Intrepid has announced today that it will match donations up to AU$100,000 to support immediate relief efforts in Türkiye and Syria, and donate all profits from Türkiye bookings to the Intrepid Foundation in response to yesterday’s devastating earthquakes.
The Intrepid Foundation has partnered with Australian Red Cross to ensure its earthquake appeal 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 AU$100,000 whilst covering the foundation’s administrative costs, ensuring 100 per cent of donations go directly to the Australian Red Cross.
“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,” said Biheng Zhang, General Manager of the Intrepid Foundation.
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 says it only had one group in the country at the time of the earthquake, who are all safe and on the opposite side of the country from the earthquake’s epicentre at the time.
Intrepid said customer safety was their number one priority, and while the company is closely assessing government travel advisories, no significant changes to future departures are being planned.
“Intrepid Travel was founded on the idea of using travel as a force for good and giving back to the places we visit,” said James Thornton, Intrepid CEO.
“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” he added.
To donate, head to the Türkiye and Syria Earthquake Appeal
Quakes some of the biggest in a century
The devastating effects have seen a rising death toll of more than 7,900 in Turkey and Syria with WHO officials warning the total could be as high as 20,000.
The earthquakes represent some of the biggest to hit the region in almost a century.
More than 45 countries have pledged to send experts and aid to help rescue efforts in the unfolding humanitarian crisis.
The Australian government is advising travellers in Turkey to prepare for aftershocks in the area and to follow the directions of local authorities.
For the latest travel advice, visit smartraveller.gov.au
