Intrepid Launches Türkiye, Syria Earthquake Appeal
Intrepid Travel has launched an emergency appeal and committed AUD$100,000 through its not-for-profit, the Intrepid Foundation, to support immediate relief, aid, and rescue efforts in Türkiye and Syria following the devastating earthquake.
The company has further committed to donating all profits from bookings made on trips in Türkiye until April 30, 2023, to support the appeal.
The Intrepid Foundation has partnered with Australian Red Cross to ensure funds are effectively allocated to provide immediate and longer-term relief to communities affected by the earthquakes. This will enable Red Cross and Red Crescent partners to address the immediate and longer-term humanitarian impacts of the earthquakes.
Intrepid will dollar match donations to the Türkiye and Syria Earthquake Appeal up to $100,000 AUD whilst covering the foundation’s administrative costs, ensuring 100% of donations go directly to the Australian Red Cross.
Biheng Zhang, General Manager of the Intrepid Foundation, said: “This earthquake has devastated communities across southeastern Türkiye and Syria. Most of us can only imagine the trauma of this scale of disaster but through supporting this appeal, we can help communities that need it the most by providing basic emergency first aid and items such as blankets and tents to help house families during the middle of winter.”
Intrepid Travel has a long and close association with Türkiye. It became the company’s second destination to offer trips in 1990 and a Turkish mosque even features in the company’s logo.
It has remained one of Intrepid’s most beloved destinations, welcoming over 25,000 Intrepid travellers in the past decade alone.
Today, Intrepid Travel operates 30 tours in Türkiye and has 25 local team members based out of their Istanbul office. Intrepid Travel only had one group in the country at the time of the earthquake, who are all safe and were on the opposite side of the country from the earthquake’s epicenter at the time. Customer safety remains Intrepid’s number one priority, and while the company is closely assessing government travel advisories, no significant changes to future departures are being planned.
James Thornton, Intrepid CEO, said: “Intrepid Travel was founded on the idea of using travel as a force for good and giving back to the places we visit. Matching donations and donating all profits from our trips in Türkiye is the least we can do for a country that has given so much to our travellers, and done so much for the Intrepid community. Our thoughts are with all of those who have lost loved ones and whose lives have been deeply impacted by this devastating earthquake.”
To donate, visit Türkiye and Syria Earthquake Appeal
Photos courtesy — Syrian Arab Red Crescent
