Lydia-

We believe it is incumbent upon us to edify our travelers and donors with this most important point in order to realize the full potential of the Philanthropic Travel: Philanthropic Travel must always place the needs of the host community before the needs of the traveler.

Exquisite Safaris is a pioneer in Philanthropic Travel -our mission is to include philanthropic intent, inspiration, education & empowerment into every luxury travel experience we create. We believe that international travel should enlighten and enrich both traveler and host, while serving as a bridge over which passes friendship, peace, ancient wisdom, technological innovation and economic sustainability.

In Peace, David Chamberlain Founder Exquisite Safaris Philanthropic Travel Worldwide

Learn More: http://tinyurl.com/2gay4q

David,

Thanks so much for your comments. This balance between the needs of the community and the needs of the traveler will be a delicate one yet critical. I agree the focus must always be on the host community. Perhaps our most important focus will be on educating the traveler before and during the experience. All the best, Lydia

Tourism is considered as one of key development strategies in developing nations as it brings in foreign exchange, diversifies the economy, tipping it to the service sector (much needed in countries where they are highly dependent on a single extractive industry), and when the tourism industry is designed wisely, it can empower locals to protect their environment and their culture. So often, however, the large chain hotels and resorts (cruises, chain restaurants, etc.) take funds generated from this highly lucrative industry away from the local economy back to where they are headquartered, very rarely in developing countries. Philanthropic travel is a wonderful concept however, perhaps an even simpler lesson for travelers should be that when they travel, they should support locally run hotels, restaurants and businesses ensuring that the funds remain in the country that they wish to benefit rather than enormous corporate coffers far away.* The currency multiplier effect can serve as a great benefit, one that will have a resounding ripple effect. As travelers become smarter, we can only hope that the corporate entities get wiser and contribute back to the developing countries that help their companies grow. In talking with Lydia Dean, I am glad to hear that we are slowly beginning to see that this tide is indeed changing.

To read about examples of holistically responsible and sustainable travel options, please visit wwww.changemakers.net/geotourismchallenge - the homepage of the Geotourism Challenge, presented by National Geographic and Ashoka's Changemakers. You can read more about the wonderful works of Travel with Conscience and Exquisite Safaris on our website.

Tyler Ahn Ashoka's Changemakers

• Visit http://www.uneptie.org/pc/tourism/sust-tourism/economic.htm for an easy reference to the economic impacts of tourism.

Hi Tyler, Thank you for commenting. You bring up a very good point with respect to corporate entities. Yes I agree that local restaurants and hotels need to be supported and we are seeing more and more of this from the help and marketing of tour operators who are either local themselves or connected to larger travel suppliers who care about sustainable travel and channeling funds where they need to go. We shouldn't assume that all larger entities are not part of these efforts because some are making strides and we want to embrance them and highlight them to the consumer alongside the locally run establishments (who may appeal to a different market segment). Some are leading the way in Sustainable efforts and we hope they will become models and examples for future development. Our focus at TwC is to continue to draw the larger entities into this process - they are influencial, being large amounts of capital to the area, offer jobs to people in the community and can provide significant opportunities in training and development. More importantly they influence and set standards for new establishments (large and small) in the development stage. In sum, larger entities, if embracing RT concenpts, can co-exist with the locally run establishments.

Having said all this...there is a long way to go. Many large companies are still blind to their negative impacts, or unwilling to see their responsibility. Hopefully the consumer will be more and more conscious of those doing good and will make choices to put their tourist dollars in the right spot.

Lydia

Hi Tyler and Lydia,

A few items from elsewhere on Social Edge that may be of interest in addition to the Geotourism Challenge including two conferences examining sustainable tourism: http://socialedge.org/features/opportunities/topics/geotourism

A job posting, that in part, is about tourism in The Gambia: http://socialedge.org/features/job-listings/archive/2008/04/09/gambia-is-good2019-gig/

And Sagar Gubbi's blog post last month on rural tourism in India - check it out: http://socialedge.org/blogs/sagar-gubbi/archive/2008/03/03/rural-tourism/

Perhaps most interesting and worthy of discussion, is a program started by Friends International Founder and Skoll Social Entrepreneur Sebastien Marot, called ChildSafe. Here are a couple of quotes and tips from their site designed to involve tourists in being part of the solution rather than contributing to the problem:

"Childsafe Travelers are responsible persons traveling through high risk countries with their eyes wide open. They have read and understood the ChildSafe tips for travelers and act accordingly. ... [For Foreign Residents] Understanding ChildSafe behavior and adopting it – maybe explaining it to tourists or locals – will have a huge impact on the way children are treated in the specific area or city."

