AUGUST 2017 | VERSION 1.0 Meaningful Travel Provider Guide A RESOURCE FOR THE GOOD TRAVELS ADVISORS COMMUNITY THANK YOU FOR BEING A GOOD TRAVELS ADVISOR 3GTA4! By completing the online course (www.goodtravelsadvisor.org) and joining the GTA community, you’ll help facilitate the magic that happens when we bring the transformative power of travel together with the power of giving. Together, we can make the world a better place.
The Meaningful Travel Provider Guide (MTPG) is a resource exclusively for the GTA community. Research shows that travelers value meaningful interactions with local communities, and that giving back – including volunteering — contributes to trip satisfaction. The purpose of the Guide is to: TRAVELING 1. help Advisors better understand and apply the principles that support quality volunteering and other experiences, 2. provide a starter list of quality options for you to use, and had some form of meaningful interaction 3. through both those steps, increase effective volunteering and reduce 41 ineffective or even harmful community experiences. with the local community We also hope this builds client relationships and your business! felt giving back greatly contributed What is the Meaningful Travel Provider Guide? 64 to trip satisfaction The MTPG is a curated list of meaningful travel experiences, sorted into 5 types: 1. Targeted Volunteer Service Travel involving some volunteering but with emphasis on the tour experience. 2. Specialized Volunteer Organizations, where the volunteer experience is the primary purpose, often on a specific subject matter (e.g. wildlife) and with less emphasis on touring 3. Immersive Cultural Exchanges and Learning — strong issue-based trips with little volunteering 4. Social Enterprise Trips that specialize in social businesses that promote sustainable solutions and economic growth. 5. Community-Based Experience and Social Enterprise Portals which aggregate a wide variety of local add-on experiences. These are effectively “social impact suppliers” that you can research further and offer to clients. Volunteer experiences range from a half-day to two weeks in duration. Social enterprises are social businesses that also have a broader social change mission and platform (e.g. a craft cooperative where income is paired with training and other support), a model that allows communities access to the tourism supply chain. You’ll find a mix of geographic locations, and a wide range of providers as well as causes to choose from. GoodTravelsAdvisor.org | 2 GOOD TRAVELS ADVISOR: MEANINGFUL TRAVEL PROVIDER GUIDE
How do I use it? The Guide is a reference document for you. Check out the summary table; peruse individual listings; and reach out to individual suppliers for more information and client-facing materials. There are many ways to use the Guide: share some of the information in a newsletter or targeted email or host a lunch or lead a small webinar for interested clients. We leave it to you to find the best way to make this content sing for your business and clients.
How were the listings selected? These experiences were sourced from Good Travels Advisors, travel agent consortia and tourism experts. Listings were completed by providers themselves and are largely unedited. The information is self-reported by tour operators and does not involve further verification from Tourism Cares. As important as the actual listings are the principles they represent, including: • Activities with strong local nonprofit connections, ensuring they are driven for and by the community. • Outfits that know both tourism and community experiences; they’re not new or casually dabbling in this space, resulting in better impact and client experiences. • Providers committed to their local partners and often providing financial support in some form, as well as volunteering. • ChildSafe tourism and being extremely careful with all interactions with children; organizations that promote orphanage tourism are not included, for example (learn more at BetterCareNetwork.org or https://friends-international.org ). • Adherence to animal welfare policies. The list is intended to capture what we already know about trusted providers, highlight lesser known providers and present you with accessible information on both the travel experience and its social impact. Listings include basic information on the company as well as an illustrative itinerary or experience, agent commission information and more. This of course isn’t a complete list: what if I know an experience that might qualify? Tourism Cares will update this guide annually as additional providers who meet the criteria are identified.
GoodTravelsAdvisor.org | 3 GOOD TRAVELS ADVISOR: MEANINGFUL TRAVEL PROVIDER GUIDE
The Good Travels Advisor program is made possible by our wonderful partners committed to promoting meaningful travel experiences around the world.
LEAD SPONSORS
CHAPTER SPONSORS
TM
WORLD’S GREATEST VACATIONS
GoodTravelsAdvisor.org | 4 GOOD TRAVELS ADVISOR: MEANINGFUL TRAVEL PROVIDER GUIDE
MEANINGFUL TRAVEL PROVIDER SUMMARIES BY CATEGORY For in-depth information on individual Tour Operators, see the full profiles beginning on page 9.
Targeted Volunteer Service Travel, involving some volunteering but with a rich tour experience, too.
COMPANY BIG PICTURE NOTES GEOGRAPHY SERVED
Ace the Himalaya Born in a remote village, They run 6 volunteer programs in Nepal - Gorkha Region (page 9 ) local Sherpa and guide the region damaged by the 2012 Prem Khatry founded Ace earthquake. Activities consist of the Himalaya to provide teaching in schools, renovating schools first-class adventure and and clinic buildings, managing libraries, holiday experiences in the working in the field with the local Himalayas. farmers and providing medical help in the health clinic.
Crooked Trails Creates custom-designed Primarily custom itineraries. Specialized Bhutan, Cameroon, (page 21 ) interactive journeys and projects and/or focus with strong Cambodia, Cuba, support community emphasis on tour experience. Work Ecuador, India, Kenya, development projects in with women’s cooperatives, build Laos, Mexico, Nepal, partnership with local soccer fields or water security. Nicaragua, Peru, Vietnam communities, NGOs and operators.
Intercultural Outreach Educational adventures Volunteer opportunities in social Cuba, Costa Rica and Initiative (IOI) that empower isolated programs and conservation programs Galapagos (page 31 ) communities to grow in a in unique locations for families, sustainable way. university students, and study abroad programs.
SEETurtles Protects endangered sea Conservation volunteer programs, Belize, Costa Rica, Cuba, (page 44 ) turtles through conservation school programs and Too Rare To Ware Nicaragua, Mexico and volunteer trips. educational program for consumers. Considered experts in volunteer turtle conservation.
Unearth the World Founded after their own Tailored trips run through local non- Mexico, Nicaragua, (page 49 ) transformative international profits that include touring with a Zambia, Peru volunteering experience strong emphasis on volunteering and where they learned about social connection. the pros and cons of service Travelers are paired with vetted abroad, this husband and international nonprofits. wife team plans personalized and meaningful international exchange opportunities for individuals, groups, and families.
World Expeditions Over 40 years of Larger tour company that runs Nepal, Peru, Vietnam, (page 53 ) experience operating Community Project Travel (CPT) trips Tanzania and Australia unique adventure holidays since 2005. Good extensions and on the paths less travelled, standard itineraries. offering travellers big adventures with a small footprint.
GoodTravelsAdvisor.org | 5 GOOD TRAVELS ADVISOR: MEANINGFUL TRAVEL PROVIDER GUIDE
Targeted Volunteer Service Travel (continued) COMPANY BIG PICTURE NOTES GEOGRAPHY SERVED
Adventure Alternative Through its charity, Moving Program for skilled volunteers (public Kenya, Nepal, Borneo (page 11 ) Mountains, has 25 years of health, IT, teachers, social workers, community based tourism project managers) but also has wide and distinctive business programs for unskilled travelers to get model around investing in training. Volunteers work alongside local social enterprises and professional staff delivering core tourism. programs.
