It’s not often that the leading players in a highly competitive industry come together behind a common cause. But sometimes the opportunity to make a difference in our world is so profound that the decision to act collectively is an easy one.
Travelport recently joined with our GDS competitors, Sabre and Amadeus, to support the Millennium Foundation for Innovative Finance for Health, which supports the work of UNITAID in its global mission to combat such life-threatening diseases as HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis in developing countries.
Through a Millennium Foundation initiative called MASSIVEGOOD, our three companies will offer travellers a convenient and secure way to give back through a simple voluntary donation of $2, €2, £2 or more. The contribution process will be built into our point of sale applications and will be available whether travellers book online or through a travel agent. (Click here to view a video that explains more.)
The success of the Millennium Foundation’s innovative financing solution depends on creating a global movement. We hope that cooperation within the travel industry will be a model for other industries across the world.
The GDSs have a unique role to play. We provide a critical link to hundreds of millions of travellers - many of them with a global perspective and an appreciation of the challenges faced by those in developing countries.
Together, we issue more than 500 million airline tickets each year. This means that even a small percentage of participants could make a big difference in the lives of millions of people. We see the potential of this program to reduce child mortality and improve maternal health - saving lives on a massive scale.
This is a fitting role for the travel industry because mass travel is a powerful force for social and cultural awareness and understanding. The more people travel, the more connections they make with other lands and people, the more they recognize their roles as global citizens, and the more likely they are to take advantage of this new program to make a contribution and a difference.
The MASSIVEGOOD program will be rolled out in 2010, so stay tuned.
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