ChildSafe Tips for Travelers and Foreign Residents include: "Think twice before buying anything from children on the streets or at temples; support local social workers instead. You might feel pity for the children selling various products (e.g. flowers, newspapers, shoe shines). However, by buying from children you support child labor which puts them at risk by staying out late and working in hazardous places such as bars and discos. Children often say that they work to pay for their studies, but surveys clearly show that this is something they say to make a sale. Most children are forced into work and they don’t keep the money they earn. By giving money it makes it harder for social workers to encourage them to find alternatives and safe sources of income for the children and their families. If you want to help, support the local social workers that work with these children..."

For more information http://www.childsafe-international.org/TFResidents.asp or watch the Global X video interview with Sebastien http://socialedge.org/blogs/global-x/archive/2007/07/10/sebastien-marot

What do you think about the roles and responsibilities of the travelers themselves, and how might they gain a better understanding the potential negative impact their well-intentioned activities might have?

Jill

Jill, Thank you so much for the links - and I see this new field of responsible travel as just that - a growing network of indivuduals, corporations, travel companies, NGOS, who are truly committed to making the world a better place through this powerful vehicle so many of us love- travel.

In response to your last question, I think part of our responsibility as travel suppliers is to educate the traveler before, during and after their visit. Seems so basic yet so critical. Well-intentioned "giving" that have negative impacts can be so easily avoided with simple do's and don'ts.

Lydia

Hi Tyler, Lydia and Everyone

What we have been doing in The Gambia addresses the issue you highlighted in terms of big travel companies and hotel groups reaping all the rewards in developing country destinations. We actually set up our own marketing company to ensure that hotels and restaurants were buying locally grown produce and tourist spend is diverted into rural areas. Of course, the biggest challenge is not actually the marketing but the quality and availability of the products - international hotels demand international quality. This means that a lot of training and capacity building is also needed. This is true of most small scale enterprises, whether they be fresh produce, crafts, guest houses or restaurants.

In terms of encouraging philanthropic travel I believe this is really just servicing market demand for interesting and challenging holidays. I prefer to call it engaged travel, because i believe people do it first out of a sense of enjoyment derived and second because of the philanthropic aspect. In the Gambia we have developed pro-poor excursions but our dealings with ground handlers (who take disproportionate margin) has lead us to the concept of developing our own pro-poor ground handling operation. You won't be surprised to hear that the path is blocked by rules and regulations that favour mainstream operators. The theory, however, is the same as with the fresh produce business, as in forming a marketing company that favours small-scale enterprises, pays fair prices and is responsible and inclusive in the way the tourism product is developed.

In post-conflict countries, the return (or origination) of tourism is especially important as it can act as a peace dividend. This is a concept that i am currently developing with a colleague of mine. But clearly this kind of travel is not everyone's cup of tea. Therefore it is necessary to focus on people who want to be engaged rather than lie on a beach doing nothing (although this can always be integrated too!) This includes students, professionals etc, who can actually contribute skills or knowledge and help pave the way for mainstream tourism. This niche of tourism will become increasingly in demand as globalisation continues and the tourism product becomes more and more homogenous worldwide, a bit like high street shopping already has. Rough and ready destinations provide a much needed antidote to the contemporary urban lifestyle.

I fear i may be rambling now. Anyway... great discussion... only a shame we cannot be holding it in person, rather than online! Anyone who is interested in these topics, should check out the job that is going in Gambia - whoever gets it will have the chance to make it all happen!!

Loved your term engaged travel... Will most certainly check out the work in Gambia. Can you send a link? Lydia

This is a very interesting topic, and even more to me as I am currently building a travel project based on learning from microfinance institutions by helping as a volunteer in several countries of Central and South America. This is a long term project supposed to last between 6 months and 2 years. The goals are to go all the way down from Mexico to Buenos Aires without taking any plane, and to work with 5 MFIs in at least 3 different countries. Departure is planified on the beginning of October.

Truth is, I am doing that alone because nobody in my environment is interested in that field or kind of project. I lack some feedback on it and, too, it is still under preparation, given that I am currently writing the partnership document. To you all, do you consider that kind of project a travel philanthropic one ? What do you think of it ?

And I was thinking, do you think there could be any possibility to get that project funded ? For a project without any given time limit ?

Thanks for opening this discussion,

Damien R.

Damien,

All the best to you - what a great project and experience. Please keep us posted. Yes I do think microfinance can fall under the umbrella of Travel Philanthropy. We work with a program in Cambodia where guests donate microloans to qualified recipients...we are firm believers in supporting entrepreneurs in developing countries. Good luck to you as you get this off the ground. Lydia

Damien,

That sounds like a very interesting project. I wonder if you have contacted any of the MFIs yet, and what their response has been, or if you have looked into doing some work for one of the MFI donation aggregators in the US (Kiva, Microplace, etc.) to help them document the status of their entrepreneurs.