Classic Vacations/ Classic partners with ME to Partners with ME to WE on trips to India, Kenya ME to WE WE for its CARE trips. Kenya and India with various (pages 20 & 35 ) extensions available. *ME to WE owns 3 lodges that it partners with local orgs to host volunteer activities.
The Travel Corporation/ The Travel Corporation Partnership with ME to WE runs India, the Ecuadorian ME to WE (TTC), with its family of through 6 brands. Amazon and Kenya (pages 35 & 47 ) brands and the TreadRight *ME to WE owns 3 lodges that it Foundation, partners with partners with local orgs to host Me2WE to create immersive volunteer activities. volunteer experiences on trips. Experiences are extensions with a multitude of standard itineraries. Highlighted brands are Insight Vacations, Contiki, Trafalgar and Uniworld
Specialized Volunteer Organizations, where the volunteer experience is the primary purpose, often on a specific subject matter (e.g. wildlife) and with less emphasis on touring.
COMPANY BIG PICTURE NOTES GEOGRAPHY SERVED
Earthwatch Institute Help find solutions to Research based citizen science Worldwide (page 23 ) today’s most pressing volunteer trips for all ages. Trips focus environmental challenges. on wildlife and ecosystems, archeology and culture, climate change and ocean’s health.
Oceanic Society Empowering people at all Well-regarded marine program. Bahamas, Belize, Kenya, Expeditions levels of society to become Supports citizen science and leading Mexico, Palau (page 41 ) better stewards of the ocean-oriented volunteer programs in ocean through conservation oceans health, marine life conservation travel programs, marine and reef protection. research, and investments in conservation.
Global Vision Tackles critical local and Large for-profit volunteering company Offers over 150 different International (GVI) global issues by operating for all ages. All programs are run in volunteer projects in (page 29 ) educational training partnership with locals. Mostly social 10 countries programs on sustainable programs and wildlife/environmental development projects options. around the world.
GoodTravelsAdvisor.org | 6 GOOD TRAVELS ADVISOR: MEANINGFUL TRAVEL PROVIDER GUIDE
Specialized Volunteer Organizations (continued)
COMPANY BIG PICTURE NOTES GEOGRAPHY SERVED
African Conservation Support and enable worth - Volunteer conservation placements in South Africa, Botswana, Experience while wildlife conservation a wide variety of opportunities. Zimbabwe and Namibia (page 13 ) work and create world- Company generates financial and wide ambassadors for practical support for projects while conservation. facilitating experiences with wildlife
Animal Experience Empowers students, Animal related volunteer opportunities Central America and the International professionals, animal lovers at sanctuaries, hospitals, wildlife Caribbean, Spain, Croatia, (page 17 ) and adventure seekers to rehabilitation centers, conservation Greece, Nepal, Indonesia, travel by providing projects. Extensive programs for Sri Lanka, Thailand, exceptional volunteer rescue dogs in various countries. Mongolia, Australia, opportunities. Kenya, Sierra Leon
Immersive Cultural Exchanges and Learning – strong issue-based touring with little volunteering.
COMPANY BIG PICTURE NOTES GEOGRAPHY SERVED
GoPhilanthropic Travel An innovative, socially Trips engage one-on-one with NGOs, Cambodia, Vietnam, (page 27 ) conscious travel company social entrepreneurs, and meet with Guatemala, Nepal. India encouraging a deeper community leaders who are actively understanding and working on issues in their communities. connection to the world Their foundation also provides grants through travel. to fund critical needs based on priorities.
Ayana Journeys Travel experiences that Channels funds and provides exposure Cambodia (page 18 ) prioritize experiential for existing projects by creating a learning; fostering a deeper network of small-scale, grass-roots sense of empathy; widening tourism and cultural offerings for locals understanding of global that struggle to access the tourism issues; and reflecting on our market. potential as members of an international community.
The Third Half Dual mission to educate a Works with community-based NGOs South Africa, India, (page 45 ) new generation of informed that use soccer to tackle social issues Ireland, Brazil, Colombia, and conscious global like gender inequality, youth Costa Rica, Haiti citizens and to support unemployment, crime, gang violence, nonprofit organizations racism and HIV/Aids. Soccer allows serving vulnerable youth. travelers to interact as equals and not “poverty tourists.” Every trip involves hands-on work with the local NGO and investing profits back into NGO.
GoodTravelsAdvisor.org | 7 GOOD TRAVELS ADVISOR: MEANINGFUL TRAVEL PROVIDER GUIDE
Social Enterprise Trips, which specialize in social businesses that promote sustainable solutions and economic growth.
COMPANY BIG PICTURE NOTES GEOGRAPHY SERVED
G for Good/ Through its foundation, Planeterra projects connect social Offers 177 trips in G Adventures Planeterra, invests and enterprises to the tourism marketplace 26 countries (page 25 ) develops small local by providing catalyst funding, capacity business that plug directly training, and a market link for small into the tourism supply businesses supporting women, youth, chain and empower local and indigenous communities. communities.
Mountain Lodges Owns lodges along the High-end alternative to the Inca Trail. Peru of Peru Salkantay trail and in Lamay Small-scale social enterprise in (page 39 ) and Lares, and operates mountain communities in Peru. Works high end lodge based with local communities to provide adventures with all health, education, job training, farm comforts, great guides and experiences, and more. Lodge in Lares cultural interpretation. region is a joint venture with the local community and the guests support the villagers by visiting their homes.
Community-Based Experience and Social Enterprise Portals, which are excellent add-on tours and businesses supporting community empowerment.
COMPANY BIG PICTURE NOTES GEOGRAPHY SERVED
Lokal Travel Marketplace for booking Varied and experiential. Access to Cambodia, Chile, Costa (page 33 ) local, sustainable family-run businesses, community Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, adventures around the cooperatives, and locally owned Indonesia, Jamaica, world that traditionally has lodges doing real good in their Jordan, Laos, Maldives, no access to tourism communities. Mexico, Nepal, Nicaragua, market. Peru, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam
Alliance for Artisan The Alliance works to The Alliance is designing and Network touches over Enterprise unlock economic value in implementing support systems for 77,000 artisans in 113 (Supported by the artisan sector, artisan businesses, including: countries around the Treadright Foundation) identifying and building 1. Networking platform world – 88% of whom are (page 33 ) tools and support systems 2. Innovative Financing programs for women needed to support artisan artisan entrepreneurs to access businesses around the much-needed capital world. 3. Artisan Business Coaching 4. Key events to showcase artisan entrepreneurs and entry to supply chain.
Visit.org Visit.org is the world’s Experiences are hosted by “do-good 600+ immersive, (page 52 ) leading platform for social “organizations (nonprofits and other impactful experiences impact travel experiences. social ventures) that offer unique in 70+ countries 100% of host revenue is access to local culture and reinvest invested back into the local 100% of revenue into programs that community. benefit the community.
