Page 102 - SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2016

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To this end we also arrange special brand Fathom is synonymous with
information sessions to prepare guests traveling for lasting enrichment and
for eco-tours and foster respect for local growth, both for the guest and for the local
cultures and traditions. Costa’s program community. This new model of tourism is
of eco-friendly excursions is expanding all set to spread: plans are in place to expand
the time: we added 71 new ones in 2016. Fathom’s social impact experiences to the
Corporation’s other brands. The idea is
Towards the impact cruise that guests will be able to purchase this
kind of excursion – a new participatory
We are introducing the new concept of and immersive travel category that takes
social impact travel, off ering mindful people into the heart of a destination to
activities and programs that enable explore local communities and discover its
travelers to make a real impact on the people in unconventional ways – just as
people in the communities they visit, they do today with traditional shore tours. Inspiring a whole new perspective on life
working side-by-side with local volunteer
organizations. Fathom began operating in 2016 and provided Costa with the chance to add to its 111
Carnival Corporation pioneered the conventional recreational and sightseeing cruise tours in the Caribbean new social VISITS TO THE
impact cruise allowing travelers to impact excursions, combining authentic discovery with initiatives to help facilitate and COOPERATIVE
immerse, learn, serve and fl ourish sustain educational, environmental and economic development programs.
while making enduring, sustainable More specifi cally, in Puerto Plata (Dominican Republic) during a unique, hands-on visit 3,736
to the Chocal cooperative founded by enterprising local women (over 24,000 cacao
contributions. Carnival’s purpose-driven seeds planted), travelers visit the community and the tiny organic-chocolate factory,

where they have the opportunity to work alongside these women to participate in TOURISTS INVOLVED
the chocolate production process from bean to bar, a truly rewarding experience. This
enables the cooperative to boost production and sales (over 103,000 products packaged
and ready for sale) with positive knock-on eff ects for the local micro-economy. Many
local farmers belong to a farming cooperative and make their living by harvesting their
cacao and selling the cacao beans.

Meanwhile the volunteer experience at RePapel (Uruguay) is a visit to a micro-business
where artisans repurpose natural, recycled paper into arts & craft treasures (over 18,000 121
new sheets of paper produced). Once again this is a cooperative run by local women.
Travelers work side by side with these women, discovering all aspects of the program, VISITS
including creating new products for sale. This is an important source of support for
growth of the recycling entrepreneurship and a stimulus for future creativity. 3,443

As part of the Grand Tour of Australia we take travelers to meet the Mutitjulu TOURISTS INVOLVED
Foundation, which assists projects to relieve poverty, advance education and improve
health care for residents of Aboriginal communities. These visits help support the
organization.