Tourism charity appeals for financial lifeline

Holidaymakers have been asked to make financial donations to a tourism charity which is threatened with closure.

Tourism Concern, which fights exploitation in the global travel industry and campaigns for sustainable and ethical travel, needs to raise £100,000 to safeguard its future.

It has already received £17,500 in donations from the travel industry and from human rights backer Margaret Hayman Charitable Trust following an appeal in a travel trade newspaper last week.

Director Tricia Barnett says Tourism Concern needs £40,000 to keep it going until Christmas and a further £60,000 to keep it running next year.

Donations can be made to justgiving.com/Tourism-Concern-100-Appeal. Holidaymakers can also help by becoming members of Tourism Concern.

Membership costs from £15 for the unwaged, £24 for those earning a salary.

An easy way for holidaymakers to help is to sign up to the Every Click search engine (everyclick.com), which will donate money to Tourism Concern every time they search the web.

Alternatively, holidaymakers can send a virtual Christmas card or greetings card via chartiygreetings.com, which will make a donation to Tourism Concern.

Tourism Concern's mission is to ensure that local communities benefit from travel and that they are not exploited by the travel industry.

Currently it is working with survivors of the 2005 tsunami, which destroyed many coastal areas in Asia and the Indian Ocean.

In particular, it has launched a campaign to prevent government funds intended to assist those displaced by the tsunami in Kerala, India, from being diverted into tourism projects.

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