AirBnB Bringing visibility to non Experiences range from volunteering Africa, USA, Japan, (page 75 ) profit organizations around to cultural events or recreational Ireland, Cuba and more the globe who can host activities; 100% of the payment goes experiences for travelers. to the nonprofit organization.
GoodTravelsAdvisor.org | 8 GOOD TRAVELS ADVISOR: MEANINGFUL TRAVEL PROVIDER GUIDE
MEANINGFUL TRAVEL PROVIDER PROFILES
ACE THE HIMALAYA WEBSITE www.acethehimalaya.com | CONTACT Prem K. Khatry | EMAIL [email protected]
COMPANY INFORMATION Company specialty and value proposition: Ace the Himalaya is an idea to share with the world the passion of travelling in cultural and adventure wonderlands Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet and India, and help travelers realize their dream of making lasting memories. We have meticulously created unique outdoor journeys for the travelers to explore. We offer trekking, mountaineering, mountain biking, luxury tours, cultural tours and voluntourism programs. What differentiates us is our extensive knowledge and network to effectively pull off one-day and multi-day tours even in the high altitude landscape of the Himalayas as well as our commitment to excellent service and responsible tourism, and our respect to the environment and the guides and porters that take very good care of our clients. Philanthropic focus area(s) of trips: The philanthropic focus area of our various voluntourism trips is Gorkha district; mainly Village Development Committees (VDCs) such as Arupokhari, Aruarbang and Manbu. We have been focusing our corporate social responsibility projects in this district since long before the quake because more than 90% of our staff (office staff and field staff like guides and porters) are from this region. In this district, we have been supporting various health and education-related and community development projects via mobilizing volunteers or via direct donations. We spend up to 10% of our annual revenue in the philanthropic projects. Our partner in this is a local NGO Sambhav Nepal. After the Earthquake, our main focus has been rebuilding houses and schools. Geographic scope served: □✔1-3 countries □ 4-8 countries □ 8+ countries #1 itinerary title with meaningful travel experiences: Rebuild Home and Annapurna Trek #2 itinerary title with meaningful travel experiences: Rebuild Home Volunteer Program Types of itineraries with meaningful travel experiences? □ FIT □✔Group □ Both □ Other
ILLUSTRATIVE ITINERARY Itinerary name: Rebuild Home and Annapurna Trek
Type of experience: □✔Volunteer experience □ Social enterprise experience □ Both Itinerary summary and highlights: The voluntourism program mobilizes international participants in rebuilding houses damaged/destroyed by the massive earthquake that struck Nepal on April 25, 2015. The target beneficiaries of the program are the poor earthquake victims who can’t entirely rebuild their houses on their own and therefore need outside help. The 13-day program starts from and ends at Kathmandu. On the second day, we take the volunteers to the rebuild site which is one of the affected villages in the worst-hit Gorkha district. The volunteers spend 4 days working alongside professional builders as well as interacting with the locals and their culture. They engage in simple tasks that don’t need experience. On the seventh day, we take the volunteers to Pokhara city from where they begin 4-day trekking in the famed Annapurna region. Hiking in the Himalayan foothills and observing the Himalayan giants is an amazing experience. The trip ends with a farewell dinner in a Nepali restaurant with cultural performances.
GoodTravelsAdvisor.org | 9 GOOD TRAVELS ADVISOR: MEANINGFUL TRAVEL PROVIDER GUIDE
Tour duration, in hours or days: 13 days Average group size: 11 Maximum group size: 22 The trip’s social impact activities and their duration and frequency: In this 13-day program, the travelers spend 4 days in an earthquake-affected village in the worst-hit Gorkha district. The construction activities will be started before they arrive by the local builders. However, they will participate in the simple activities like carrying housing equipment like timber, stones, sand, cement, tin, iron rods, aluminum sheets, etc; mixing sand and cement; painting the walls of the houses and so on. For activities needing technical skills, we will hire building professionals. But if the travelers have skills, then they can help the builders in their work and make things easier. Four days of work can’t make a house but the work is completed when one group of volunteers after another contribute to the reconstruction in successive pattern. Once a group completes their assigned tasks, another group arrives and continues work. Local builders provide a great deal of assistance as well. Tour program history and community development goals: Ace the Himalaya has been running voluntourism programs for a long time in the Gorkha district. After the Earthquake of 2015, during our relief aid trips to the earthquake-affected villages, we realized that out of 95% of the damaged structures, the majority of them were houses and most of them belonged to the poor who can’t rebuild on their own. Upon identifying the problem, we designed this program with rebuilding the fallen houses as the primary objective and helping the local economy as one of the secondary objectives. There is another version of this program that doesn’t include the trekking part. In September 2015, we received our first batch of volunteers for this program. They interacted with the benefitting family of a poor old widow named Devi Maya. In a course of 4 days, they contributed significantly and helped to make a four-room strong and resistant house. These days Devi Maya is happy in her new house and thankful to the volunteers and thankful that she doesn’t have to stay in an improper makeshift house. The program so far has been able to rebuild 6 houses for the earthquake victims of Gorkha district. We will continue to run it until all the victims in the focus areas have a proper house. Though the program helps the victims to get a new resistant house, it also helps the poor to come out of the poverty and direct their time and energy in other uplifting economic activities. Primary local partners (e.g. NGOs, community leaders, cooperatives, etc.): Sambhav Nepal (10 years) Target market(s) for this itinerary (check all that apply): □✔Youth □✔Adventure □ Luxury □ Senior □✔Family □✔Donor □ Other Minimum age for participation: 18 Comfort level: □ Roughing it □✔Basic □ Comfortable □ Luxury □ Other Activity level: □ Easy □✔Moderate □ Strenuous □ Extreme □ Other Special requirements (e.g. skills or languages): We don’t have any special requirements for volunteering. As long as the volunteers are willing, moderately fit and doesn’t have any serious medical condition, and speaks basic English, they are accepted to the program. How do you prepare and engage your volunteer participants, if applicable, before or after the trip? Once the participants have been accepted, we send them a detailed document that informs them about the program and its itinerary, about Nepal and Gorkha, about various cultural tips and shocks. Cost (per person): □✔Budget ($0-150/day) □ Mid-range ($150-300/day) □ Upscale ($301-500/day) □ Luxury ($501+/day) □ Other Charitable donations and travelers? □ Expected □ Not expected □✔Not expected but travelers often donate □ Other Travel agent commission: □✔Yes □ No □ Other Is financial support provided to the partner organization? Yes, we provide financial support to the partner organization. We donate up to 10% of our annual revenue. Contact with children and vulnerable populations, and ensuring a safe environment for children? No, we don’t work directly with children. Awareness of ChildSafe travel guidelines? ( https://thinkchildsafe.org/travelers/ ) □✔Yes □ No □ I am a ChildSafe provider □ Other
