SEATTLE, Nov. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Alaska Airlines and
Hawaii-based social and
environmental impact organization, travel2change, are helping to
connect guests with fun and enriching activities aimed at creating
a positive benefit for communities across the Hawaiian Islands. The
new partnership, launched today at travel2change.org/alaskaair,
will make it easier for travelers to find and participate in
authentic educational and cultural experiences during their
Hawaii visit.
"We deeply appreciate the Hawaiian cultural value of
malama, which means to nurture and care for," said
Diana Birkett Rakow, Alaska's vice president, public affairs and
sustainability. "Care is at the core of who we are at Alaska, and that means care for our guests,
employees, communities and the planet. We're honored to be part of
the Hawaii community, and as
Hawaii welcomes visitors back to
the Islands, we're excited to work with travel2change to inspire
our guests to be mindful travelers and to help keep Hawaii strong and beautiful for future
generations."
Since 2011, travel2change has curated activities to connect
mindful travelers with communities. They offer opportunities to
join the stewards of special places across Hawaii and work side-by-side to care for
native ecosystems, working fishponds and farms, and to engage each
destination on a deeper level. While the experiences on
travel2change.org are currently based in Hawaii, activities in other destinations
served by Alaska will be offered
starting in 2022.
"travel2change is all about an environmentally sustainable
give-back model centered on fun and impact—cultivating
mutually-beneficial, reciprocal relationships between the local
community and guests," said Mondy Jamshidi
Kent of travel2change. "Alaska shares our vision to innovate for a
more sustainable world. Support for more regenerative connections
through community-centered values and honoring place-based
initiatives is part of how we get there. We are thrilled that this
partnership will both introduce travel2change experiences to
Alaska's guests and provide a
direct way for much-needed support to be received by many community
groups throughout Hawaii. Together
we look forward to boosting support for community-driven
sustainable choices that produce a net-positive impact for each
destination."
In September, Alaska supported
a joint effort by travel2change, the Native Hawaiian Hospitality
Association and the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) to help
Hawaii non-profit organizations
build capacity to host volunteer experiences on travel2change.org.
This effort to grow opportunities for visitors to participate
positively in the community and give back to Hawaii during their stay has been a key focus
of the HTA's Malama Hawaii initiative.
"As we seek a more regenerative model of tourism that balances
economics with the wellbeing of our communities and natural
resources, partnerships like this are critical to build community
capacity to welcome the direct contributions of visitors," said
John De Fries, Hawaii Tourism
Authority President and CEO. "Mahalo to Alaska for stepping up to support this effort
as we Malama Kuu Home – care
for our beloved home."
To celebrate the launch, Alaska
employees joined volunteers from travel2change to help restore
agricultural lands at Kakoo Oiwi, a community-based non-profit on
the island of Oahu and one of
travel2change's partner organizations. The volunteer project was
also a part of Alaska's annual
community service mission known as the Week of LIFT—a focused
effort to give back through volunteering in several cities across
Alaska's network.
About Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines and its regional partners serve more than 120
destinations across the United
States and to Mexico,
Canada and Costa Rica. The airline emphasizes Next-Level
Care for its guests, along with providing low fares, award-winning
customer service and sustainability efforts. Alaska is a member of oneworld. With
the global alliance and the airline's additional partners, guests
can travel to more than 1,000 destinations on more than 20 airlines
while earning and redeeming miles on flights to locations around
the world. Learn more about Alaska
at newsroom.alaskaair.com and blog.alaskaair.com. Alaska Airlines
and Horizon Air are subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group (NYSE:
ALK).
About travel2change
travel2change connects travelers
to local communities to create a positive impact, directing
volunteers and economic support through travel2change's local
network of cultural and aina (land)-based projects that help
feed, nurture and restore the local environment and community.
Founded in Hawaii in 2011,
travel2change helped to pioneer an innovation in Hawaii's travel industry, creating a more
responsible "organic" environmentally sustainable give-back model
that is first designed to support local. A mutually beneficial
reciprocal relationship that centers on fun and impact is made
possible by supporting local efforts and local economies that give
back at every level. Learn more at travel2change.org.
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SOURCE Alaska Airlines
