Travel with a Cause as you know is a registered not-for-profit organisation. We donate our profits to worthwhile causes, hence the word “cause” in our name.
About half of our charitable work goes to undeveloped countries to help with education, health and infrastructure projects, while about half goes to local Tasmanian activities to assist in animal and environmental welfare projects.
With the ongoing devastation and loss of property and life from the nationwide bush fires we have endeavoured to work out how we can assist, utilising the advantage of our position in the travel industry.
All the time we heard that tourism and business operators in the fire ravished regions desperately wanted people to still visit, because their survival and livelihoods depended on visitors. That sounds like a travel-related problem to us!
But the last thing we want is to be seen as exploiting or benefiting from the fires, even unintentionally. At a recent board meeting we rejected the idea of a special travel promotion because we felt it might be misinterpreted, regardless of how sensitive and appropriate we tried to make it.
Then we heard of a person who had already booked a travel excursion to Paris, but instead cancelled their plans and changed to travel to Kangaroo Island.
TOURISM AUSTRALIA BUSHFIRES STATEMENT:
So this is what we have decided to do. We want to urge anyone who can, to consider a trip to one of the areas that is now safe to visit and recovering from the disaster; one of those places like Kangaroo Island or Mallacoota Inlet or Eden or Tenterfield or the Alpine Way. The sort of place that you would otherwise visit for a holiday or weekend drive, and to go there regardless of the fires. Take time, see the effects of the fires, talk with locals, spend some money to buy petrol, meals, accommodation, give moral support.
We are not promoting anything directly and not through our company, this is a simple appeal for any of the thousands of readers of our newsletters around the nation who can, to change plans and make a difference.
Map and table of some of the most popular destinations for travellers, impacted by the current bushfires or are safe to visit: https://tourism-australia-bushfire-map.alantgeo.com.au/index.html
Useful page for tours in Australia & New Zealand: https://twac.experienceoz.com.au/en
From all of us at TWAC.
Great read thank youu