GoodTravelsAdvisor.org | 10 GOOD TRAVELS ADVISOR: MEANINGFUL TRAVEL PROVIDER GUIDE
ADVENTURE ALTERNATIVE WEBSITE www.adventurealternative.com | CONTACT Gavin Bate | EMAIL [email protected]
COMPANY INFORMATION Company specialty and value proposition: I specialize in community-based tourism trips and concentrate on destinations where I have personally had long links for over 25 years now. I have set up DMCs and also NGOs in all those destinations and most of my staff were once beneficiaries of my charity Moving Mountains. I have won the World Responsible Tourism Awards twice because of my distinctive business model around investing in local social enterprises and tourism which has a strong developmental stance. Clients become part of a family spirit and collaborative ethos which has been defined many times as a value that extends far beyond the trip itself. Most of our clients are still engaged with the communities many years after their visit, which actively promotes social development. Philanthropic focus area(s) of trips: Depending on area and needs, trips focus on education, healthcare, social enterprise, community infrastructure and long term support. Travelers engage with local professionals and engage in development education as well as enjoy a transformative trip knowing they contribute to economic development in deprived areas. Volunteers studying any of the above subjects gain valuable skills and knowledge, while skilled volunteers offer peer to peer sharing and mentoring. We now have 25 years experience in delivering relevant meaningful programs and trips which have been proven to promote social mobility, global awareness and civic engagement. Our background is in sustainable development financing and the trips consistently achieve that. Geographic scope served: □✔1-3 countries □ 4-8 countries □ 8+ countries #1 itinerary title with meaningful travel experiences: Volunteering in Kenya #2 itinerary title with meaningful travel experiences: Medical Camp in Nepal Types of itineraries with meaningful travel experiences? □ FIT □ Group □✔Both □ Other
ILLUSTRATIVE ITINERARY Itinerary name: Volunteering in Kenya Type of experience: □ Volunteer experience □ Social enterprise experience □✔Both Itinerary summary and highlights: Each volunteering trip is tailored to the recipient community and the visitor in order to meet relevant needs and abilities and deliver realistic expectations. Program length is flexible but often around two weeks. Travelers apply on the basis of their skills and attributes and preferences, which are then assessed by both us, the local NGO board, the community and also the local education and health authorities. All of our placements are monitored by provincial health and education supervisors as well as our own professional staff including teachers, Doctors, social workers, project managers and counsellors. Many volunteers are either training in those fields and seek experience, while skilled people are offering to donate valuable skills and time to their Kenyan peers. We commonly operate exchange schemes for teachers and social workers too. Our priority is equality and empowerment. Volunteers work alongside our professional staff delivering core programs in health and education or they might work on infrastructure projects learning about hydroelectric power supply or installing improved cooking stoves or water supplies. Itineraries are tailored to meet demand and expectation. Highlights inevitably are around the level and integrity of knowledge and experience gained plus the option for travel in the country and most especially the spirit and ethos that exists in the company and charity. It leads often to lifelong friendships and new career decisions. Tour duration, in hours or days: about 2 weeks
GoodTravelsAdvisor.org | 11 GOOD TRAVELS ADVISOR: MEANINGFUL TRAVEL PROVIDER GUIDE
Average group size: 8 Maximum group size: 20 The trip’s social impact activities and their duration and frequency: Our programs in health, education and social welfare invest over several decades in very long term developmental aims. The volunteers are contributing to those long term aims which are determined by national aims, for example in public health (malaria, polio, HIV AIDS, sex education, malnutrition to name a few) and in educational standards (increased take up in free primary education, teacher training, IT training, extra curricular activities..). The volunteers not only assist professionals in delivering these services, for example provision of malarial nets to remote communities, IT training for college students, sports, music and drama activities, refurbishing of school structures, provision of facilities for special needs children in schools.) but they also assist the NGO in long term infrastructure projects like a healthcare provision in a remote area, schools, water irrigation facilities and training unskilled people in sustainable building methods...again to name a few. These programs are always ongoing, volunteers work alongside staff and help to fundraise and also be involved. The social impact is measured diligently and volunteers assist with this too, helping to collect data and improve our performance and inform the trustees and the community. We invest a lot in local social enterprises and businesses and volunteers enjoy the experience of understanding the nature and impact of sustainable development financing. Tour program history and community development goals: Our volunteering program began in 1991 during my own years living and working in Kenya as a slum school teacher and on a Government street kid rehabilitation program and as an aid driver around east and central Africa. I developed community goals reaching ahead twenty years in terms of social mobility and generational change, investing company money into education, health and social welfare. I used a holistic approach to child development and engaged many stakeholders in the life of a family and children, including all the relevant authorities, community chiefs and leaders. The tour program works on the back of an extremely long term and well established relationship that ensures the traveler is engaged with the community in an equitable way. Importantly the traveler can see the long term benefits and understand that his or her involvement is contributing to a progressive style of development rather than an outdated colonial one, while at the same still being on ˜holiday” as guests of a community. We adopt a policy of data collection through social and economic impact feedback in many different formats – story telling, video, meetings, factual data, questionnaires – which we share with local authorities and use to determine five and ten year strategies. We study and measure change theory, value for money, sustainability, public benefit and effective program cycles and we use this information along with all the anecdotal evidence to determine success over many years. Primary local partners (e.g. NGOs, community leaders, cooperatives, etc.): • Moving Mountains Kenya - 25 years • Provincial education and health offices, social welfare officers and community committees (in all cases for as long as the length of the program) Target market(s) for this itinerary (check all that apply): □✔Youth □✔Adventure □ Luxury □✔Senior □✔Family □✔Donor □ Other Minimum age for participation: 17 Comfort level: □ Roughing it □✔Basic □ Comfortable □ Luxury □ Other Activity level: □ Easy □✔Moderate □ Strenuous □ Extreme □ Other Special requirements (e.g. skills or languages): Unskilled volunteers generally have an aptitude and interest in practical work, sports, music, drama, construction, IT and the like. More skilled volunteers bring a variety of specific skills. How do you prepare and engage your volunteer participants, if applicable, before or after the trip? We strongly promote pre-trip engagement and understanding of our history and ethos, and a clear idea of expectations and needs. Plus we provide online training in development ideas and Moving Mountains. We have an application process and assessment to ensure that needs are properly met. We engage with the volunteers before, throughout and after the trip, often assisting in career decisions and mentoring. We ask that volunteers blog about their experience and help others. Cost (per person): □✔Budget ($0-150/day) □ Mid-range ($150-300/day) □ Upscale ($301-500/day) □ Luxury ($501+/day) □ Other Charitable donations and travelers? □✔Expected □ Not expected □ Not expected but travelers often donate □ Other
