INDIAN OCEAN. The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) has issued its own Tsunami Recovery Fund following the 26 December earthquake and resultant Tsunami that has killed up to 80,000 people in areas of Asia and Africa.
PATA also issued a statement that examined the early repercussions for the tourism business, so crucial to the economies of South Asia.
It said:
• This is a major humanitarian tragedy; tourism is only one element;
• This is not an Asian crisis; it is a crisis confined to some parts of the Indian Ocean coast;
• It is business as usual across most of Asia and in most parts of many of the affected countries, indeed many travel destinations in Asia are heavily/fully booked;
• Many displaced tourists at affected destinations are choosing to stay in nearby hotels inland or in other resorts rather than go home;
• There is good solidarity among the travel industry, for example, competitors are helping each other out;
• Many travel industry operators are asking how/where to pledge money for relief
PATA continued: “In the hours, days and weeks ahead, PATA will work with affected destinations as various crisis recovery strategies are put into place. PATA sends its condolences to everyone who has lost family, friends and property in the Indian Ocean tidal wave disaster.”
The PATA Foundation yesterday launched its Tsunami Recovery Fund. The Foundation is inviting PATA members, chapters, governments, tourist authorities, travel professionals and individual travellers to pledge money which will be dedicated to a recovery programme for the benefit of PATA members, both from the public and private sectors, in the eight PATA member destinations impacted by the disaster. The money pledged to the Fund will directly help rebuild skills and livelihoods of tourism employees.
Confirmed death toll from Indian Ocean disaster
Indonesia: 45,268
Sri Lanka: 22,493
India: 6,974
Thailand: 1,829
Somalia: 100
Burma: 90
Maldives: 67
Malaysia: 65
Tanzania: 10
Seychelles: 3
Bangladesh: 2
Kenya: 1
Rescue and recovery in southwest Thailand
PATA Director-Development Stephen Yong travelled to the southwest coast of Thailand on the morning of 27 December to offer PATA’s assistance in recovery and communications efforts. Yong said: “The activities on Phuket are very well organised, with close co-operation between the authorities and the public. Recovered bodies are being taken to schools and temples for identification.”
He added: “The mood of the tourists who have chosen to stay is quite good. Many are helping with recovery efforts. All the hoteliers and industry people I’ve spoken with are helping their neighbours and competitors.”
Of Thailand’s beach resort destinations affected by the tidal surges, Khao Lak and Phi Phi fared the worst. “Only the taller and stronger buildings are still standing in Khao Lak,” said Yong. “All the bungalows are gone.”
Reminder – the duty free industry can help
In Sri Lanka, one of the worst-affected countries with nearly 23,000 confirmed dead and thousands more missing, leading duty free retailer Alpha Orient Lanka and King Power Traveler and Centaur Travel Retail President Rakhita Jayawardena have announced details of a relief fund.
Alpha Orient Lanka Managing Director Paul Topping said this fund will focus specifically on the medium to long-term requirements of one sea-front community. The fund will be co-ordinated by Rakhita Jayawardena and Paul Topping and they, with their local teams, will ensure that every dollar gets to the needy people. Within hours of the fund launch, it had raised US$20,000. Jayawardena told The Moodie Report: “Every single donation could make a difference in terms of saving a life or restoring a livelihood. US$20,000 is a lot of money here in Sri Lanka, so the duty free industry can make a difference.”
Comment: This terrible disaster has already caused unimaginable loss, pain and suffering. Let us all work to minimise further suffering and to aid reconstruction of people’s lives. Sometimes the sheer scale of a situation such as this can render us emotionally impotent, with the feeling that none of us can actually make a difference. With the Alpha Sri Lanka Tsunami Relief Fund the duty free industry – and each individual within it – can.
Paul Topping and Rakhita Jayawardena are guaranteeing complete transparency of the fund’s usage. The Moodie Report will work closely with the fund to bring you news and pictures of how the money is being put to work. There will, rightly, be other calls on your donations from other areas and they should be supported too. But for now, this industry has a focus. Let’s all support it.
Contacts:
Paul Topping: ptopping@alpha-group.com; telephone number: 94-777-531801 [UPDATED NUMBER]
Rakhita Jayawardena: rakhita@kingpowertraveler.com; telephone number: 94-777-488804
Hiranjan Aloysius: haloysius@alpha-group.com
A bank account for the acceptance of donations for this humanitarian relief programme for the Tsunami victims is now operative. Anyone wishing to transfer money can make a telegraphic transfer to the following account.
Alpha Sri Lanka Tsunami Relief Fund
A/c No: 002-0785788
Hatton National Bank Limited
City Office
No. 16 Janadhipathi Mawatha
Colombo 1
Sri Lanka
SWIFT CODE: HBLILKLX
MORE STORIES ON THE INDIAN OCEAN DISASTER
Death toll nears 70,000 after South Asia disaster – 29/12/04
Drastic impact on tourism afterTsunami; Sri Lankan retailer set to start relief fund -28/12/04
“˜Unprecedented disaster’; 25,000 may be dead – terrible impact of South Asia disaster begins to dawn – 27/12/04Alpha Orient Lanka duty free staff missing; others lose families – a Sri Lankan tragedy – 27/12/04
Earthquake and tidal wave disaster hits south and east Asia; crippling blow for tourism – 26/12/04
