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As 2016 closes, Vass outlines Abercrombie & Kent's philanthropic outreach

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David Vass, svp worldwide cruise business & operations, Abercrombie & Kent Destination Management
In a review of its 2016 philanthropic outreach programs, Abercrombie and Kent's Akorn and A&K Cruise Division, highlighted results drawn up by DMCs who handle shore excursion land programs, turnarounds, pre and post and overland services to over 30 cruise line clients worldwide.

Some of this year's mission included a launch of an e-book reader literacy initiative for 3,500 students and 25 teachers in 12 schools in Kenya and Tanzania, 3,682 bikes sent to East Africa to open three bike shops that now employ 14 local women and are used by both villagers and tourists, 119 new clean water wells for families in Cambodia, bringing the total to more than 1,200 in the past eight years, outlined David Vass, svp worldwide cruise business & operations, Abercrombie & Kent Destination Management.

Other programs ranged from delivery of basic supplies for those awaiting help in Myanmar for flood relief to satellite penguin tracking tags to a research team in Antarctica, added Vass.

He went on to explain that every Akorn/ A&K DMC has at least one dedicated philanthropic project and some as many as three.

'A percentage of the net rates for each tour we operate on behalf of cruise lines goes into our Philanthropic fund, and our cruise teams around the world take great pride in the positive impact of these projects to improve the quality of life and livelihoods in the local communities,' Vass remarked.