During her 3 decades in the travel industry, Robin Tauck has done it all. She was president and CEO of Tauck World Discovery, the 84-year-old luxury tour operator with long Westport roots.
She’s been an international leader, active with the World Travel and Tourism Council, the Sustainable Strategic Council of UN Foundation, Tourism Cares and 2 family foundations. She received a White House Presidential Award.
Robin Tauck
Her new company, Robin Tauck & Partners, is a public-private partnership assisting initiatives with significant global impact. Last month she joined 50 travel industry leaders, as part of the Copenhagen Climate Summit. They discussed climate crisis plans, investments and cooperation strategies. Travel and tourism accounts for 5% of global emissions.
“Despite differing messages, I can proudly say that global leaders of diverse sectors of travel spoke with 1 voice about our common goal — to protect our planet, to support our leaders and to comply with the urgency to reduce emissions, create innovative solutions and work togetehr on advocacy, education and cooperation,” Robin says.
She noted that her industry can help eradicate poverty, provide economic development and address gender inequality. According to the World Trade Organization, 50 of the least developed countries cite “travel and tourism” as the #1 or #2 source of foreign income. “New ways to travel lighter, smarter and more efficiently” are under way, Robin says.
“We are all at a key juncture. Copenhagen was significant, yet the real work is ahead. We can all contribute. I flew home with a sincere vow to continue the journey, and with even higher understanding of the need for public/private partnerships.”
President Obama and other world leaders got all the publicity in Copenhagen. But it’s on the ground — and in planes, ships, trains and tourist destinations across the globe — that important climate change work gets done. Westport’s Robin Tauck is helping see to that.
wow…that is enormously impressive. I had no idea that the Tauck Travel ‘Organization’ – parts of it/all of it (?) – was that involved. I continue to work on anti-human trafficking efforts and – though outside of the immediate mandate of copenhagen – based on that work, can further underline the importance of her efforts in curbing the human trafficking problem too, i.e., the opinions and behaviour of the travel industry are so great. again, wow.