting to make a real difference in personal giving at no extra cost when they book holidays, flights cruises and hotels.”

As a social enterprise, supporting those in need and aiding fundraising is at the heart of everything that Charitable Travel does, so customers can rest assured that every penny of profit generated is invested in good causes and charity partners can benefit through raising brand and campaign awareness as well as fund-raising support and securing donations.

Melissa Tilling, founder and CEO of Charitable Travel, who has more than 33 years’ experience in managing travel companies, said: “I have always been a fervent believer in the good that travel and tourism can bring to local communities in the destinations served and although the industry is facing an incomparable crisis right now, we are resilient. UK travellers are passionate about their holidays and determined they will travel again once it is safe to do so.

During the current COVID crisis we have seen an inspiring show of unity from people across the country, a true community spirit has arisen as we realise the importance of appreciating and supporting one another. Charitable Travel wants to help encourage a continuation of this more thoughtful mindset by helping travellers combine philanthropy with their holiday planning, providing the opportunity to donate part of their holiday cost to a much-needed charitable causes.
When customers are ready to start booking holidays again, we offer a new way to book that will ensure travel will be a force for good, regardless of the destination and travel type, because every booking creates a positive outcome for a charitable cause.”

Through the Just Giving platform, customers can choose their preferred charity to be the recipient of their holiday fund donation, however Charitable Travel is also seeking to work with a variety of partners to help raise the profile of campaigns and fund-raising needs amongst customers. Charities that would like to register interest in working with Charitable Travel for joint PR/marketing opportunities to reach holidaymakers should email help@charitable.travel.