GoodTravelsAdvisor.org | 12 GOOD TRAVELS ADVISOR: MEANINGFUL TRAVEL PROVIDER GUIDE
Travel agent commission: □✔Yes □ No □ Other Is financial support provided to the partner organization? Adventure Alternative is responsible for the administration costs of the charity Moving Mountains and the staff donate their time to the charity. Donations to the charity go towards the beneficiaries as much as possible. The company manages the logistical side of the trip. The charity determines the integrity and nature of the content of the trip, ensuring that it complies with progressive attitudes towards development. Volunteers pay for their trip logistics to Adventure Alternative and donate directly to Moving Mountains. The company provides resources as well to the charity like vehicles and accommodation, as well as giving employment to many of the beneficiaries. Contact with children and vulnerable populations, and ensuring a safe environment for children? Moving Mountains has worked with children and vulnerable people for over twenty five years and indeed began its life rehabilitating street children. It employs professional child care counsellors, teachers, special needs teachers and others to help manage the program for these individuals and it now has an extremely well established and trusted approach to managing specific marginalized groups, for example special needs children, traumatized children, wards of the court, women in danger and many others. The facilities that we have built and continue to support, children’s homes and so on, are operated in conjunction with national social welfare authorities in Kenya. Supported children are wards of the court and the charity works with the State to integrate the children into the education system and back into their families. We operate the high standards of child protection and safety as defined by national and international norms, employing qualified staff and ensuring a careful preparation and assessment of any volunteers. Awareness of ChildSafe travel guidelines? (https://thinkchildsafe.org/travelers/) □✔Yes □ No □ I am a ChildSafe provider □ Other
AFRICAN CONSERVATION EXPERIENCE WEBSITE www.conservationafrica.net | CONTACT Petra Jager | EMAIL [email protected]
COMPANY INFORMATION Company specialty and value proposition: African Conservation Experience is driven by the desire to support and enable worthwhile wildlife conservation work and to create worldwide ambassadors for conservation. We do so by offering opportunities for people from all over the world to join genuine conservation projects and wildlife professionals. All our travelers start off with a personal booking conversation and we keep in touch along the way. We offer top-class in- country support, we meet you at the airport on arrival and departure and provide 24/7 support. We empower and support local conservation initiatives and provide them with interest-free loans. We are pioneers of conservation travel. We have over 17 years experience supporting wildlife conservation through tourism. Philanthropic focus area(s) of trips: We ensure that our partner projects, our conservation travelers and the communities and ecosystems in which we operate benefit from the conservation placements. The key ideas that contribute to making our experiences unique are: understanding of conservation issues through first-hand experience, working with local wildlife professionals, experiential learning by working, group learning and communal living, skills-based learning that you can apply immediately. The type of (hot) topics or issues that we connect people to are: wildlife crime such as illegal wildlife trade, rhino poaching, hunting, animal exploitation (i.e. cub cuddling and canned hunting). Geographic scope served: □ 1-3 countries □✔4-8 countries □ 8+ countries
GoodTravelsAdvisor.org | 13 GOOD TRAVELS ADVISOR: MEANINGFUL TRAVEL PROVIDER GUIDE
#1 itinerary title with meaningful travel experiences: Rhino Conservation Course - https://www.conservationafrica.net/projects/focus-on-rhino/ #2 itinerary title with meaningful travel experiences: Phinda Wildlife Research project - https://www.conservationafrica.net/projects/phinda-wildlife-research-project/ Types of itineraries with meaningful travel experiences? □ FIT □ Group □✔Both □ Other
ILLUSTRATIVE ITINERARY Itinerary name: Rhino Conservation Course Type of experience: □ Volunteer experience □ Social enterprise experience □✔Both Itinerary summary and highlights: Rhino conservation is one of the most urgent conservation challenges in South Africa. Conservationists around the world are involved in combating rhino poaching and the trade in rhino horn, but each year the number of rhino killed by poachers increases, with little evidence in sight that we are winning the war against poaching. Tour duration, in hours or days: 12 Average group size: 8 Maximum group size: 10 The trip’s social impact activities and their duration and frequency: This program contributes to active efforts in rhino conservation. The program fee finances the operational costs of both participating projects and includes sponsorship for necessary veterinary procedures for the rhino at Care for Wild Africa. Care for Wild Africa has become a leader in the treatment and care of orphaned rhino and works in close conjunction with, and is monitored and accredited by, the National Parks Board of South Africa, who have entrusted the center with many of the orphans coming out of Kruger National Park. Care for Wild Africa is home to a large number of rhino orphans and houses both black and white rhino. You will participate in the rhino care duties at the center on a daily basis. This includes preparing formula for those calves that are bottle-fed, taking responsibility for feeding, monitoring the older rhinos and assisting with ongoing veterinary care. You will dedicate a significant amount of time to spending time near the rhino so you can observe their behavior. During your patrols you will also have the opportunity to observe the many other species in the reserve, including elephant, zebra, giraffe, a wide variety of antelope and -- if you are lucky -- lion, leopard and hyena. Petronel Niewoudt, the center manager, has over 20 years experience in wildlife rehabilitation and is a specialist in rhino calf nutrition. Tour program history and community development goals: The Care For Wild Africa goals were to create a safe haven for orphaned rhinos whilst providing necessary veterinary care and a socialization program leading to eventual successful rerelease of the animals, and through the entire process to create an awareness drive, highlighting the plight of rhinos. Care for Wild Africa has an ongoing program with a youth empowerment group that places groups of local underprivileged youth at the center where they work alongside international travelers and the staff of the center, thereby exposing all of the above mentioned groups to each other’s cultural diversity. We have existing information regarding the incidents of rhino poaching. We have information and data about when we began our program, when the program is running and in periods where there are no participants, i.e. gaps in the monitoring. This allows us to accurately and objectively measure the impact of our presence and the project. Primary local partners (e.g. NGOs, community leaders, cooperatives, etc.): • Care for Wild Africa, 12 years • Rhino Revolution, 2 years Target market(s) for this itinerary (check all that apply): □✔Youth □ Adventure □ Luxury □✔Senior □ Family □ Donor □✔Other: Volunteer Minimum age for participation: 16 Comfort level: □ Roughing it □✔Basic □ Comfortable □ Luxury □ Other Activity level: □ Easy □✔Moderate □ Strenuous □ Extreme □ Other Special requirements (e.g. skills or languages): You don’t need previous experience or special qualifications - projects welcome anyone who is keen to learn and who wants to help make a difference. You can join our projects year-round and choose a project focus that suits your
