Co-operative Travel is urging its customers to donate their unused holiday currency to its charity partner The Travel Foundation.
The two-week charity push is planned at the 57-branch retailer for this Fairtrade Fortnight from February 24 to March 8.
Collection boxes will be added in Co-operative Travel agencies in the West Midlands, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Oxfordshire and East Midlands.
The Travel Foundation, which estimates holidaymakers return with an average of £78 of unused currency, works in partnership with tourism organisations to help protect the environment of some of the world’s most popular holiday destinations and make sure tourism benefits local people now and in the future.
Natalie Turner, head of branches for Co-operative Travel, said: “There’s a big opportunity for us all to make a difference. Customers can exchange their foreign notes in our stores for a market leading exchange rate but those pesky coins inevitably go to waste.
“We’re using Fairtrade Fortnight as an opportunity to boost awareness of our collection box initiative and the difference those donations can make to communities around the world.
“Following the January peak holiday booking period, when millions of Brits will have planned their annual getaways, we want to give our customers the opportunity to give back to the holiday destinations they love to visit. We’re proud to be supporting the Travel Foundation to help it continue its fantastic work in promoting sustainable tourism, which is something that’s really important to us.”
Co-operative Travel installed collection boxes in summer 2019 and has raised £3,043 for The Travel Foundation already.
Graeme Jackson, of the Travel Foundation, said: “It’s been estimated that British holidaymakers have around £663 million in leftover foreign currency after holidays abroad, and there are also around 450 million old British Pounds still in circulation. That’s a lot of unwanted cash which could help us to transform tourism, so that it protects fragile environments and creates sustainable livelihood opportunities for people around the world.”