November 12, 2007 – At a simple but meaningful celebratory event held in Singapore, with more than a hundred partners and friends in attendance. TakeMeToAsia Pte Ltd, an international online travel company based in Singapore, officially launched a new travel portal, www.TakeMeToVolunteerTravel.com. This is part of the new business launched by the company to enable travelers to volunteer overseas, especially in meaningful projects and programmes in Asia. 

The evening started off with a short presentation by Dr Chan Tat Hon, founder and Managing Director of the company, outlining the company's mission, vision and goals and why the company started this new volunteer travel service, specialising in bringing global travellers to volunteer abroad in Asia.

Dr Chan said at the event, “We as a company strongly advocate meaningful travel. Volunteer travel, which is known by many different names, including voluntourism, volunteer vacations, volunteer abroad programmes, volunteer holidays or volunteer tours, has tremendous potential to be a blessing to both the travelers as well as the communities that we bring travelers to. And as a Asian company based in Singapore, we are well placed to bring meaningful programs in Asia, starting with Cambodia, Thailand, India, China, Philippines, Laos and Singapore. We will also be able to offer volunteering programs in other destinations in Asia such as Vietnam, Indonesia, Nepal and Malaysia very soon”

The key members of the TakeMeToVolunteerTravel.com team, were extremely encouraged by the support and encouragement given them by the partners and friends who attended the event.

Ms Oh Sok Keng, who is in charge of coordinating and developing meaningful programs with partners, said, “ It has been a very special evening for us, many came forward to give us support and encouragement on this new volunteer travel service.”

Ms Jaslyn Ho, marketing manager, said, “ I have many who came forward to say that they are interested to find out more about the options for them to volunteer abroad, especially in meaningful projects in Asia.”

Ms Janice Khoo, project manager, said, “ Many who came tonight, did not just offer us their encouragement, many also gave us very useful suggestions on partners and meaningful projects that we can work with to offer to travellers who want to volunteer abroad, whether individually or as a group.”

Ms Elaine Yap, operations manager, said, “ People went away from tonight’s event with more than just good food and fellowship, they also went away with a new insight about travel and volunteering abroad, that travel can be meaningful and serve a good purpose.”

Ms Chew Tee Yen, project manager, said, “ We hope  that after tonight’s event, travellers and travel industry players would be a catalyst for the full potential of  volunteer travel to be realized. And that more would come together to volunteer abroad”

The company, one of the first Asian travel company with a focus on volunteer vacations, has put together a good number of meaningful travel options for travelers, to provide a one stop service to travellers looking to volunteer abroad in Asia. Projects that volunteers can participate in include volunteering at orphanages in Thailand, Singapore, China, India and Cambodia, teaching English in a rural school in China, volunteering at homes for the elderly in Singapore and community projects in Philippines. The volunteering abroad options are intended and designed to cater to a wide range of travelers, from single young adult travelers, school groups on overseas enrichment, educational or volunteering programs, gap year students on overseas volunteering programmes, corporate groups on corporate social responsibility initiatives or companies incorporating volunteering as part of their corporate travel, groups on overseas humanitarian trips to families on vacations.

About TakeMeToVolunteerTravel.com
It is the specialized volunteer travel portal of TakeMeToAsia Pte Ltd, a Singapore based travel agency. The company, a licensed travel agent, offers a wide range of travel services for the global travelers, from volunteer vacations,  educational tours, leisure travel to corporate incentive travel. TakeMeToAsia Pte Ltd is one of the first companies in Asia to have a dedicated volunteer travel business that focuses on voluntourism in Asia. It currently offers placement in projects that will bring travelers to volunteer abroad in disadvantaged communities in Asia including Siem Reap, Phnom Penh, Prey Veng in Cambodia; Bangkok, Chiang Mai in Thailand; Beijing, China, Laos, Philippines, India and Singapore. It will soon be launching new options for placement in other community projects in Asia such as Vietnam, Indonesia, Nepal and Malaysia.

Media Contacts:
Jaslyn Ho
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For more information on Volunteer Travel, check out www.TakeMetoVolunteerTravel.com