GoodTravelsAdvisor.org | 14 GOOD TRAVELS ADVISOR: MEANINGFUL TRAVEL PROVIDER GUIDE
background and interest. The only requirement is that you can communicate in English as this is our language of communication. How do you prepare and engage your volunteer participants, if applicable, before or after the trip? African Conservation Experience is all about organizing experiences tailored to your needs. Our travelers will start off with a personal conversation about their trip with a member of our team, so that you can make an informed decision and ensure that your trip meets your needs and aspirations. We offer top class in-country support with our southern African team headed up by our Logistics and Operations Manager, who is a South African National, a qualified Health and Safety Officer and First Aid Officer. He is also a certified conservationist with a wealth of experience in conservation issues -- and holds a degree in psychology! Our team on the ground will meet you on arrival at Johannesburg airport and make you feel welcome and safe before seeing you onto your transfer vehicle or flight. They will be available 24/7 throughout your stay in southern Africa if you need assistance with anything or just want a chat. They will also personally see you off at the end of your placement to make sure you are safely checked-in for your return flight. Once returned home, our team will get in touch to find out how your experience was and if you have any feedback for us. Cost (per person): □ Budget ($0-150/day) □✔Mid-range ($150-300/day) □ Upscale ($301-500/day) □ Luxury ($501+/day) □ Other Charitable donations and travelers? □ Expected □✔Not expected □ Not expected but travelers often donate □ Other Travel agent commission: □ Yes □ No □✔Other: Case-by-case basis Is financial support provided to the partner organization? Yes, the contributions of the volunteers. This varies between 50% and 60% of the total price. We also made a large donation towards the setup of Care For Wild. We have a Conservation Fund that provides short to medium-term non- interest bearing loans to assist the project with projects that require funds that exceed the contribution of our travelers. Contact with children and vulnerable populations, and ensuring a safe environment for children? No Awareness of ChildSafe travel guidelines? ( https://thinkchildsafe.org/travelers/ ) □✔Yes □ No □ I am a ChildSafe provider □ Other
AIRBNB 8 SOCIAL IMPACT EXPERIENCES WEBSITE www.airbnb.com >> click on Experiences >> click on Categories >> select “Social Impact” CONTACT Kerry Rodgers | EMAIL [email protected]
COMPANY INFORMATION Company specialty and value proposition: Airbnb is leveraging its multi-national experiences platform to help bring visibility to nonprofit organizations around the globe who can host experiences for travelers. Experiences range from volunteering to cultural events or recreational activities; 100% of the payment goes to the nonprofit organization as Airbnb waives all fees. Philanthropic focus area(s) of trips: Our focus is broad, from cultural to environmental to humanitarian organizations; any nonprofit that fits our criteria is welcome to host an experience. More info at: www.airbnb.com/experiences/social-impact Geographic scope served: □ 1-3 countries □ 4-8 countries □✔8+ countries
LLUSTRATIVE EXPERIENCES Sample experience names: 1. Prison Warder in Cape Town: https://www.airbnb.com/experiences/4641 2. Hike Runyon Canyon with a Rescue Dogs in Los Angeles: https://www.airbnb.com/experiences/82265 3. Brush and Ink (Japanese Calligraphy) in Tokyo: https://www.airbnb.com/experiences/52991 Type of experience: □ Volunteer experience □ Social enterprise experience □✔Both Itinerary summary and highlights: 1. Visit Robben Island, have lunch at Drakenstein Correctional Facility, and visit Mandela’s final prison home with one of Mandela’s prison warders, Jack Swart. 100% of the proceeds of this experience benefit the Nelson Mandela
GoodTravelsAdvisor.org | 15 GOOD TRAVELS ADVISOR: MEANINGFUL TRAVEL PROVIDER GUIDE
Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded by Nelson Mandela in 1999. They are a committed facilitator of his living legacy and mandated to promote Mandela’s lifelong vision of freedom and equality for all. 2. Starting in West Hollywood, hike up Runyon Canyon to Mulholland Drive with a jovial pack of rescue dogs. Along with exercising and socializing these dogs, you’ll help take photos of them to help bring in donations for the pups’ care and generate adoption interest. 100% of the proceeds from this experience benefits Free Animal Doctor, which helps individuals and organizations raise money for animal care. 3. Learn the art of Shodo–Japanese calligraphy from a master with 45 years experience and the rank of “Shihan.” Study the most popular Japanese characters using Fude (brush), Sumi (Indian ink), and also learn about the host’s passion for the nonprofit “Language Education and Support Association” (LESA). 100% of the proceeds benefit LESA and help provide a range of materials and opportunities to children in Vietnam. Average group/participant size: 10 people This experience’s social impact activities and their duration and frequency: Variable for each experience, see below for examples: 1. Prison Warder: Duration: 10 hours; Frequency 2-3x per week 2. Hike Runyon Canyon with a Rescue Dogs: Duration: 2 hours; Frequency 2x per week 3. Japanese Calligraphy: Duration: 2 hours; Frequency 2x per week Local partner/guide (e.g. NGOs, community leaders, cooperatives, etc.): Nonprofit organization staff, volunteer, or community members Best target market(s) for this itinerary: Variable for each experience, see below for examples: 1. Prison Warder: □ Youth □ Adventure □✔Luxury □✔Senior □ Family □✔Donor □ Other 2. Hike Runyon Canyon with a Rescue Dogs: □ Youth □✔Adventure □ Luxury □ Senior □ Family □ Donor □ Other 3. Japanese Calligraphy: Duration: □ Youth □✔Adventure □✔Luxury □✔Senior □ Family □✔Donor □ Other Minimum age for participation: All: 18 years Activity level: Variable for each experience, see below for examples: 1. Prison Warder: □ Easy □✔Moderate □ Strenuous □ Extreme □ Other 2. Hike Runyon Canyon with a Rescue Dogs: Duration: 2 hours; Frequency 2x per week □ Easy □✔Moderate □✔Strenuous □ Extreme □ Other 3. Japanese Calligraphy: Duration: 2 hours; Frequency 2x per week □✔Easy □ Moderate □ Strenuous □ Extreme □ Other Special requirements (e.g. skills or languages): Variable for each experience, none for example experiences Cost (per person): Variable for each experience, see below for examples: 1. Prison Warder: $271 2. Hike Runyon Canyon with a Rescue Dogs: $36 3. Japanese Calligraphy: Duration: $41 Contact with children and vulnerable populations, and ensuring a safe environment for children? Contact with children is only allowed if children are under the supervision of their parents/guardians. Awareness of ChildSafe travel guidelines? ( https://thinkchildsafe.org/travelers/ ) □ Yes □ No □ I am a ChildSafe provider □✔Other: We do not offer experiences at orphanages. Any interactions with children must be under the supervision of parents/guardians.
