Don’t stop giving
The UK travel industry is being urged to maintain support for areas affected by the Indian Ocean tsunami.
Travel Aid 50, set up by Quest Travel managing director, Dave Simmons, is working with over 40 companies in travel and tourism to generate funds for long term support of tourism communities affected by the Indian Ocean tsunami.
One of the ways it is generating funds is by encouraging operators and agents to donate 50 pence when customers make a booking, hence the name, Travel Aid 50. But Mr Simmons says the challenge for the organisation is to encourage participation beyond January. So far five participants in the initiative have pledged their support beyond January.
Travel Aid 50 is working with PATA to channel its funds at a local level and has decided to focus on Sri Lanka because it does not have the wealth and established infrastructure of more developed countries such as Thailand and the Maldives.
Mr Simmons praised the support received by Travel Aid 50, but urged companies to continue supporting his organisation. He said: “Whilst you don’t see or hear the story in the media any longer, the scale of the disaster in human terms continues to unfold to ever increasingly depressing levels.”
Report by Ginny McGrath
Ginny McGrath
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