Tourism Cares, the world’s largest tourism-industry volunteer organization, has mobilized major projects at Ellis Island, Coney Island and Fort Tilden
Albany, New York (April 21, 2015) — Empire State Development’s Division of Tourism/I LOVE NY has proudly joined Tourism Cares as a volunteer member, becoming the first state agency in the nation to sign on with the charitable arm of the travel and tourism industry. By bringing together individuals and organizations involved in the tourism industry to achieve focused objectives, Tourism Cares helps the industry maximize its giving and volunteering efforts. The organization, celebrating over 10 years of operation, has grown into the largest tourism-industry volunteer organization in the world.
ESD Division of Tourism Executive Director Gavin Landry said, “Tourism is one of the top industries in New York State. For 2014, we are projecting 227 million visitors, spending an estimated $62 billion and generating more than 852,000 jobs. We are blessed with thousands of natural, historic and cultural treasures and recognize that these are essential to our success. More importantly, we recognize our role as stewards of these valuable resources and are committed to preserving and protecting them for future generations while making them available to New Yorkers and visitors from around the world. We know that many members of our tourism community are looking forward to contributing to the work of Tourism Cares, both in New York State and in other destinations.”
Tourism Cares’ programs focus on industry-wide volunteer events across the country, from the restoration of the USS Iowa Battleship in San Pedro, California to clean-up work on Ellis Island in New York. In 2003, more than 300 tourism industry volunteers spent a combined 1,120 hours raking leaves, painting and cleaning up derelict areas on Ellis Island. Volunteers performed an estimated $300,000 worth of work at the National Park site, which is estimated would have taken a crew of 45 more than a year to complete. In May 2013, Tourism Cares celebrated its 10th year of programs by partnering with NYC & Company, the City of New York and more than 600 volunteers to restore areas affected by Hurricane Sandy at Coney Island and Fort Tilden.
“We are thrilled to have I LOVE NY as part of our community,” noted Mike Rea, Tourism Cares’ CEO. “It is the first state-level economic or tourism promotion agency to become a member and we are looking forward to working together to mobilize resources to give back to the destinations we love and, in many cases, improve the products that are our livelihood. The stronger our membership, the greater our impact can be. Working with I LOVE NY, we also hope to activate a regional network so that the smaller local entities can become more involved.”
The program also provides assistance with capacity building for nonprofit tourism sites, scholarships and mentoring opportunities. In addition, Tourism Cares’ efforts include advocacy and education across the travel industry. As a volunteer, members are offered the unique opportunity to work together within the industry to contribute to powerful outcomes. In addition, the informal networking and sharing of best practices with peer volunteers are invaluable.
