The Travel Professionals’ Friendship Foundation (TPFF)

Our initial aim and first project is to raise funds specifically for MICE Industry professionals who are unemployed or working for a significantly reduced wage for 6 months or more. Other members of our wider community will be invited to sign up for virtual events and donate towards our fundraising. Anyone in the industry is also able to nominate a colleague or industry friend who they believe could benefit from a little assistance, we have created some specific criteria for eligible candidates but of course each case will be examined individually and in complete confidence.

Another really important element of the TPFF will be the involvement of corporate partners who have a connection with the industry, in addition to emergency funding we aim to build a community where we can share opportunities and help colleagues out of work to find new positions.

Whilst our initial focus is on the MICE sector, this is a long term project and we hope to run several events per year that will raise funds for people within the wider tourism industry and indeed our destinations.

The Travel Professionals’ Friendship Foundation (TPFF) is a non-profit organisation which aims to provide support for those in our industry experiencing financial hardship. The TPFF is in the process of registering as a charitable foundation in Cyprus and should receive official accreditation by the end of 2020 or early 2021.The TPFF was created in 2020 by a group of travel professionals based around the world in response to the economic impacts on our industry due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The TPFF aims to raise money through virtual and live activities to provide emergency assistance to industry professionals who are unemployed or on significantly reduced wages as a result of the pandemic.

In addition to the short-term immediate support for those most in need, a key element of the work of the Travel Professionals’ Friendship Foundation is our community. This is made up of industry professionals and Event and Travel companies as well as corporate partners. In addition to our fundraising activities, the community provides networking and employment opportunities.

The organising team of the Travel Professionals’ Friendship Foundation are all professionals with many years of experience in the travel and events industry. They came together for the TPFF project through a shared concern for the challenging circumstances currently faced by many of our former colleagues, partners and friends and a wish to make a difference.

The original inspiration for the Travel Professionals’ Friendship Foundation was news we heard of the severe financial hardship currently being experienced by professionals in the MICE industry. These are extremely challenging times for us all, but many experienced and hard-working professionals have found themselves on reduced wages or out of work completely with little or no support from the state and limited opportunities for finding alternative employment. These people are highly valued within our community and we know that given the chance they will return in better times and continue to contribute with their dedication and professionalism. Aside from the personal suffering, as an industry we will also suffer if talented and experienced individuals are obliged to find employment elsewhere.

If 2020 has taught us anything, it is that any one of us, regardless of our situation could find ourselves in a position where we need a little help. As we approach the Christmas and New Year period with some months to go before there are any real chances of our industry recovering things are very tough for many of us.