UPDATE: Etihad, Carnival, Best Western show support for Haiti
SYDNEY – The travel industry has moved quickly to support the Haiti earthquake relief effort.
Best Western Rewards members can contribute rewards points.
Frequency programme members can go to www.bestwestern.com/haitirelief to make a donation of 5,000 points, which translates to $20 or more to World Vision, Best Western’s official charity partner.
Best Western hoteliers will also be able to donate via their monthly member statements to relief efforts being implemented by World Vision, and employees of Best Western International will be able to donate cash and vacation time.
In addition, on behalf of the Best Western membership, Best Western’s North American development team made a substantial donation yesterday through World Vision in support of the Best Western hotel that was about to break ground in Port-au-Prince.
“We are rallying at the hotel, employee and guest levels to contribute to this critical humanitarian mission, “ said David Kong, president and CEO of Best Western.
Etihad Crystal Cargo will operate a special Red Crescent and Khalifa Welfare Foundation charter flight to Haiti tomorrow, carrying medical and humanitarian supplies to the earthquake hit country.
The MD11 aircraft, which will use its full capacity of 88 tonnes, will fly first to Casablanca and then onto Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. The cargo will be unloaded there and taken to neighbouring Haiti.
The charter flight is part of the “Care By Air” initiative, founded by Maximus Air Cargo, Etihad Airways and Abu Dhabi Airport Services, which provides cargo space ‘at cost’ to deliver relief aid to disaster-stricken areas around the world.
Carnival Corporation and its affiliated cruise brands are donating at least US$5 million toward relief efforts following the devastating earthquake in Haiti.
The funds will be forwarded to several different international organisations coordinating relief efforts within the country.
The $5 million donation includes a large corporate contribution along with monies raised from a variety of fundraising efforts coordinated by Carnival Corporation’s cruise brands, both in their offices in North America, Europe and Australia, and throughout the fleet.
Ian Jarrett
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Turkish tourism stalls due to soaring prices for accommodation and food
CCS Insight: eSIMs ready to take the travel world by storm
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers