Businesses rally to aid disaster victims

Hotel and hospitality businesses across the world have rallied to support victims of the tsunami disaster by raising money and providing food and shelter.

The Indian Ocean tsunami, which struck on Boxing Day, devastated regions of Indonesia, India, the Maldives and Thailand and is being described by aid workers as one of the world's most severe natural disasters in recent history.

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	Devastation: bars and hotels lie in ruins on Koh Phi Phi island in Thailand after the Boxing Day tsunami

Tourism businesses, hotel groups and airlines both locally and internationally are working frantically to support staff affected by the disaster and pledging funds for emergency relief. Two of French hotel giant Accor's hotels in Phuket were largely unaffected by the disaster and reported no casualties. However, a third hotel, the Sofitel Magic Lagoon Resort in Khao Lak, which the Thai government declared a disaster area, reported 280 people missing. There were 415 guests at the hotel on 26 December but only 200 have so far been rescued, and 50 staff are still missing. An Accor spokesman said: "The immediate issue is dealing with the crisis on the ground, and all our attention is currently focused on providing aid. A local crisis support team has been mobilised." Meanwhile, InterContinental Hotels has pledged an initial $125,000 (£66,000) to Unicef, matching donations from employees, hotel owners and partners. A company spokesman said two guests from the Holiday Inn Phuket resort remained missing although staff at the hotel, and at its Holiday Inn Resort Phi Phi Island, were safe. Richard Hartman, InterContinental Hotels managing director for Europe, Middle East and Africa, said: "We want to help the local communities that have suffered so much during this catastrophe." The World Travel and Tourism Council has set up a crisis committee to identify help and share best practice for coping with the disaster. However, spokesman David Tarsh warned that it was small businesses which would be hardest hit. He pleaded for tourists not to desert the area as large parts of Phuket remained unaffected, and it would be a "double whammy" if they now stayed away. Kevin Abbott, chief executive of airline caterer Alpha Airports, which has 277 staff in Sri Lanka and 12 in the Maldives, pledged to match the $100,000 (£53,000) already raised by staff to help provide relief. He said: "While we're delighted that none of our staff was hurt, many lost family members and their homes. We will do everything to support them in rebuilding their lives." A spokeswoman for the Four Seasons group also confirmed that no staff at its Kuda Hurra resort in the Maldives had been hurt, but a company-wide appeal is raising money to boost aid for the neighbouring island of Bodu Hurra. It was devastated by the wave and is where the majority of the hotel's staff and their families live. One & Only Resorts, which has two properties on the Maldives, suffered no casualties, but has donated $100,000 (£53,000) to the Maldivian Disaster Relief Fund. The Shangri-La hotel group has donated £333,000 to the Red Cross and local agencies, with staff contributing half that again. The Hilton Hotel group, which has five hotels in the region but was unscathed by the disaster, is rallying support for its 1,526 affected staff. Emirates Airlines has also been involved in providing humanitarian relief and aid to the survivors throughout South Asia. It has delivered 30 tonnes of bottled water to the Maldives, 1,000 tents to Colombo, Sri Lanka, and transported tonnes of other relief goods free. To donate, go to: www.dec.org.uk or [www.unicef.org Restaurants asked to donate takings Philip Howard, chef-patron of the Square in London, has teamed up with Unicef to organise a one-night event to support victims of the tsunami disaster. Restaurants across the country will be asked to donate total takings for the evening of Monday 7 February to the Unicef appeal for aid. "I know it's a big demand to make, but we could raise a huge amount this way," said Howard. "This is about restaurants being generous, not the public." For more details on how to be involved in the fundraising, see next week's Caterer. *Source: Caterer & Hotelkeeper magazine, 6 January 2005*