WHAT A DIFFERENCE A WEEK MAKES - Thomas Cook celebrates World Environment Day with a week-long environmental activity programme
With just 24 hours to mark World Environment Day on 5th June, Thomas Cook UK & Ireland has embraced the cause and developed an extensive schedule of activity to extend the day into a week-long event from 1st June. Involving employees both in the UK and overseas, Thomas Cook staff are coming together through a number of activities that will make a real difference to the environment, people and the company.
This year’s theme is ‘Your planet needs you to unite to combat Climate Change’. Just some of the projects that will be undertaken in the UK include a ‘Green Your Commute’ campaign at the Thomas Cook Airlines base in Manchester, where staff will be encouraged to travel to work by bike or public transport. Staff at various offices will undertake the Travel Foundation’s ‘make travel greener’ training exercise to better understand responsible tourism.
Green messages and advice will be communicated to all staff via a special edition of Thomas Cook’s in-house magazine and through the company’s retail intranet.
Overseas activity will include:
- Sunrise Royal Makadi, Egypt: guests and staff will be invited to a presentation by the Hurghada Environmental Protection & Conservation Association.
- Sorrento, Italy: guests will be invited to a garden party at the public lemon. gardens. A Sustainable Tourism Fashion Show will be hosted and local products will be on sale. Garments will also be produced out of recycled goods.
- Paphos, Cyprus: Thomas Cook representatives will be taking part in a beach clean up at Paphos harbour.
- Costa Del Sol: the Thomas Cook team will take part in a 20km walk from the centre of the resort Fuengirola, through the resort of Benalmadena and into the town square of Torremolinos. Money raised will go to the Protection for Domestic Animals, which is a centre that re-houses stray and abandoned cats and dogs.
- Sunny Beach, Bulgaria: Thomas Cook will work with the FTO and local business owners to tidy up Flower Street. Flowers will be planted and the local area will be cleaned up.
- Puerto Rico, Gran Canaria: along with the FTO, the Thomas Cook team will take part in a beach clean up.
Angus Porter, Thomas Cook Group Strategy Director, said: “We take our responsibilities to embrace green travel initiatives very seriously. Making travellers aware of the local communities they are visiting and the positive impact their holiday can have is all-important.
“It is up to companies like Thomas Cook to educate both our employees and guests about the environmental impact of travel and ensure that we are offering the most effective sustainable options when it comes to leisure travel.”
World Environment Day was started in 1972 by the United Nations to empower people to make a difference in their environment. It is celebrated every year in more than 100 countries.
