Carnival Corporation's new social impact brand shares fun and meaningful on-ground impact activities that focus on making a difference.
SEATTLE – Fathom, the pioneer in social impact travel and Carnival Corporation‘s 10th and newest brand, announced four additional social impact activities available to travelers visiting the Dominican Republic. In addition to the range of compelling social impact activities previously announced – from building water filters for Dominican homes to helping a women’s cooperative produce artisan chocolates – travelers may now select from four phenomenal new social impact projects focused on education, economic development and the environment. New impact activities include: improving homes and common areas in impoverished communities; working with special needs rehabilitation therapy patients; assisting arts and crafts entrepreneurs at a women’s cooperative; and connecting one-on-one in the homes of Dominican host families.
According to Tara Russell, president of Fathom and global impact lead for Carnival Corporation, with the flexibility to choose from a wide selection of impact activities and recreational options, Fathom travelers will be able to customize their itineraries to achieve their own ideal balance of purpose and play time.
“We are thrilled to expand our social impact opportunities by offering these new programs that were created together with our local impact partners to address important areas of need for the community,” said Russell. “Fathom was established to give people a way to combine their love of travel with their desire to make a difference. These latest additions to the social impact portfolio will fulfill that promise, giving travelers even more options for getting immersed in the Dominican culture by working alongside its people to create enduring social impact.”
Following are more details about Fathom’s new social impact activities:
Home Improvement – Even though the Dominican Republic is the most visited travel destination in the Caribbean, not all Dominican residents benefit from the island’s tourist boom. Forty percent of the population lives below the poverty line, and the average household income is less than $6,000. In the country, it is common for homes in impoverished communities to have dirt floors, which can be unsafe and unhealthy for homeowners and their families. As part of this home improvement initiative, travelers will help pour concrete for new floors to help improve living conditions in these homes. Fathom travelers also may take part in painting houses, fixing broken furniture, cleaning and improving community surroundings and common areas, or planting fruit trees as part of beautification efforts that will also provide long-term nutritional benefits. Travelers will work alongside homeowners and other members of the community, including children and teenagers, helping them create beautiful surroundings.
Special Needs Rehabilitation – A great number of disabled Dominicans are not able to access the physical and rehabilitation therapy they need due to the scarcity of resources available. Fathom travelers will have the opportunity to directly help address this issue by working with special needs patients at a nearby physical and rehabilitation therapy center. Activities range from participating in game therapy sessions for children with autism to supporting lab personnel to make and fit cost-subsidized orthopedic devices and prostheses. These contributions will help ease employee workloads and create opportunities for more people to be served.
Arts & Crafts Production with Local Women’s Cooperative – In addition to working with members of the women’s cooperative to cultivate cacao plants and produce organic artisan chocolates, Fathom travelers may now connect with another group of enterprising women who have formed an association to make eco-friendly arts and crafts made of locally recycled paper. Both programs enable Fathom travelers to have a direct and enduring impact on growing the potential income sources for cooperative members.
For the new arts and crafts program, travelers will support all aspects of the business, allowing travelers to help with activities that appeal most to their personal interests and passions. For example, travelers curious about how things are made may choose to roll up their sleeves to help with the paper recycling process. Travelers with more artistic interests and skills can help create arts and crafts for the cooperative to sell. More business-minded travelers may help find ways to expand the association’s distribution network, help formalize the process for taking products to market, and more.
Host Family Experience – The saying, “mi casa es tu casa” holds true as Dominican families will welcome Fathom travelers with open arms and invite them into their homes. Travelers will experience life in the Dominican Republic firsthand while spending the day with host families. After a morning familiarization community gathering, Dominican families will host Fathom travelers in their homes, connecting one-on-one and sharing more about daily life in the country. During the visit, Fathom travelers will help the local families polish their English language skills, while discussing local community assets that could be leveraged for future tourist income and ideas for potential microbusinesses that might expand the earning potential of the families.
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