One approach I have found particularly fulfilling has been to continue to work on a project a colleague and I started last year to help introduce some business-concept teaching to the MFI operational processes. We spent all last summer in Thailand working to integrate the curriculum into the lives of entrepreneurs in rural Thailand, and I just returned from Guatemala doing similar work - changing the details of the lessons to match the lives of the prospective participants. Though our work in Thailand was done in English and through a translator, in Guatemala I did all the work in Spanish, and translated all the lessons as well. Not only have I been able to leave behind a tool that will help all involved produce stronger, more successful businesses, but I have been able to see parts of those countries few tourists would ever see, to meet local entrepreneurs and hear about their lives, and to really get to know the places where I have been.

You can find more information at www.barefootmba.org, and the translated stories should be posted soon. If you need them sooner than that, you can contact me through the website, or at scott [at] barefootmba.org.

Safe travels,

Scott

Wonderful topic, Lydia!

Travel philanthropy can be superb when done correctly, making huge differences in peoples lives and in our environment. An excellent example is the work by travel companies who are members of the International Galapagos Tour Operators Association (IGTOA) in the Galapagos. They have worked very hard to preserve the pristine quality of the eco-system and involve their travelers in supporting their efforts. They have also supported research, built libraries and monitored the activities of tour boats in the area.

Another example is the non-profit started by our travel company Myths and Mountains - READ Global. READ Global over the past 15 years, has built 45 libraries and businesses from one end of Nepal to the other. They have used their capital to construct and furnish the library and seed the business, and the profits from the business (ambulance, factory, storefront rental, etc.) fully sustain and support the library. Key funds for this have come from travelers and friends with Myths and Mountains, as well as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In June, READ will dedicated its first office in India and will have a third country on line by the end of the year.

Both of these programs avoid the problems associated with "hands-out" charity - something you note so well, Lydia. "Hands-out" is often very self-serving and stems from pity for the person or object of the charity. The hands-up often comes from a different emotional place and usually implies respect for the capabilities of the individuals involved.. The hands-out can cause many problems - consider these scenarios:

It is not uncommon for a traveler to meet "beautiful Suneeta" and sympathize when she tells you how her parents are dead and she wants to go to school. Their heart goes out to her, and they promise to provide the money for her education. Then, other people in the village get jealous, wondering how Suneeta got that money because her parents weren't dead at all. The next thing the good hearted traveler knows, s/he has created a village of beggars who are all talking about dead parents.

or . . . The travelers are touched by the hospitality of a village they visit, and the villagers talk about how they need a hospital or school. Returning home, the travelers get their church or their rotary to provide the funds for the school or hospital and build it in the village. Then these travelers have a dilemma - either they support the school or hospital the rest of their lives, or it will be gone in a year for lack of funds.

In essence, one has to be very careful with "Travel Philanthropy" and be sure that one is not creating other social problems or creating a trail of children begging for "pens", "candy" or "one rupee please". Some of the parameters for support one should consider are:

• How the program or "donation" is affecting/changing the local culture. Are you breaking local taboos by helping one group and not another? Are you creating beggars? Etc. - Is the program TRULY sustainable locally, or does it require consistent outside funding. How is this sustainability achieved? - Is it really what the villagers want themselves or is it what "you think they want" - Does it involve the local people in a positive way and stem from respect for their abilities rather than pity for what they may or may not have. - Is it a truly collaborative community effort

Learn More: www.mythsandmountains.com or www.readglobal.org.

I am the founder of Elevate Destinations (www.elevatedestinations.com), a travel philanthropy company that gives back to a wide range of non-profits in the countries we visit. We also host an online travel philanthropy opportunity for travelers seeking to donate to a vetted NGO in destination countries.

Since starting Elevate Destinations in 2005, I have observed a groundswell of demand for more meaningful travel. The desire for a more "authentic" travel experience has come to mean acknowledging the relationship between travelers and host communities. Many travelers are now acting on their very human impulse to reach out and connect in an empathic way.

We especially see many parents wanting to educate their children about giving back. This generational legacy is really inspiring.

It is heartening that travel sector companies large and small are really starting to include a triple bottom line in their planning and are becoming much more mindful of their ecologic and human footprint. My impression is that the movement needs little promotion. Although the travel sector was late in "going green", many consumers are asking the right questions these days, and travel companies are taking their CSR much more seriously.

Our vetting of our non-profit beneficiaries includes a set of rigorous questions focused on self-sustainability. I would be happy to share those with anyone who would like to contact me: dominique@elevatedestinations.com.

The area that remains of most concern is the carbon footprint involved in flying long distances. No easy solution to this is in sight, as even Branson's bio-jetfuel is controversial in terms of the resources it consumes to be produced. Unfortunately global warming is starting to hard hit many of the very communities philanthropic travel tries to assist.

