Nonprofit organization
Tourism Cares announced the winners of its 2015 Travel Philanthropy Awards.
Lindblad
Expeditions and Myths and Mountains took home the Legacy in Travel Philanthropy
award, which recognizes sustained impact for more than 15 years.
Lindblad was
recognized for the implementation of client funding towards marine research,
conservation, education and community development. Myths and Mountains was
hailed for its efforts to help create community centers that support literacy
and education in Nepal, India and Bhutan.
Nikoi Island, a
private resort in Indonesia, won the New Innovators award, recognizing
philanthropic achievement in programs that were launched within the last three
to six years. Nikoi Island has helped create new learning centers and
businesses in Indonesian communities.
John and Patty
Noel won the inaugural Personal Philanthropic Leadership award. Noel is founder
of the Noel Group, Travel Guard International, and most recently, Berkshire
Hathaway Travel Protection. He is also founder of such philanthropic efforts as
the Compass Scholars program; the Boys & Girls Club of Portage Bay,
Wisconsin; and the Make a Mark Foundation, which helps fight the global AIDS
pandemic in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Nominees were
scored based on the problems they were trying to resolve and their results;
community engagement; storytelling, communications and advocacy; integration
into their core business; and overall financial commitment.
The Travel
Philanthropy Awards review committee consists of leaders in the travel and
philanthropic industries, including: Jennifer Wilson Buttigieg, Valerie Wilson
Travel; Jena Gardner, JG Black Book and the Bodhi Tree Foundation; Kristin
Lamoureux, Tisch Center for Hospitality and Tourism, New York University; Arnie
Weissmann, Travel Weekly; Melissa Wisniewski, Key 360 Advisors; and Dien Yuen,
Kordant Philanthropy Advisors.
The awards
ceremony will take place on Dec. 15, at 5 p.m., at the Conrad Hotel in New
York, immediately preceding Travel Weekly’s Readers Choice Awards. Tickets for
the Tourism Cares awards reception can be purchased at www.TourismCares.org/celebrate.