GATEWAY TRAVEL – CRIMEAN TOURS – AFUO PROTEST FOLLOW UP
Further to our recent media release in relation to Gateway Travel plans to organise Tours to Crimea in 2016 the Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations has
a) written to the CEO and Manager of Gateway Ms Tonia Kisliakov stating that the AFUO deplores their plan for these tours. The letter was cc to Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and also Australian Federation of Travel Agents (AFTA).
b) sent to the Minister for Foreign Affairs calling on Minister Bishop to contact Gateway Travel and reiterate the Australian Government’s position
c) The Ambassador of Ukraine in Australian H.E. Mykola Kulinich has also sent letter to the Agency (attached). He has also informed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Ukraine.
d) Some members of the community have contacted the agency to express their concern
e) Called on community in Sydney where Gateway Travel is based to consider action – rally and send a message of protest
f) There has been interest from Media in Australia, Ukraine and Russia Today (RT) in the AFUO position (links below).
In its letter to the Ms Tonia Kisliakov the CEO and Manager of Gateway Travel the AFUO argued the numerous reasons why Gateway Travel should reconsider its decision to offer the tours, namely:
- The forced annexation of Crimea by President Putin and the Russian Federation is unequivocally condemned by the international community.
- The value system of the international community, including Australia, has been violated by this act.
- The Australian Government imposed sanctions against the Russian Federation in response to its illegal annexation of Crimea and has called on President Putin to uphold the international values of peace and sovereignty, and not to invade other territories.
- The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s travel advise for Australians travelling to Crimea is ‘do not travel’
- Families affected by the MH17 tragedy deserve our support. All Australians want to see the perpetrators brought to justice. By supporting the regime that is internationally acknowledged to be responsible for this human disaster and organising tours to a region under its illegal control Gateway Travel is completely disregarding Australian values, where human life is cherished.
- Crimea and its people represented by Russians, Ukrainians, Crimean and other Tatars, Belarusians, Armenians, Jews and others are not political footballs as Ms Kisliakov flippantly portrayed them through her comments in the Guardian article, published 12 January 2016.
- The AFUO has called on Gateway Travel to reconsider its decision. Australians, Gateway Travel included, need to stand firm in the condemnation of international aggression and uphold the right to sovereignty, independence and respect for human life.
- By withdrawing its tours to Crimea, Gateway Travel will only enhance its standing within the Australian and international communities, and most importantly the families who lost loved ones in the MH17 disaster. It will show the people of Crimea that Australia upholds a value system and in this way give them hope for the future.
Email address Gateway Travel sales@russian-gateway.com.au Phone number (02) 9745 3333
Email address AFTA afta@afta.com.au
Links to mediareports :
Russia Today RT https://www.rt.com/news/328600-crimea-tours-australian-travel/
Ukraine Today (optioned the Guardian story, good comments) http://uatoday.tv/news/guardian-sydney-travel-firm-offering-crimea-tour-accused-of-selling-out-to-mh17-accused-569860.html
SBS, option of Guardian article http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2016/01/12/tour-packages-crimea-condemned
Lonely Planet http://www.lonelyplanet.com/news/2016/01/12/australian-travel-company-offers-tours-of-crimea/
