Luxury travel company Abercrombie & Kent has pledged $100,000 AUD to support relief efforts in Australia. The donation, encompassed from the global network of offices and its philanthropic arm, Abercrombie & Kent Philanthropy (AKP). The funds are being used to support Australian charities leading the humanitarian and wildlife relief efforts, including the Red Cross and RSPCA
Others can donate via the AKP website. In addition, A&K’s Australian based staff are being encouraged to use volunteer Community Service days to provide support where possible.
The size and scale of Australia’s bushfires is difficult to imagine. To date, more than over 20.5 million acres have burned. Shockingly, this is 10 times the number of acres burned in California’s 2018 and 2019 wildfire seasons combined, and larger than last year’s Amazon fires.
What some travellers don’t realise is just how big Australia really is. At almost 3 million square miles, it’s roughly the size of the U.S. mainland, which means a huge section of the country has not been impacted and most tourism businesses are still open.
All international airports are operating as normal and Tourism Australia’s travel alerts page provides updates on popular international destinations. The long list of areas that have not been affected by fires include Queensland’s Sunshine Coast and Whitsundays, the Hunter Valley and North Coast of New South Wales, Victoria’s Great Ocean Road and Phillip Island, and Western Australia’s Coral Coast.
Geoffrey Kent, Founder and Co-Chairman commented: “We’re deeply saddened by the situation in Australia. Our thoughts and sympathies are with the Australian communities who have been impacted.
“Tourism is a key industry for Australia, and at present many of the main tourist areas remain unaffected. It’s important not to abandon this incredible country in its time of need.”
Sujata Raman, Regional Managing Director, Abercrombie & Kent Australia / Asia Pacific added: “At this difficult time, we have been heartened by the tremendous response of the local and global community in providing support to affected families and communities. Our inbound travel team have been working around the clock to ensure the many Abercrombie & Kent guests visiting Australia have been kept safe and comfortable and are being looked after in inimitable A&K Australia style.”
