Operators raise funds for Nepal relief effort
Responsible Travel member tour operators have raised more than £500,000 for aid, health and infrastructure projects to help Nepal recover from April’s devastating earthquake.
Adventure operator Exodus, a long-time member of Responsible Travel, has raised over £200,000 so far.
Working with High Altitude Welfare Workers Association, it has been focussing on ensuring aid is reaching remote villages which may have otherwise been overlooked by other relief efforts.
Meanwhile, Intrepid has raised over AU$400,000 and the company has launched its own ‘Namaste Nepal’ campaign via its charity, the Intrepid Foundation, with plans to raise over AU$1 million through trip bookings and donations by the end of the next trekking season.
Uncover the World’s appeal for help to repair its local team’s damaged homes and possessions has reached almost £5,000 and Kathmandu-based Social Tours Nepal has raised over US$20,000 via its charity, the Karma Foundation. It has also collected an estimated US$30,000 of supplies to distribute to those in need of immediate aid.
Nepali member Manakamana Treks and Expeditions has launched a new volunteering trip with the aim to provide both physical and financial support to rebuild homes and schools in Kakithok Village, where it was one of the first aid teams to arrive.
Responsible Travel managing director Justin Francis said: "With so many Nepali’s dependent on tourism for everyday income, we must now be careful that another tragedy doesn’t follow swiftly on the heels of the first.
"Many small, local tourism businesses will not have enough reserves to weather an extended period of no income, and the dramatic decline in tourism will spell disaster all over again for the local people and families dependent on them.
"It becomes vitally important that tourists don’t abandon Nepal and that they and external tour operators continue to support the country. We are extremely proud to be working with both international and local tour operators with such a strong commitment to the communities in which they work."
To support or donate to appeals run or supported by Responsible Travel members go to www.responsibletravel.com/copy/nepal-earthquake-appeal
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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