For over five decades, Tauck has been committed to making a positive impact – environmentally, socially and economically – in the places Tauck travel to. Tauck has invested in more than 80 national parks, monuments and destinations the world over to better protect our planet – and preserve natural, historical and cultural destinations for generations to come. Destination grants include Mesa Verde, Grand Teton National Park Foundation, Civil War Trust, National Civil Rights Museum, Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, Jasper National Park, and Friends of Notre Dame Cathedral. 

Their itineraries are woven into the very fabric of places where Tauck travel, and they partner with many family-owned businesses and businesses of all kinds, from very small to large, creating jobs and improving the economic health and vitality of destinations. Traveling with a light "footprint" is enabled by smaller groups and lower guest-to-guide ratios, and they are mindful about how they travel to ensure we make a positive impact.

People, Places and Planet – this is Tauck's commitment to create a thriving world.

Tauck is partnering with Just a Drop to truly change lives with safe water and sanitation in Cambodia

Despite the beautiful rice paddies and famous Angkor temples, Cambodia is one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia and is still recovering from the Khmer Rouge regime. Just a Drop works in the Siem Reap province of Cambodia but despite the influx of tourists, the communities outside of the tourist belt are poor and do not benefit from the benefit that the tourists bring.

In the community of Trapeang Svay, all 254 community members of the village are forced to collect their water from a nearby hand dug well. This water is dirty and contaminated with e-coli and other waterborne diseases that make the community members ill.

Most community members live off subsistence farming - they grow cassava and rice but the little income that they receive from this is usually spent on doctor's bills. This keeps them in a cycle of poverty. 

In addition to this, the sanitation situation in the community is really poor. There are a limited number of latrines and because of this, the community are usually forced to openly defecate. Not only does this create an unpleasant environment but it also has serious health and hygiene implications on the community members - they often fall ill with hygiene related diseases.

Thanks to Tauck, this is all changing. 

Just a Drop will install 30 Biosand Filters which will give Trapeang Svay's residents access to clean water for years to come. We'll also built 25 latrines to address the issues surrounding open defecation and run a programme of WASH in the community to teach the community how to address hygiene issues in the community and help to reduce the level of disease spread through poor sanitation. 

As with all of Just a Drop’s projects, sustainability is key. Each project is designed to benefit the community for the long term. Local ownership is vital to this sustainability. We work with communities to determine the most appropriate solution for their needs, and then the community remain involved at every stage of the project. Indeed, the communities themselves are even responsible for the building and maintenance of the facilities. 

The impact will be clear: 

• 254 people will be healthier - they no longer have to drink dirty water
• Children can attend school and don't drop out due to waterborne & hygiene-related illnesses
• Living conditions improve - the whole village is more hygienic
• The community develop economic opportunities and less people leave villages to find work
• Reducing the spread of disease through the wide availability of clean water for handwashing and drinking
• Women and girls in particular benefit from improved hygiene because they do not have to carry the burden of caring for sick family members, and missing out on school and livelihoods
• Open defecation in the community stops - making it more hygienic, liveable and preventing disease

An example of some completed latrines in Cambodia: 

Find out more about Tauck's impact across the world here

We look forward to updating you on the project in due course.