By Peter Semone
It seems like an eternity since the tsunami tragedy of December 2004. I had the good fortune to visit Khao Lak and see how my friend Reid Ridgway has progressed with his Ecotourism Training Center (ETC). I remember in the weeks following the tsunami, when I was still sitting in the corporate seat at PATA, Reid used to visit my office and share his vision for how to help young people affected by the tsunami. Through the PATA Foundation, we were able to provide a small contribution in support of the ETC with the purchase of a top of the line compressor for tank fills. Over the past three years, Reid has done incredible things having trained nearly 100 young people in diving. Graduates of the ETC have gone on to get jobs with leading dive operators in Phuket and Khao Lak. Reid has stood by his commitment to make a difference in post tsunami Khao Lak. He has also developed a meaningful model for sustainable tourism that makes a real difference to the local community and the natural environment. Learn more about the ETC
The Dec 2004 tsuanami remains a tragic climatic event that will forever be a part of South East Asia history…and its subsequent recovery, provide lessons to learn by and a call for organisaitons to have a crisis managment prepardness plan in place.
This blog is a great initiative, Peter. Keep posting!