Luxury travel network Virtuoso is giving its staff the opportunity to give back to their favourite causes by giving them a paid day of service to mark Martin Luther King Day which fell yesterday on 20 January.

The worldwide move was in support of the Realise the Dream initiative which aims to total 100 million hours of service by the 100th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday in 2029.

It is part of an ongoing initiative, first announced during the 2024 Virtuoso Travel week, that will make the paid day of service available to Virtuoso’s global team on an annual basis.

The initiative was inspired by King’s vision to “create a society rooted in peace, justice, equality and love for all”.

“Realise the Dream’s message of promoting love and unity through local community support is universal,” a joint statement from Virtuoso Chairman and CEO Matthew D. Upchurch and Vice-Chair and Sustainability Strategist Jessica Hall Upchurch said.

“We’re proud to back this meaningful cause by offering a paid day of service to all of our team members worldwide. Serving others not only strengthens communities, but it also brings significant benefits to those who give their time and energy.”

Virtuoso’s team members can choose charitable organisations and service initiatives that personally resonate with them. They can also select which day they will use for the service.