GoodTravelsAdvisor.org | 16 GOOD TRAVELS ADVISOR: MEANINGFUL TRAVEL PROVIDER GUIDE
ANIMAL EXPERIENCE INTERNATIONAL WEBSITE www.animalexperienceinternational.com | CONTACT Nora Livingstone | EMAIL [email protected]
COMPANY INFORMATION Company specialty and value proposition: We are a certified B Corp that sends clients on safe, ethical and community lead conservation and animal welfare programs! Philanthropic focus area(s) of trips: Animal related volunteer opportunities at sanctuaries, hospitals, wildlife rehabilitation centers, conservation projects. Geographic scope served: □ 1-3 countries □ 4-8 countries □✔8+ countries #1 itinerary title with meaningful travel experiences: Wildlife Rehabilitation and Care in Guatemala #2 itinerary title with meaningful travel experiences: Conservation and Citizen Science in Mongolia Types of itineraries with meaningful travel experiences? □ FIT □ Group □✔Both □ Other
ILLUSTRATIVE ITINERARY Itinerary name: Wildlife Rehabilitation and Care in Guatemala Type of experience: □✔Volunteer experience □ Social enterprise experience □ Both Itinerary summary and highlights: The wildlife of Guatemala is under threat from habitat loss, hunting and capture by traffickers who sell the animals in the illegal pet trade. Volunteers provide care for all of the animals at the center who have been confiscated by the authorities. Volunteers take part in feeding, cleaning and enrichment for the animals and releases when possible! They live on site and have three delicious meals cooked for them a day by ethically compensated community members. Volunteers also experience a two day adventure to Tikal National Park to understand the holistic nature of their work. Tour duration, in hours or days: Starting at two weeks, clients can go for as long as they want! Shifts are from 6am to 3 pm daily with one day off a week and the visit to Tikal Average group size: Generally there are between 10-20 volunteers at the center but most AEI clients venture to the center individually. Maximum group size: 25 The trip’s social impact activities and their duration and frequency: The mission of the Wildlife Rescue Centre is to improve the chances of survival and conservation of endangered species and their habitat, and to assist with the management of natural resources. They aim to raise awareness among Guatemalans and visiting tourists about the need to conserve natural resources through a program of education and information dissemination. Tour program history and community development goals: This Wildlife Rescue Centre was originally created for a very specific and urgent purpose: to build a rescue center to care for and rehabilitate wild animals that were being confiscated on the black market by the Guatemalan government. Over the years it has grown into one of the largest and most complex rescue centers in the world. Each year it admits over 500 animals representing more than 40 species of wildlife. Target market(s) for this itinerary (check all that apply): □✔Youth □✔ Adventure □ Luxury □✔Senior □✔Family □ Donor □ Other
GoodTravelsAdvisor.org | 17 GOOD TRAVELS ADVISOR: MEANINGFUL TRAVEL PROVIDER GUIDE
Minimum age for participation: 16 with a parent or guardian Comfort level: □ Roughing it □✔ Basic □ Comfortable □ Luxury □ Other Activity level: □ Easy □ Moderate □✔Strenuous □ Extreme □ Other Special requirements (e.g. skills or languages): None, we teach you everything on the ground! How do you prepare and engage your volunteer participants, if applicable, before or after the trip? We interview all of our clients to make sure their expectations are congruent with reality. We also have two manuals for them to read before they go to Guatemala. When they come home we have an optional debrief interview after they fill out anonymous debriefing document. Cost (per person): □✔ Budget ($0-150/day) □ Mid-range ($150-300/day) □ Upscale ($301-500/day) □ Luxury ($501+/day) □ Other Charitable donations and travelers? □ Expected □ Not expected □ Not expected but travelers often donate □✔Other: A donation is already built into the fees! That way clients don’t feel pressured or guilty while volunteering. Travel agent commission: □✔Yes □ No □ Other Is financial support provided to the partner organization? Yes Contact with children and vulnerable populations, and ensuring a safe environment for children? No Awareness of ChildSafe travel guidelines? ( https://thinkchildsafe.org/travelers/ ) □✔Yes □ No □ I am a ChildSafe provider □ Other
AYANA JOURNEYS WEBSITE www.ayanajourneys.com | CONTACT Amy McLoughlin | EMAIL [email protected]
COMPANY INFORMATION Company specialty and value proposition: We are a small responsible travel company based in Cambodia that shares immersive, educational experiences with culturally curious travelers. All our tours have an element of learning, with a philosophy that travel is as much about learning from new cultures and places, as it is about a life-long learning experience for personal development. Our mission is to contribute to a more peaceful world. We do this by carefully crafting exceptional travel experiences that prioritize new insights through experiential learning; fostering a deeper sense of empathy; widening understanding of global issues; and reflecting on our potential as members of an international community. Philanthropic focus area(s) of trips: Rather than starting our own foundation, we would rather contribute to community development by channeling funds to and providing exposure for existing projects. In doing this we aim to create a network of small- scale, grass-roots tourism and cultural offerings that may currently struggle to access the tourism market.
GoodTravelsAdvisor.org | 18 GOOD TRAVELS ADVISOR: MEANINGFUL TRAVEL PROVIDER GUIDE
Geographic scope served: □✔1-3 countries □ 4-8 countries □ 8+ countries #1 itinerary title with meaningful travel experiences: Local Living in the North #2 itinerary title with meaningful travel experiences: Siem Reap - Beyond the Temples Types of itineraries with meaningful travel experiences? □ FIT □✔Group □ Both □ Other
ILLUSTRATIVE ITINERARY Itinerary name: Local Living in the North Type of experience: □ Volunteer experience □✔Social enterprise experience □ Both Itinerary summary and highlights: Start your journey in Siem Reap exploring its 20th century history, Angkorian heritage, and social enterprise landscape. Participate in cultural activities whilst learning about development; engage with several NGOs during your visit to learn from experts working to address these issues. Travel north and off-the-beaten-path to learn from environmental activist monks in the forest, and spend nights sleeping in a traditional wooden homestay. Tour duration, in hours or days: 7 days Average group size: 12 Maximum group size: 20 The trip’s social impact activities and their duration and frequency: The focus of our adventures is to learn from inspiring local development practitioners or activists. Engage in thoughtful discussion and debate about social and environmental issues, with the help of your trip facilitators. This trip includes several more hands-on activities to maximize experiential learning opportunities. We are committed to responsible service, and all activities have been developed by the community in question, bring them benefits they have identified for themselves, and educate our guests too. Tour program history and community development goals: Every year we deliver a ’social impact review’. Since inception (2015), we have contributed more than USD $50,000 through our tours to a range of social impact projects across Cambodia. We nurture relationships with our partner NGOs and ensure engagements with them are mutually beneficial. Primary local partners (e.g. NGOs, community leaders, cooperatives, etc.): • PEPY Empowering Youth • Banteay Chhmar Community Based Tourism initiative Target market(s) for this itinerary (check all that apply): □✔Youth □ Adventure □ Luxury □ Senior □ Family □ Donor □✔Other: Student groups (schools or universities) Minimum age for participation: 15 Comfort level: □ Roughing it □✔Basic □ Comfortable □ Luxury □ Other Activity level: □✔Easy □ Moderate □ Strenuous □ Extreme □ Other How do you prepare and engage your volunteer participants, if applicable, before or after the trip? Pre-Departure Information Packs sent before the trip Cost (per person): □✔Budget ($0-150/day) □ Mid-range ($150-300/day) □ Upscale ($301-500/day) □ Luxury ($501+/day) □ Other Charitable donations and travelers? □✔Expected □ Not expected □ Not expected but travelers often donate □ Other Travel agent commission: □ Yes □ No □✔Other: upon discussion, tbd
