Intrepid Travel has launched a global vaccine equity campaign that will focus on improving COVID-19 vaccine access and education, mandating vaccines for both travelers and tour leaders and include a donation to support global equitable access to vaccines.
The adventure travel company's new mandatory vaccination policy for all travelers and tour leaders will take effect September 1, 2021. Previously, Intrepid required either proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours but points out that 94 percent of travelers on Intrepid trips since May 2021 have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus.
Intrepid has also started mobilizing its nearly two dozen operational offices around the world to offer logistical support, transportation resources, training and education in places like Cuzco, Peru and Sri Lanka, for example. In Cuzco, Intrepid began offering free transportation to a vaccination hub for trekking porters and their families while Intrepid's Regional General Manager of Asia, Anu Karunatilaka hosted an information and Q&A session with Professor Neelika Malavige, a member of the World Health Organization's technical advisory committee and the International Society of Infectious Diseases, to help educate tour guides about COVID-19 vaccines.
Finally, the Intrepid Foundation has committed to raising AUD $100,000 ($74,000) for UNICEF Australia, including an upfront kickstart donation of AUD $50,000 ($37,000) to their Give the World a Shot fundraising appeal.
"We are introducing a global vaccine mandate to not only ensure the safety of our travelers but the safety of our tour leaders, their families and the communities that we visit," James Thornton, CEO of Intrepid Travel, said in a statement. "Unfortunately, the reality is that access to vaccines is not equal globally, and we cannot responsibly require leaders to be vaccinated if we don't also help to advocate and improve their access to them."
The company points out that current data shows only 0.3 percent of doses worldwide have been administered in low-income countries.
"Intrepid was founded on ideals of inclusivity and equality, and the entire travel industry must step-up to acknowledge and act on the current inequalities that persist around global access to COVID-19 vaccines. Ending the pandemic is not only about you and your vaccine. Just because travelers are vaccinated and ready to explore doesn't mean that communities are vaccinated and ready to host you," Thornton added. "Together, we have a responsibility to ensure that everyone can safely and fairly access vaccinations in every country around the world."
For more information, visit The Intrepid Foundation's Give the World a Shot donation page and Intrepid Travel's COVID-19 Hub.
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