AAT Kings is developing a range of not-for-profit Bushfire Relief Giveback Experiences to help support communities affected by the recent bushfires in Australia.
The day tours and short breaks are available across New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.
The experiences have been developed with Australia’s #EmptyEsky campaign and local communities.
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AAT Kings will transport guests and their empty cooler bags – what Australians call an “esky” – to visit local markets, stores and cafés in communities affected by the fires.
Guests will be able to wander through the towns, spend time with local shopkeepers and fill their cooler bags by purchasing locally made products.
Holidaymakers will also meet some of the locals who call tell stories about the recovery process.
All Bushfire Recovery Giveback trips are 100% not-for-profit for AAT Kings, and have been designed to inject funds into small businesses and support farmers.
Matthew Cameron-Smith, managing director for AAT Kings, said: “Having worked with Australian tourism operators for over 100 years, AAT Kings live and breathe these communities, and they need us now more than ever.
“We’ve worked with local businesses to bring much-needed benefit through the tourism economy directly back to restaurants, cafés, farmers markets and local stores, to help start providing immediate support to the regions that need it the most.
“We invite the UK travel industry to join us in supporting Australians to get back on their feet for the long-term.”
Erin Boutros, co-founder of Empty Esky, added: “Since the Empty Esky campaign launched, we have witnessed first-hand how powerful the Australian spirit is. The ‘Empty Esky’ trips will lead the way in effectively supporting bushfire affected towns as they recover.”
The first tour, the Bushfire Recovery Giveback Experience: #EmptyEsky to Shoalhaven will depart from Sydney to Kangaroo Valley on Friday (January 24).
Kangaroo Valley is a farming and tourism community southwest of Sydney in the Shoalhaven region.
It saw homes, property, wildlife and hundreds of hectares of land destroyed during the recent bushfires.
Guests will travel from Sydney to the Kangaroo Valley, to visit local cafés and farmers market. The tour costs AU$110 (about £65) on a not-for-profit basis.
More trips and short breaks will be announced next week.