Covid-19 continues to affect all aspects of our daily lives, like other tour companies we have cancelled all our tours across Asia in the coming months. While we miss our tours and seeing amazing birds, these times are even tougher for the dedicated local guides, hosts and drivers, many of whom we have worked with for many years and have become close friends, and who rely on bird-tours for to earn their living and support their families.

In the coming months tours throughout India, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and the Philippines will all be cancelled, given the the highly seasonal nature of the tours that means that guides, drivers, hosts and everyone associated with these tours will lose much or all of their annual income. On a typical tour we not only make considerable donations to local conservation initiatives but also employ drivers and skilled local guides (some of whom are ex-poachers and are particularly hard-hit) whose help is invaluable in both locating endemics during our visits and promoting conservation at other times. These payments support the individuals and their families and also in the case of parts of Cambodia, entire village communities.

We have received incredible support from Birdtour Asia participants during these difficult times, including an incredible fundraising drive for our friends in Indonesia. We hope to continue this support as long as it is needed, with that in mind we will be co-ordinating with our partners across the region to ensure donations reach those most in need.

Birdtour Asia will donate an additional 50% of the total money raised by 31st January 2021. While this may not cover their usual income from our tour visits, it will go some way in supporting and helping them and their families at this extremely difficult time, and letting them know we’re thinking of them.