May 21, 2020
Singapore, May 21, 2020: eNett International, a leading provider of B2B payments solutions to the travel industry, has chosen to support ethical and sustainable eco-tourism as part of its annual CSR programme ‘Repay the eNett Way’, by working with Thai communities and mahouts (elephant carers) to aid elephant care.
Repay the eNett Way aims to improve and shine a light on the challenges faced by underprivileged communities in high-tourism growth areas. This year, it is partnering with The Care Project Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation that aims to promote the conservation and welfare of the Asian elephant and reduce human-elephant conflict.
eNett will be fundraising throughout 2020 to provide immediate aid for out-of-work mahouts and the elephants stranded in villages around Chiang Mai due to COVID-19. Elephant sanctuaries are in real need of support during the pandemic as impact on tourism has, so far, caused 85 elephant camps to cease operations. In the village of Mae Chaem alone, there are currently more than 100 elephants stranded, with a risk of over-foraging during the dry summer months.
Additionally, through the year, eNett will be supporting other relevant eco-tourism projects it identifies. This includes supporting communities in Northern Thailand to educate, inspire and equip the communities with the knowledge and tools they need to live and work alongside the elephants responsibly and productively.
eNett employees will be fundraising to support eco-tourism causes, with eNett pledging to match each dollar raised by its employees. Against the backdrop of widespread remote working, team members are being challenged to get creative and fundraise digitally with activities such as online ‘Employee Guess Who’, virtual bingo games and internal raffle competitions held via Zoom, and more.
Patitta Traiwet, Chairman, The Care Project Foundation, Thailand, said: “The Care Project Foundation is beyond thrilled to be in partnership with eNett as part of their annual CSR. Since the spread of COVID-19 around the globe, tourism in Thailand has been severely affected. This means that elephant caretakers no longer have an income and are forced to make the migration back to their homes. It would take roughly 3 days to walk home with their elephants. These migrations are oftentimes done in groups. The herd along with their care-takers will have to navigate the dangerous and scorching hot highways and cut through the jungle terrain when they can. Currently, more than 100 elephants and their owners are stuck in their hometowns. Over-crowding is also causing major food shortages for the elephants. Our partnership with eNett could not come at a better time. We are grateful for what this partnership can bring for the communities and elephants."
Anthony Hynes, MD and CEO of eNett International, said: “It means a lot to us to be able to continue our support of the travel industry, especially in current circumstances. We’re proud to be partnering with a charity that is shaping ethical eco-tourism in Thailand and protecting the animals that are part of this. By supporting The Care Project Foundation, we’ll be making a difference to the communities that look after these fantastic animals, supporting long term change in a highly sought-after tourist destination.”
Since launching in 2016, Repay the eNett Way has supported a variety of charitable initiatives that seek to educate, inspire and equip underprivileged communities in popular travel destinations. The last initiative in 2019 saw eNett partner with homeless charities Youth Projects and Shelter from the Storm in Melbourne and London, smashing their goal and raising USD30,000 to provide support to homeless communities in the high-tourist cities.
More details on Repay the eNett Way can be found here: https://www.enett.com/about-us/social-responsibility-london-melbourne
ENDS
About eNett International
We’re B2B payments game changers. Our products are innovative. Our service is fast. Our customers’ transactions are safe. And we’re easy to deal with. We listen to our customers and fix things that should work better. Our lower cost payment solutions provide a better experience and help them grow.
Our secure Virtual Account Numbers (VANs) allow travel agencies to generate a unique Mastercard number and pay suppliers from within their booking flow. Our exclusive, long-term partnership with Mastercard provides access to the world’s fastest payments processing network. And means VANs are accepted wherever a Mastercard is online.
We’re majority owned by Travelport, which is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, and our VANs are seamlessly integrated into its Travel Commerce Platform. Further strengthened by our global banking services partner and shareholder Optal, eNett’s fast, easy and safe payments solutions are relieving the pain of payments for the global travel industry.