Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection, as a member of The Travel Corporation family of brands and an affiliate member of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation, is supporting the UN International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development 2017, a year-long initiative dedicated to mobilising global awareness and action around the value of tourism to create positive change.

In the spirit of this important initiative, and to observe Earth Day on 22 April, Uniworld will donate US$5 to Just a Drop, an international water aid charity, for every booking made with Uniworld so more communities and beneficiaries can receive safe water and improved sanitation.

Just a Drop’s mission is to reduce child mortality by delivering accessible, clean, safe water where it is needed most. The organization’s projects support communities through the construction of wells, boreholes, pipelines, hand pumps, and latrines and establish health and sanitation programs for some of the poorest and most remote regions in the world.

This year the global UN system, and global community at large, will promote tourism’s role in the following five key areas:

(1)        Inclusive and sustainable economic growth

(2)        Social inclusiveness, employment and poverty reduction

(3)        Resource efficiency, environmental protection and climate change

(4)        Cultural values, diversity and heritage

(5)        Mutual understanding, peace and security.

“2017 is a unique opportunity for us to promote the contribution of tourism to achieving the future we want – and also to determine, together, the exact role we will have tourism play in the sustainable development agenda, to and beyond 2030,” says Dr. Taleb Rifai, Secretary General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) . “Promotion, however, must be mirrored by action. Central, therefore, to the success of 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development is providing inspiring examples in leadership of tourism businesses across the globe.”

“Earth Day 2017 is a perfect opportunity for Uniworld to actualize Dr. Rifai’s stirring call to action,” explains Ellen Bettridge, President & CEO, Uniworld. “Our sustainability project partners at Just a Drop personify the belief that collectively we can make a huge difference. The fact that they’ve delivered more than 170 projects in 31 countries, helping an estimated 1.5 million children and their families, is resounding proof that this approach is highly effective. Uniworld takes pride in being able to continue supporting their invaluable efforts with our Earth Day campaign.”