Hello Dominique, Its a great pleasure to read from you on social edge. I am grateful for your initiative in alleviating poverty in Africa through responsible traveling.

I will be grateful should our fair trade org benefit from your org. by becoming a member of NGOs listed for grants from your org.as well as enabling tourist to visit Cameroon ,with our fair trade tours project ,geared at safeguarding the livelihood and improving the welbing of marginalised producers in rural communities.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Best regards

David

Hi Lydia

You can ready more about Gambia is Good on the Concern Universal website (www.concern-universal.org) or open the pdf on the jobs page of:

http://businessfightspoverty.ning.com

Gambia is Good is also a member of ASSET (Association of Small Scale Enterprises), another important pro-poor tourism intiative in this destination.

Andrew

Taloha, All,

In light of various comments made in these posts I'd be curious to hear the perspectives within the group about a pretty universally shared perspective within the indigenous communities of the region where I work, the Pasifik, in regard to tourism of any kind. Essentially it boils down to this: Why do Westerners feel they are entitled to just wander into our houses [islands] whenever they please, and do whatever they please? Mahalo, Mike

I just wanted to chime in here because we at Sustainable Travel International are focused on mainstreaming the concept of travelers' philanthropy within the travel and tourism industry. We're currently completing an in-depth best practice analysis of noteworthy travel philanthropy projects around the world, which should be available within the next two months. We also promote, publicize and inform travelers about credible travel philanthropy programs, and we help travel companies create their own successful travel philanthropy projects. In addition, beginning this summer we're going to be providing a comprehensive portfolio of travel philanthropy projects to travel companies that don't wish to or aren't in a position to develop their own programs. For more information, please visit www.sustainabletravel.com or contact me directly via email brianm@sustainabletravel.com or call 720-273-2975.

As a social entrepreneur and consultant I believe that Africa can eradicate poverty through Travel philanthropy. I run an African cultural tourism agency that links up tourists who want to LIVE(homestay), STUDY (cultural and educational)and WORK (internship and volunteer)in Africa with local hosts in rural villages and towns. African Homestay Services,the agency, is basically a public interest initiative to market Africa as a tourist-friendly destination with unspoilt environment, climate,wildlife,natural landscape,rich cultural and historical heritage. I encourage tourists to visit Africa as their contribution to POVERTY REDUCTION especially at the local level by Africans getting benefits from tourism.Tourism is one of the leading "ready" exports and foreign exchange earners for most African countries.But almost 85% on money tourism earnings goes back to foreign investors or countries of origin of the tourists because most hotels,travel agencies,airlines lodges,ranches,villas etc are foreign owned. Tourism revenue to Africa is far bigger than foreign aid to Africa! Africa's share of global tourism revenues according to the UN is 3.6% and tourism accounts for more than 11% of Africa's GDP. Cultural tourism(homestay being part of it) accounts for 5% of global tourism and is growing at the rate of 20-30% per year according to World Tourism Organisation. Homestay benefits the locals where the tourists LIVE,STUDY and do voluntary WORK. It is a pity that most governments and tourism institutions do not grasp this concept of locals benefitting from tourism.They are only interested in job creation , investment and tax payment as the communities along the tourist circuits live in abject poverty! Tourism must benefit the tourist and the locals.That is why I pioneer and champion homestay tourism ,cultural immersion and voluntary work concepts to help the communities along tourist circuits with homestay fees(paid to hosts),cross-cultural learning(how much of one's culture or heritage can a tourist learn in a hotel compared with staying with a Maasai family?) and other community projects where guests volunteer. I am proudly pro-Travel Philanthropy. You can drop me a line to share more. ongerapeter@yahoo.com

Coming from the not-fot-profit world, I see great potential in incorporating travel philanthropy in our programs. Specifically, I represent WAVES for Development, an affiliation of nonprofits, dedicated to connecting surfing and sustainable development. Adventure Voluntourism is our sustainable tourism program where travelers visit and financially contribute to coastal communities and teach English, environmental education and swim/surf classes. More information at: www.WAVESforDevelopment.org

Much of the inspiration blossomed from my Master's Degree research into Adventure Service Tourism. Some of the emerging best practices for creating experiences that blend service and adventure included: 1) Take an Inventory of Resources 2) Know the Local Reality 3) Pilot Projects are Key 4) Get Connected 5) Monitor and Evaluate. The entire text can be found at: http://www.xolaconsulting.com/Aabo_David_Adventure_Service_Tourism.pdf

In February of this year WAVES held a two-week pilot project in the town of Lobitos. We are currently looking to build a network and resource base while local leaders continue the surf and English classes. Our next Adventure Voluntourism opportunity is planned for July/August of this year. We will use ongoing programs starting in October to transition youth participants into the future leaders of WAVES for Development.

Let there be WAVES! www.wavesfordevelopment.org info@wavesfordevelopment.org