Tourism Cares Names New CEO

Tourism Cares has hired Paula Vlamings as its new CEO. Vlamings will take the reins from Mike Rea, who has led the organization since 2013.

Vlamings comes to Tourism Cares from G Adventures’ philanthropic organization, Planeterra Foundation, where she was the executive director. She has also worked with the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy’s Institute at the Golden Gate in San Francisco.

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“Now more than ever, it’s vital that travel and tourism providers integrate more closely with community-based organizations and conservation initiatives to create opportunities for the people and the places our industry cares about while working to help distribute tourism more sustainably,” said Vlamings. “More companies are building or rebuilding business models around social good, and these activities set them apart from competitors and contribute to their success. I’m thrilled to be part of an organization like Tourism Cares that’s so committed to using this massive industry to create positive change in the world.”

Rea will continue to work with Tourism Cares as a senior program advisor and will focus on building partnerships on the West Coast. During his tenure as the head of the organization, Rea united the travel industry around critical philanthropic endeavors. He has been a social entrepreneur for more than 15 years.

READ MORE: Tourism Cares Reveals Volunteer Destinations for 2018

“This transition reflects both our strong growth over the last several years and our commitment to harness the power of change through travel,” said Tourism Cares Board chairman Derek Hydon. “With new leadership and enhanced capacity in social enterprise development, we’ll deepen the impact of our initiatives and the value we provide our 200-plus members, our incredible partner network and the beneficiaries of our programs.”

Vlamings will relocate to Boston and join Tourism Cares at its headquarters in Norwood, Massachusetts.