PATA Foundation Launches Tsunami Recovery Fund
The PATA Foundation has announced the launch of its Tsunami Recovery Fund. The Foundation is inviting the industry to pledge money which will be dedicated to a recovery program.
The PATA Tsunami Recovery Fund will be slightly different in focus. It will primarily be used for the training of people in the travel industry in tsunami-afflicted areas — areas such as Sri Lanka, Sumatra, southern Thailand, southeast India, the Maldives, northwest Malaysia and other locations where tourism was severely disrupted.
With a strong focus on human resource development and training, the money pledged to the Fund will directly help rebuild skills and livelihoods of tourism employees. PATA Foundation Chairman Mr David Paulon said: “We want to help rebuild lives and hope in tourism communities devastated by the December 26 tragedy. Our focus will be on helping people recover confidence and livelihoods in Sri Lanka, Sumatra, southern Thailand, southeast India, the Maldives, northwest Malaysia, Myanmar and Bangladesh. Other institutions will rebuild physical infrastructure. Our Fund will be different. It will sow the seeds of human hope and long-term recovery.”
The Fund will be administered by the PATA Foundation, the charitable arm of PATA, which for the last 20 years has made a significant difference by delivering charitable contributions to grassroots conservation and educational projects in the region.
With a strong focus on human resource development and training, the money pledged to the Fund will directly be used to help tourism employees in these tsunami-affected areas.
Paulon added, “We are asking PATA chapters, PATA members such as national tourism authorities, and industry partners, to identify people-first initiatives in the travel sector for the Fund’s trustees to consider. Before we can do these good deeds, however, we need your generous donation.”
To donate, simply click following to reach the PATA Tsunami Recovery pledge form. (Save the document to your own computer, fill it out and e-mail or fax it back to PATA.)
Charles Kao
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