Holidaymakers urged to help Haiti

Britons holidaying in the Dominican Republic are being asked by UK tour operators to help earthquake victims in neighbouring Haiti.

Thomson (www.thomson.co.uk) and First Choice (www.firstchoice.co.uk) have suggested to customers that they donate any unwanted items, such as toiletries and clothing, at the end of their holiday.

Though the Dominican Republic and Haiti are both situated on the Caribbean island of Hispanola, only Haiti was affected by last week's earthquake.

Tour operators confirmed that there was no damage to the Dominican Republic and they are continuing to operate holidays to the country as normal.

A spokesman for ABTA (www.abta.com) said none of its members sold holidays to Haiti, but several travel companies are providing the country with emergency aid.

Thomson Airways (www.thomson.co.uk/flights), British Airways (www.ba.com) and Virgin Atlantic (www.virgin-atlantic.com) are flying supplies, aid workers and rescue teams to Haiti.

Cruise lines Royal Caribbean (www.royalcaribbean.com) and Celebrity Cruises (www.celebritycruises.co.uk), which usually stop at the Haitian resort of Labadee as part of their Caribbean tours, are also taking relief supplies to the region this week.

It is unclear, however, whether passengers will be allowed to disembark from their ships as usual and visit Labadee, a beach resort on Haiti's north coast popular with watersport enthusiasts.

No damage has been reported at Labadee, a privately-owned resort, but the cruise lines are waiting for permission from the Haitian government to dock.

Holidaymakers who would like to help earthquake victims in Haiti can make donations to a number of charities or make a financial contribution via the Disasters Emergency Committee at www.dec.org.uk

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