SOUTHLAKE, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Travelocity (http://www.travelocity.com) believes travel has the power to change the world through experiences like volunteer vacations. That’s why, since 2006, the company’s Travel for Good® program has been awarding eight $5,000 volunteer vacation grants every year. These grants sponsored deserving Americans on trips to new corners of the world to give back with their own two hands. And today Travelocity announced the launch of a new voluntourism grants site, marking a new era for the program. This site allows volunteers to submit video applications for the voluntourism grants and gives travelers everywhere a free blogging platform to share their stories of service.
In the past, consumers filled out a written essay application for the Travel for Good voluntourism grants, and Travelocity employees volunteered their time to vote for their favorite candidates. With the launch of the new video voting process, applicants will now make a video and share it with friends and family for voting via social networking sites. This exciting innovation gives everyone a say in who should win these life-changing volunteer opportunities.
To enter the new grants contest, consumers should:
- Visit VolunteerJournals.com. The site will walk them through, step by step, the easy process to upload their videos.
- Then, they can use buttons to promote their videos on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter and send it to friends and family for voting.
- Each video should explain why the applicant deserves to win and which Signature Trip from Travelocity’s voluntourism partners inspires them.
- Each person is allowed to vote once a day per IP address and there’s no need to create a profile or sign in, making voting a simple one-click process.
The top 25 finalists will be determined by 50 percent audience support and 50 percent quality of their videos. There are two contest cycles per year, and Travelocity employees will select four winners from the top 25 finalists each cycle.
Grant Contest Dates
| Enter Your Video | Voting Only | 25 Finalists Announced | 4 Winners Announced | ||||||
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January 1 - March 31 |
April 1 - May 31 |
June 15 |
June 30 |
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July 1 - September 31 |
October 1 - November 30 |
December 15 |
December 30 |
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Each winner or team will enjoy a $5,000 volunteer vacation grant, which can be used to take one of the Signature Trips from Travelocity’s official voluntourism partners. Trips include:
- Doing trail work in Alaska with American Hiking Society,
- Developing community projects in Tanzania with Cross-Cultural Solutions,
- Working side-by-side with scientists on a riverboat in the Amazon with Earthwatch Institute,
- Living in a children’s home in Peru with Globe Aware, and more.
Additionally, VolunteerJournals.com provides a free blogging platform for all volunteers, including stories from past Travelocity grant winners. Travelers don’t need to win a grant or even volunteer abroad to make use of this new tool. From a local book drive to a three-month voluntourism trip, the site gives all volunteers across the globe the opportunity to share their experiences and get more people involved with the causes they care about.
About Travelocity Global
Travelocity® is committed to being the traveler's champion – before, during and after the trip – and provides the most comprehensive and proactive guarantee in the industry (www.travelocity.com/guarantee). This customer-driven focus, backed by 24/7 live phone support, competitive prices and powerful shopping technology has made Travelocity one of the largest travel companies in the world. Travelocity owns and operates: Travelocity Business® for corporate travel; igougo.com, a leading online travel community; lastminute.com, a leader in European online travel; and ZUJI, a leader in Asia-Pacific online travel. Travelocity is owned by Sabre Holdings Corporation, a world leader in travel marketing and distribution.
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