As well as looking after future stakeholders, our PROUD value of Pioneering our Future is about ensuring we protect the environments around holiday destinations, so that they can continue to attract holidaymakers in the future.

Since 2009, Thomas Cook in Germany has been a member of Futouris, a travel industry organisation dedicated to social responsibility and environmental protection, particularly relating to climate change and biodiversity. In cooperation with Futouris, we sponsored three sustainability projects in 2010. Most of the projects we support are chosen by our employees and must be related to tourism or based in one of our destination communities. Among these was a scheme to protect monk seals on the island of Madeira.

For the people of Madeira, the local population of monk seals is both a blessing and a curse. The main sources of income on the island are tourism and fishing. While the seals attract tourists, they also damage fishing equipment. For the seals, the increasing number of boat tours is disturbing their habitat.

Futouris' project aims to increase understanding of monk seals in order that solutions may be found to these problems. A handbook is being produced that will guide readers as to best practice in observing monk seals. This will be distributed to the general public as well as tour operators, boat companies, diving centres, fishermen and other relevant stakeholders.

The other Futouris initiatives funded by Thomas Cook in 2010 were a school for street children in Thailand and a project to conserve an area of tropical forest in Cuba, both based in Thomas Cook Germany destination communities.

In northern Thailand, there is widespread poverty and many social problems: child labour, stealing, trafficking of children and prostitution are common, and many children have been orphaned by HIV/AIDS. As a result, the area has countless children who have lived through trauma and not received psychological and educational support. For 120 of these boys and girls, the School for Life, supported by Futouris and Thomas Cook Germany, offers hope for a different kind of life. Their welfare is cared for, and they receive psychological help as well as a good education. Included in this education is training in organic farming, which will help them to build a sustainable future and will contribute to this destination community.

The Alexander-von-Humboldt National Park is the largest remaining area of tropical forest in Cuba and conservation of this park and its biodiversity is imperative. The threat to the forest comes from local farmers. To make a living, they need to work the land, so have been clearing more and more of the forest. Futouris is collaborating with local agencies to establish common agricultural plots, so that the farmers need no longer clear areas of forest. The project also involves local families in growing native trees to repopulate the forest. 200 hectares have now been reforested, supporting the local population and contributing to a unique destination.

Working with an organisation like Futouris helps our money to go further. With their expertise and organisation, we can achieve major social and environmental benefits for our destination communities – benefits that our funding alone would not accomplish.

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