Tara Russell
Tara Russell is the guiding light behind Fathom, the new social impact travel brand from Carnival Corp. She was running Create Common Good, a food production social enterprise, before agreeing to become president of Fathom and global impact lead for Carnival Corp. She spoke with cruise editor Tom Stieghorst during a trip to the Dominican Republic.
Q: How did you decide on the Fathom name and logo?
A: The literal meaning is 6 feet of water depth, the average human wingspan, so we love that the name Fathom represents depth, openness and human connection. Fathom also means to understand a difficult problem after much thought, and social impact challenges are meaty and complex, a testimony to the depth of thinking and collective energy that has gone into building and architecting the Fathom experiences.
Q: Your two destinations are Cuba and the Dominican Republic. It is commonly perceived that Cuba sales are doing better than the Dominican. Is it true?
A: There has been tremendous interest in both destinations. Not surprisingly, as Cuba ... has long been fairly off-limits to Americans, there is a lot of pent-up demand in the United States to visit. Many Americans are interested in and curious about Cuba, and the country provides great potential opportunity for Fathom travelers to potentially immerse, learn, grow and flourish through educational and cultural exchange.
Q: Have you decided on Fathom's ports of call for Cuba?
A: Fathom intends to sail to Havana, Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba.
Q: Fathom's cruises are more expensive than many in the Caribbean, and guests have to do work part of the time while on a Fathom cruise. Why would people do that?
A: During the past many years, in countless conversations I have had with people eager to serve and make meaningful societal contributions, there has been a common theme: People struggle to know where they fit in, and often people have challenges finding trusted, easy ways to make a difference. Fathom exists to meet this human need and this complex process, journey of discovery and important connection. Fathom isn't for everyone and hasn't been built as a mass-market brand or product offering; it's a different kind of travel experience for a purpose-driven traveler.
Q: Why is it important that Fathom be more than a charity?
A: Philanthropy is good but hard to sustain. A market-driven solution to a social impact challenge provides ongoing sustainability in terms of human and financial capital, which are both critical to sustaining social missions. With Fathom, we have created a whole new category of travel: social impact travel, which provides the opportunity to build community with like-minded travelers, become immersed in another culture and work alongside its people to create enduring social impact. Our focus on lasting social impact is what makes Fathom unique. Since trips are ongoing, Fathom is able to build a long-term partnership with local communities and partners, not just a one-time trip with a short-term spike of preparation. Unlike other service learning trips, Fathom provides an accessible, safe and high-value experience that leads to enduring positive impact on both travelers and local communities while still providing a flexible, fun opportunity to recharge.