More help for Haiti gets pushed within travel biz

A few weeks ago, I wrote a brief piece on the outpouring of support, both financially and logistically, that the Haitian community has received from the travel and tourism industry in the wake of the terrible earthquake that has left the region literally in pieces.

Furthering that effort, water preservation and distribution charity Just a Drop led a widespread appeal to the travel industry – Just Help Haiti – to help rebuild the impoverished country’s water supply and sanitation infrastructure.

Answering this call to action is World Travel Market (WTM), an exhibition group that is helping to spread the word.

“The devastation in Haiti and its people’s despair is a global issue,” said Simon Press, WTM’s exhibition director. “Using all our travel industry media channels, including a massive HTML e-broadcast, we called out to the international travel and tourism industry to Just Help Haiti . We are also urging our exhibitors and visitors to get fully behind the appeal.”

Support from tour operators also ensures the Just Help Haiti message is getting through to the traveling public. Groups are also donating raffle drawing prizes as part of an ongoing fundraising strategy coordinated by EKO Marketing. Meanwhile, Hayes & Jarvis, already a long-standing supporter of Just a Drop, is rallying together their staff.

“To support the continued aid effort in Haiti, Hayes & Jarvis will be running an event in March for the Just Help Haiti appeal,” said Suzanne Owen, brand marketing manager at Hayes & Jarvis. “Our offices in Gatwick will be holding a dress down “Go Blue!” day where various activities will be taking place to encourage staff to donate to this extremely deserving cause, as well as incorporating a donation button on the Hayes & Jarvis home page to encourage support from our customers, too.”

Tom Nutley, director of The Travel Club and also a trustee of Just a Drop is making available the club’s facilities and said: “Just a Drop’s coordination of fundraising and logistical activities will be crucial in the coming months, so we have offered the team a venue where they can hold meetings in Central London. Furthermore, we will be hosting a “Thank You” reception in the future for some of the appeal’s many supporters.”

The charity is also well aware that coverage on Haiti will reduce as the weeks pass by and that it is imperative that the travel media recognizes the importance that the JUST HELP HAITI Appeal is kept alive in the months ahead so that fundraising is ongoing and vital rebuilding projects can be undertaken well into the future. Through the support being given by Brighter PR, this vital message is already being relayed on.

“As a travel and tourism PR specialist, I have a long-standing relationship with Just a Drop and am only too happy to support them in all of their campaigns and fundraising initiatives,” said Debbie Flynn, CEO, Brighter Group. “We are lending our services to Just a Drop to help them communicate the great work that they do and help them to raise money for the valuable projects that they carry out. We are thrilled to be a part of their mission!”

Other travel industry entities that have already signed up to help are: Travel Weekly, The Co-operative Travel, Caribbean, and The Institute for Travel and Tourism.

Joining the cause

As well as giving individual support, your company can also Just Help Haiti.

One way is by sponsoring a sustainable community project once our engineers have flown in after the immediate relief period to assess how best to help rebuild the water and sanitation infrastructure.

From dressing-down days and challenge events to matching employee payroll giving and gifts in kind.

For more information, visit www.justgiving.com/justadrophaitiappeal.

(Photo credit: AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)