Far from the clichés of mass tourism on the island of Majorca, the TUI Care foundation works discreetly for the reforestation of the hinterland and the preservation of the seabed. Explanations.
In Majorca, the main Balearic island, the TUI foundation is active in reforestation and the preservation of the sea. In the North-East of the island, extends the Levant Peninsula natural park located 70 km from Palma, the capital.
Before accessing this paradise for hikers…
…we cross the authentic Majorcan village of Arta dominated by the fortified enclosure of Sant Salvador and its Gothic church.
At the far north of this park, the nature reserves of Cap Ferrutx and Cap des Freu overlook steep cliffs and coves with crystal clear waters. But forest fires have ravaged these wild spaces. With its reforestation policy initiated since 2009, the foundation intends to have replanted by 2027, a little more than 50,000 trees, including fire-resistant species.
Joan Simonet Pons, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and the Environment for the Balearic Islands, said: “This fantastic initiative clearly illustrates the success of a public-private partnership, which improves the resilience of forests in the face of change. climate and at the same time, guarantees the protection of animals in these natural spaces”.
Another priority: protecting the marine ecosystem
“In the Balearic Islands, protected marine areas are under considerable pressure under the combined effect of nautical activities, cruises and global warming,” notes with regret one of the managers of the Marilles Foundation. Since 2022 and at least until 2026, the TUI Care Foundation has supported this NGO to finance a fund focused on the conservation of the Balearic Sea.
Each year, it paid a large financial contribution to improve the sustainability of fishing and to restore shallow water bays. And this, while strengthening links with the tourism sector to stimulate real, long-term change. On the island of Majorca, players in the sector – hoteliers, holiday club operators, cruise lines, boat rental companies – without forgetting holidaymakers, must help stop the degradation of the seabed in this popular destination. The ideal would be to return in a few years to the quality of the water, the fish, the seaside fauna, the seabirds and the sea turtles… before the advent of overtourism.
Customers fund the Tui Care Foundation
Discreet but effective, the foundation finances 50 programs spread across 25 countries. Most of the beneficiary countries are located in Africa. Year in and year out, the Tui Care Foundation has an annual budget of around 10 million euros financed mainly by the customers of the world’s No. 1 tourism company. In Germany, Tui charges an upstream contribution of 1 euro per package. In the UK, the group charges £1 per trip. In other countries, customer donations are voluntary. Please note that in France, this donation is not tax deductible, because the foundation is based in the Netherlands.
Another observation: there is no link between the missions of the foundation and the actions in terms of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) of the TUI group listed on the stock exchange. Hence a great independence of action. “We will equip our 400 owned hotels with solar panels in order to reduce our carbon footprint,” said Sebastian Ebel, CEO of the TUI Group, during his recent trip to Majorca.
Martine Denoune
https://www.tuicarefoundation.com/en
