Tourism plans charitable ways to help

Much is made of the airlines and big tour operators that are suffering in the time of Covid 19. But what about the guides, homestays and other professionals on the ground, whose livelihoods have been ravaged by borders closing and the industry grinding to a halt? Some of the UK’s most honourable tour operators have united to launch initiatives to help their valued partners. Much Better Adventures, which spear-headed the Tourism Declares movement at the beginning of the year, has launched a Family Relief Fund to help families in Nepal, Indonesia and Tanzania whose incomes have been lost as a result of the Coronavirus travel ban, with a target of £20,000 to go into providing alternative income streams. Meanwhile, one collection of private travel companies including By Georgie, AW Private Travel, Katie Terrington Private Travel and Joro Experiences is launching ‘The Conscious Travel Foundation’ to address the gap left by a lack of charitable donations taken from hotel and resort bills: watch this space for more info. 

Another travel company hoping to make a positive difference post Coronavirus is Asia specialist Yonder, which has come up with three itineraries specially devised to help local communities and wildlife charities which have suffered as a result of low visitor numbers.