The TreadRight Foundation, a joint initiative between The Travel Corporation’s (TTC) family of award-winning brands, including Trafalgar,AAT Kings, Uniworld, Insight Vacations and Contiki, has unveiled a number of dynamic new initiatives across the three pillars of its commitment to make travel matter: people, wildlife and the planet. Indicative of TTC’s dedication to sustainability in travel, and powered by TreadRight, TTC has taken another series of important steps in its pledge to remove all avoidable single-use plastics across all operations by the end of 2022. Meanwhile, TreadRight welcomes two new projects based in Colombia to its growing project portfolio.
TreadRight has further strengthened its Wildlife pillar with the addition of the Cotton-Top Protection project in partnership with Proyecto Tití, a multi-disciplinary on-site conservation program dedicated to conserving the critically endangered cotton-top tamarin in Colombia.
One of the most endangered primates in the world, the cotton-top tamarin was declared endangered in 1973 following the exportation of 20,000-40,000 tamarins to the United States for use in biomedical research. Today, the greatest threat to the survival of the cotton-top tamarin is deforestation for agriculture, fuel, and housing, in addition to collection for the local pet trade in Colombia.
TreadRight is partnering with Proyecto Tití as the organization prepares for its expansion of the its forest reserve for cotton-top tamarins, providing support for reforestation, conservation, water delivery, and the installation of solar panels. In addition, Contiki guests can look forward to experiencing this project in person on select Colombia trips.
Meanwhile, building out TreadRight’s People pillar in Colombia is a crucial archaeological site project at the El Congo-Ciudad Antigua research station, located on the western face of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountain range in Colombia’s Rio Frio basin.
“It’s important that emerging tourism destinations establish sustainable initiatives and conservation actions early, which is what we’re working to help support in Colombia,” says Brett Tollman, Chief Executive, TTC & founder of The TreadRight Foundation. “With TTC exploring Colombia for the first time in 2020, TreadRight is thrilled to make travel matter in the destination with the introduction of these two new projects, that strengthen our Wildlife and People pillars. In combination with the recent announcement of TTC’s newest single-use plastic elimination tactic for our Planet pillar, we are well positioned to help make travel matter in Colombia and beyond.”
The important archaeological structures at the site have been partially restored since the property was acquired by TreadRight’s project partners at the Pro-Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta Foundation in 1990. As part of the Pro-Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta Foundation’s ongoing community development and conservation projects, TreadRight will help support the foundation in developing a related travel experience at El Congo-Ciudad Antigua. The experience will combine exploration of the rugged mountain landscape with wildlife and bird watching, as well as the possibility of spending a night at an ancient Tairona town, an opportunity otherwise impossible throughout the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta because tourists are not permitted stay overnight at Teyuna-Ciudad Perdida Park. In addition, Trafalgar guests can visit the research station for themselves.
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