Responsible Tourism travel trade organisations extend support and solidarity towards cyclone-hit Suderbans

In an effort to help victims hit by cyclone Aila in the Eastern part of India, many Responsible Tourism organisations in India have extended humanitarian assistance to victims stranded in the Sunderbans in West Bengal. Deaths caused by the natural calamity have risen to more than 250. The cyclone has caused immense damage to property and tourism in the region. Speaking from Bali, a village in Sunderbans depending on tourism for poverty alleviation, Supratim Raj Basu, Ecotourism Consultant, Help Tourism said, “When a destination flourishes, the travel trade is happy to reap the benefits by sending tourists to the region. At the time of crisis also, we should show our solidarity and activeness in empowering the local community of affected areas and help in restoring normalcy in the destination.” He mentioned that many volunteers were active in relief activities in the Sunderbans