Travel and Hospitality Brands Rush to Help Afghan Refugees

Since the Taliban retook Afghanistan earlier this month, both foreign nationals and Afghans have scrambled to flee the country. Travel brands have become part of that effort—whether they volunteered to be or answered the call of the U.S. government. On Tuesday, Afghanistan’s new Taliban government said it would not allow Afghans to leave the country after the United States’ self-imposed Aug. 31 deadline for withdrawal. On the same day, Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky announced that the company will have properties waiting to house 20,000 Afghans lucky enough to make it out. https://twitter.com/bchesky/status/1430067315228352512 “The displacement and resettlement of Afghan refugees in the U.S. and elsewhere is one of the biggest humanitarian crises of our time,” Chesky said via Twitter. “We feel a responsibility to step up.” Back in June, Airbnb announced a $25 million fund for refugee housing efforts. The company is still looking for more property owners to volunteer their services, and in the meantime has teamed up with nongovernmental organizations and other partners to find and fund those homes and prepare for their arrival. That support includes a network of 170 multinational companies known as the Tent Organization for Refugees. The group not only works to house more than 30 million refugees, but helps them find jobs and build businesses. Other members of the travel and hospitality industry involved with Tent include Expedia Group, Hilton, Tripadvisor and French hotel firm Accor. Tent praised Airbnb's efforts on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TentOrg/status/1430186732461363201 In a follow-up comment, a spokesperson for Tent reiterated how “incredibly proud” the organization is of the longstanding Tent member. Tent’s focus is on working with companies for the longer-term economic integration of refugees through activities like job placement and making services like bank accounts accessible. “What this means is that we work less in the immediate aftermath of a humanitarian crisis like the one we’re seeing right now, and become more involved once refugees are getting resettled,” the Tent rep told Adweek. The organization is currently focused on "the economic integration of incoming Afghan refugees and Afghans who worked with the U.S. military.” In an Uncertain World, Airbnb Tries Flexible Search to Attract Travelers Tent member Hilton, meanwhile, has pledged to help 16,000 refugees by 2030 through its Travel With Purpose initiative. The hotelier has already provided 11,000 refugees with jobs, hospitality training and income from sourcing its products from refugee-run businesses. Hilton has sent donations and volunteers to refugee centers around the world, but a representative told Adweek that the hotel chain plans to take its efforts a step further "by having hotels in our network be used as alternative accommodations." Previously, Hilton hotels have also been used as "lodging for those impacted and for those supporting relief efforts." Assisting the airlift As chaos at the Kabul airport continued to escalate amid the exit of American and NATO military and diplomatic corps, other travel brands were drafted into action. On Aug. 22, the U.S. Department of Defense enlisted the help of the Civil Reserve Air Fleet in evacuating “U.S. citizens and personnel, Special Immigrant Visa applicants and other at-risk individuals from Afghanistan.” That fleet consists of 18 aircraft from charter airlines like Atlas Air and Omni Air, as well as commercial planes from companies including American Airlines, Delta, Hawaiian Airlines and United. Though the airlines won’t be flying out of Kabul, they’ll be picking up passengers from midway points in other countries and “interim staging bases.” American CEO Doug Parker took to LinkedIn after the announcement and voiced support for the fleet’s overall mission. “We are proud of and humbled by the pilots and flight attendants who are volunteering for flights to and from the Arabian Peninsula and Europe, and are committed to caring for and safely carrying our fellow citizens and Afghans who have put their lives on the line to assist the U.S.,” Parker said. United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby, meanwhile, used LinkedIn updates to share the airline’s progress and give people some idea of how the fleet works. “Today, our first flight as part of the Civil Reserve Air Fleet landed at Washington Dulles with 300+ U.S. military personnel, U.S. civilians and Afghan evacuees onboard,” Kirby wrote on Monday. “I extend my thanks to everyone who has helped and will continue to answer the call of service in the coming days. It’s an honor to support our country in this way.” https://twitter.com/HawaiianAir/status/1429592704955027458 Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian offered his own LinkedIn assessment of the effort, thanking Delta employees and even praising the actions of fellow fleet members that are typically Delta’s competitors. “In times like this, it is essential to come together to care for one another, and we are humbled to answer the call,” he said on Monday. The U.S. evacuated 12,700 people from Kabul between Monday and Tuesday morning, according to White House officials. Another 8,900 people were evacuated by 57 coalition flights. In all, the U.S. has evacuated roughly 58,700 people from Afghanistan since Aug. 14. By Tuesday afternoon, 4,671 people awaiting flights, Lt. Col. Brett Lea told CNN. While it’s unknown how many more people the U.S. can evacuate before Aug. 31, travel brands have stepped up to answer the call for help. This Cybersecurity Firm Was Founded During a Tour in Afghanistan

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Travel and Hospitality Brands Rush to Help Refugees Fleeing Afghanistan

Airbnb and numerous airlines spring into action as evacuation effort continues

Jason Notte

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Jason Notte