While the travel industry was hit hard by the pandemic, many people in it -- from those who normally rent out their properties to tourists, to hoteliers -- are now donating their accommodation to Ukrainian refugees
On 24 February, as she watched the news of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Desislava Tosheva was staring at her couch.
Now, their vacation homes -- including a castle in Ireland -- are being used to rehouse people who have lost everything. But there was something else pressing on her since retirement:"I'd been looking for something a bit more meaningful to do," she says. "I have absolutely no idea of the emotions, insecurity and fear these people are going through, I've never been remotely in that situation," she says."But I know what it feels like when someone puts out their hand and props you up, or is kind and helps you feel safe. That's what I want to do."In Budapest, Gordon Cross has been asking his clients to loan him their apartments as refugee housing.
Others are concerned about the situation long term -- one has stipulated a limit of six months. But right now, Cross is more concerned about the refugees than his business. "We're lucky to have them and it's the right thing to do," she says."When we bought them, we had to have rental income to pay the mortgage, but we've had them over a decade now, and life has become a little easier. I was on maternity leave when we bought them, and now I have a business. So we're in a position that we can, and it's the right thing to do."She already has reservations for the summer, but is willing to forgo them.
Although they and their two children now live in Greece, they wanted to keep ties with the city -- hence the apartment, a short walk from their old home, and a couple of blocks from Hungary's Parliament."Our son was born in Budapest, so it became very important in our lives," says Elisa. The Ngogs were walking to a coffee shop when the email came through. By the time they were sitting down with their drinks, they'd told him, yes."We know the privilege we have, being in a country where it's safe. It's obvious to help where you have the ability to do so."
"I feel very grateful for the life I have, and we're lucky that we don't need [the rental income] to live," says Elisa."We're happy."Kash Bhattacharya and his partner Sabina were returning from a dream Thailand trip when the invasion started.Kash Bhattacharya was in Singapore's Changi airport on a 10-hour layover, returning from a Thailand vacation, as he was reading the news about Ukraine.
His next goal? To use his influence to show potential travelers that countries near the conflict, like Poland, are not dangerous to visit."All these countries are supporting refugees, and need the support of tourism more than ever," he says. "Sometimes [volunteers] call at 10 p.m. and say, we have three women and kids on the street -- I call my manager and tell them, you have three women and three kids coming. Or managers are asking me, and until no it's never been a 'no.'Schiff says that Berliners have stepped up across the board during the crisis.
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