’Tis the season to be charitable—but across the spectrum of the travel industry, giving back is a year-long mission. All the major cruise lines, tour operators, consortia and franchise organizations have ongoing programs to support destinations around the world in good times and bad. Even at the travel advisor level, many have taken it upon themselves to find ways to support their local communities.
It’s fair to say that most travel advisors give back in some way; off the top of my head, I know that Amy Madson of Dream Vacations Madson & Associates made a donation to Make-A-Wish for every customer booking in August; Boutique Travel Advisors’ Angie Rice is on the board of Pack for a Purpose, a program that encourages travelers to bring along educational and medical supplies when they travel and simply drop them off at their hotel front desk; Ebony Aelterman of Family Travel Adventures is donating $25 to World Central Kitchen for every booking of $4,000 or more made in December. Paloma White of Paloma White Travel is trying to design a program to have people nominate a deserving essential worker, so she can send him or her on a free trip to Europe. (If you know how to set up such a thing, please reach out to her!)
But some have taken giving back another step further, with unique programs to show their gratitude for all they have.
At Jessica and Shane Gray Dream Vacations, for example, the Grays are putting together a fundraising cruise to support suicide prevention programs for veterans. A veteran himself, and an employee at the local Veterans Administration, Shane says he and Jessica “feel compelled to give back to the veteran community, and suicide prevention is something that’s hard for them to talk about. So we brainstormed and decided to make it a regular theme, a recurring process.”
They will donate all their profits from the groups they lead—on Norwegian Cruise Line to Alaska in 2023 and on Celebrity in 2024.
TravelPerks owner Gary Smith is taking his vision of giving back closer to home. Over the summer, he hosted ship tours in the port of Seattle where he donated the $10 fee to support marine conservation. “We do three days, two ships per day, 60-70 people per ship. They get the “book on board” deal if they sign up for a cruise, and we raise a few thousand dollars every year.”
This year, though, he’s also thinking that charity begins at home. For 2023, he will be giving free health care to his 10 employees, along with the benefits they already receive: a 401K match, disability, and dental insurance.
Building a Business on a Charitable Foundation
For some travel advisors, though, charity is the very basis of the business they are building.
In North Andover, MA, for example, Sheila Randolph turned her previous career in fundraising into a travel business when she launched Fundraiser Travel five years ago.
“I started the agency as a way to raise money for non-profits,” she says; her customers so far have grossed between $5,000 and $20,000 working with her—with little effort on their part.
“Non-profits have too much to do. They don’t want to cook; they just want to eat,” she says. “So I do all the cooking. I ask who they are, what they like to do, whether there will be families coming—and then I get to work. I use social media and emails to find people who might want to come along; I find all the experiences for them; I take care of all the bookings and all the special needs.”
For customers, the trip doesn’t cost any more than booking direct. But the volume discounts allow for an average payback of $150-$200 per guest, she says.
Taking it even a step further is Dillon Guyer, who has applied for 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt status to make his agency, Guyer Travel, a full-fledged nonprofit organization.
While his business model has always been focused on serving his community, the new designation would enable him to collect donations from outside sources, who in turn could write them off as charitable contributions.
Guyer already has received a Community Development Block Grant, meant to benefit abused and neglected children and domestic violence victims. This year his annual back-to-school program gave away 500 backpacks to local children; he hosted free movies on the village green; and he taught classes in the elementary school, giving the kids a glimpse into the broader world through ancient Mayan artifacts and pieces of the Titanic.
“I don’t come from a happy family background; my family didn’t give me my business or even help me get through school. I had a drug and alcohol problem at 14. I was arrested before I graduated high school. When I started my agency, I wanted it to make a difference,” he says.
When not selling travel, Guyer volunteers a minimum of 20 hours a week in nine different schools, reaching 1,800 children, and works with 10 different nonprofit organizations. And he donates a portion of every sale to local charities.
“People are happy to know that when they do something selfish like going on vacation, they also are doing something selfless and supporting our community,” he says. “It’s amazing to me to be able to take the power I have as a business owner and inspire these kids and these teachers. And that’s why I do what I do.”
Agrees Jessica Gray, “Our program is just a start, but we are excited about this new niche and reaching as many people as possible to bring awareness to these sensitive but critical issues, all while sharing our love of travel with others!”
Cheryl’s 40-year career in journalism is bookended by roles in the travel industry, including Executive Editor of Business Travel News in the 1990s, and recently, Editor in Chief of Travel Market Report and admin of Cheryl Rosen’s Group for Travel Professionals, a news and support group on Facebook. As an independent contractor since retiring from the 9-to-5 to travel more, she has written regular articles about the life and business of travel agents for Luxury Travel Advisor, Travel Agent, and Insider Travel Report. She also writes and edits for professional publications in the financial services, business, and technology sectors.
