by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 11:20 AM ET, Tue June 4, 2024
Luxury safari operator African Travel, Inc. is honoring Pride Month this year by supporting the global nonprofit, Rainbow Railroad, through donations for each booking made in June.
African Travel, Inc. will donate $50 for every new booking made in June to Rainbow Railroad, which offers assistance such as crisis response, cash and emergency relocation to members of the LGBTQI+ community facing persecution in their home countries.
As part of The Travel Corporation, Rainbow Railroad has been a project partner for the TreadRight Foundation for several years and has assisted over 13,000 people from over 65 countries find safety since 2006.
The TreadRight Foundation recently published a Sustainable Travel Checklist for both travelers and travel advisors to utilize.
“This year’s Pride Month’s theme is ‘reflect, empower and unite.’ As a member of the LGBTQ+ African community and a proud South African, I understand the struggles of identity in a continent that must strive to be more inclusive. It's crucial to provide pathways to liberation and hope for a more equitable future for those who feel marginalized,” said Sherwin Banda, the President of African Travel, Inc., who was featured as one of Robb Report’s 18 LGBTQ+ Visionaries in Luxury in 2021.
“Travel can facilitate this by supporting local communities in Africa,” Banda continued. “We are fully committed to our TreadRight partner, Rainbow Railroad, which provides essential support for LGBTQI+ refugees in South Africa which is a country willing to grant refugee status based on gender identity and sexual orientation.”
The safari operator launched personalized safari trips for the LGBTQ+ community in 2021, and even has a Pride Guide for travel advisors to share with prospective clients. Each safari offers a dedicated safari team, offers vetted lodges and camps for increased security and impactful MAKE TRAVEL MATTER Experiences included in each itinerary.
"Rainbow Railroad is grateful to be the beneficiary of proceeds from African Travel, Inc. bookings during Pride month," stated Scott Ferguson, Director of Partnerships at Rainbow Railroad. "In 2022, 42 per cent of all requests for help we received came from LGBTQI+ people living in African countries and for many who we were able to support, South Africa has become a welcoming home where they can live openly and authentically. Thanks to this support from ATI and our ongoing partnership with the TreadRight Foundation, we will help more at-risk LGBTQI+ in 2024 than ever before in our history.”
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