Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/592242
B M & T ••• July/August 2015 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 22 C arnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK), the world's largest travel and leisure company, recently launched a new brand called0 fathom™, defining a new travel category it is calling "social impact travel," that will offer consumers authentic, meaningful impact travel experiences to work alongside locals as they tackle communi- ty needs. What sets fathom apart is the long-term, systematic partnership approach with its partner countries paired with the unique business model that allows for sustained impact and lasting development. fathom's scale and global vision reach beyond what the world has ever seen. The company's first destination will be the Dominican Republic, a coun- try known for its spectacular beauty but also a country where the average household income is approximately $6,000 USD a year and more than two million Dominicans do not have access to piped water. fathom will operate as a standalone brand, the 10th global brand in the Carnival Corporation family. Beginning in April 2016, fathom will embark on seven-day voyages from PortMiami aboard the MV Adonia, a 710-passenger vessel redeployed from Carnival Corporation's P&O Cruises (UK) for the start-up of the new operation. Depending on their passions, interests and skills, travelers will have the opportunity to choose from a range of social impact activities and experiences both onboard and onshore. Travel That Creates Enduring, Transformative Social Impact "fathom will cater to a growing market of consumers who want to have a positive impact on people's lives, and aren't always sure where to begin," said Arnold Donald, CEO of Carnival Corporation. "We believe travel is a mean- ingful way to allow for personal growth while making purposeful and engag- ing contributions to the world. We are so pleased that fathom will give trav- elers a unique opportunity to work alongside local people as part of a larger scale effort that will demonstrably improve lives. Both our travelers and the local citizens will learn and benefit from the opportunity to serve together." Donald brought in a non-traditional, social entrepreneur, Tara Russell, founder and chairman of Create Common Good www.createcommon- good.org, a food production social enterprise, to lead this effort. Russell will serve as president of fathom and as Global Impact Lead for Carnival Corporation. Russell established and led the team that has been working on the design and business model for fathom since late 2013. "We created fathom to meet the real hunger in the world for pur- pose, while at the same time tackling profound social issues through a sustainable business model," said Russell. "We harness the assets and r esources of the world's largest travel and leisure company and com- bine them with the talents and hearts of those working in social enter- prises around the world. "Travelers will work in partnership with proven, trusted local organiza- tions on the ground to amplify their missions for far greater, sustained impact," Russell said. "Because fathom will bring hundreds of travelers to a destination on a regular basis, fathom can achieve focused and holistic, col- laborative contributions in a broad region of the country – allowing fath- om travelers to make a collective, transformative impact that they know will extend far beyond their involvement. They also will know they played an important role in ensuring the region flourishes. We are excited about mak- ing the Puerto Plata region of the Dominican Republic our first partner des- tination, and we are optimistic about taking all that is being built in and through fathom to other global destinations and to the broader Carnival corporate family." According to Russell, the fathom team took an innovative design-think- ing approach to deeply understanding both its travelers, as well as the needs identified by stakeholders across all parts of society in the Dominican Republic, and will continue to leverage the unique approach. CARNIVAL CORPORATION LAUNCHES NEW BRAND, CREATES NEW TRAVEL CATEGORY C R U I S E N E W S