GoodTravelsAdvisor.org | 19 GOOD TRAVELS ADVISOR: MEANINGFUL TRAVEL PROVIDER GUIDE
Is financial support provided to the partner organization? We embed donations to most organizations we visit as part of our tours; for some tours we separate the donations for guests to fundraise in the interest of financial transparency. Contact with children and vulnerable populations, and ensuring a safe environment for children? We are ChildSafe Certified and have strict child protection policies in place. Awareness of ChildSafe travel guidelines? ( https://thinkchildsafe.org/travelers/ ) □ Yes □ No □✔I am a ChildSafe provider □ Other
CLASSIC VACATIONS WEBSITE www.classicvacations.com | CONTACT Jonna Jackson | EMAIL [email protected]
COMPANY INFORMATION Company specialty and value proposition: Classic Vacations Mission Statement: To help our travel partners deliver unmatched customer satisfaction, by providing relevant solutions, so they can create and retain loyal customers for life. The Classic Difference: Classic Vacations is the #1 rated luxury vacation wholesaler for Travel Advisors. We have one goal: to do whatever it takes to ensure that your clients are not just satisfied with their vacation, but completely delighted. We are dedicated to helping you create the best possible vacation experiences for your clients. You can count on us to deliver world-class accommodations, exceptional privileges, and unparalleled service to your clients. That is the Classic® difference. It is the difference between a good vacation and a great one. A World of Privileges: With Classic Vacations, your clients will have access to a host of unique benefits, services, and attractions. They will enjoy preferential treatment throughout their vacation. Whether it is a best-in-category hotel room, a last-minute appointment at a luxury spa, or tee times at world-class golf courses, you clients will have an inside track to the best of everything. We Go the Extra Mile: Our customer service team is committed to making sure every vacation detail is absolutely perfect. A representative is available to assist your clients 24/7 during their trip. From last-minute itinerary changes to a simple re-confirmation of travel plans, no request or issue is too big or too small. For more than 30 years, Travel Advisors have trusted us with their most important clients. Philanthropic focus area(s) of trips: One of our core values is “CARE” - We care about our customers, our community and each other. In addition to our fabulous partnership with ME to WE, we are active in our community. We participate in an annual Day of Caring, we have a Bike to Work program, we actively recycle and of course, belong to Tourism Cares. We even have a marketing campaign focused on “Go Green”, showcasing “eco-friendly” resorts. We feel strongly about supporting ME to WE and showcasing their program to our loyal travel advisor partners. Many of their travelers are interested in travel with a purpose but may not know where to go and what type of experience is available to them. ME to WE trips are not only inspiring and authentic, they are also upscale and comfortable. The best of both worlds. Geographic scope served: □✔1-3 countries □ 4-8 countries □ 8+ countries #1 itinerary title with meaningful travel experiences: The Bogani Cottages and Tented Camp in Kenya #2 itinerary title with meaningful travel experiences: Araveli Cottages and Tented Camp in India Types of itineraries with meaningful travel experiences? □ FIT □ Group □✔Both □ Other
GoodTravelsAdvisor.org | 20 GOOD TRAVELS ADVISOR: MEANINGFUL TRAVEL PROVIDER GUIDE
CROOKED TRAILS WEBSITE www.CrookedTrails.org | CONTACT Chris Mackay | EMAIL [email protected]
COMPANY INFORMATION Company specialty and value proposition: Crooked Trails specializes in crafting custom travel experiences that connect, engage and inspire. As a non-profit travel organization working to transform tourism into a positive force in the world, our travelers are able to support community development projects in partnership with local communities, NGOs and operators. Our personal, long-lasting relationships and deep connections to our partner communities set us apart, and this allows us to offer travelers a truly authentic personal connection as they are welcomed into the homes and lives of people around the world. Philanthropic focus area(s) of trips: Participants in our travel programs can take part in meaningful service projects that community members have chosen. We develop the projects we work on locally, and our travelers provide funding and labor assistance. Some of the issue areas we focus on include human trafficking, women’s rights, and access to education. Examples of some of the activities our travelers might do include building smokeless ovens to improve the quality of life in rural areas, helping develop a women’s cooperative business in an area where women’s access is compromised, building and refurbishing schools, and increasing educational opportunities in underserved areas. Geographic scope served: □ 1-3 countries □ 4-8 countries □✔8+ countries #1 itinerary title with meaningful travel experiences: Peru: Volunteer & Homestay in the Andes #2 itinerary title with meaningful travel experiences: Nepal: Village Homestay & The Kathmandu Valley Types of itineraries with meaningful travel experiences? □ FIT □ Group □✔Both □ Other
ILLUSTRATIVE ITINERARY Itinerary name: Peru: Volunteer & Homestay in the Andes Type of experience: □ Volunteer experience □ Social enterprise experience □✔Both Itinerary summary and highlights: This service project and homestay takes place in the remote Andean village of Vicos, high in the Central Andean Mountains. You will first travel to Huaraz, the adventure capital of Peru, where you will spend time to acclimatize and prepare for the homestay and service project. Then you will travel to the community of Vicos by local transport, and finally, hike to the homes of our host families. The setting is stunning with snow-capped mountains surrounding the valley populated by farm houses and fields of quinoa, corn and potatoes. Each day you will walk through the hills with your Quechua hosts to the project home where you will help build a smokeless oven. These ovens vent the smoke, use less wood and create hot water, all of which did not exist before, thereby improving the health of the people as well as benefitting the local environment. Crooked Trails has built over 50 ovens in two villages thus far, but there are many more to go. Days are spent working on the project, and evenings include time with your host family for dinner. It’s an opportunity for you to experience what life is like in the high Andes with Quechua people whose lives have been relatively unchanged for hundreds of years. This is a rare opportunity to experience a cultural exchange while helping with a much-needed community project. Vicos provides a rural and rustic setting for those intrepid travelers looking for a truly authentic travel experience. Tour duration, in hours or days: 9 Average group size: 4 Maximum group size: 12
GoodTravelsAdvisor.org | 21 GOOD TRAVELS ADVISOR: MEANINGFUL TRAVEL PROVIDER GUIDE
The trip’s social impact activities and their duration and frequency: Appropriate technology changes lives. Using mostly local materials, travelers help build smokeless stoves in the homes of impoverished families in rural Peru. These families have been using open fires for cooking and warmth in their homes for generations. In most homes the smoke collects in the thatch rafters, making soot in the home a problem and causing lung problems for family members. The new system allows smoke to escape, heat to remain, hot water to flow and less wood to be burned. Children, as well as elderly family members, are especially at risk being exposed to so much constant smoke pollution. The design of this particular type of stove, which is curved and made from adobe, is extremely efficient and uses only twigs to cook. The stove warms the kitchen and dining area by at least 15 degrees, which at 13,000 feet in the Andes is a serious consideration. In addition, our travelers are participating in a community- based tourism project that directly benefits the entire community when they stay in the village. The tourism project has allowed villagers to preserve their traditional Andean culture, as well as provide an alternate means of sustainable income, while they host visitors in cultural exchange homestays. Tour program history and community development goals: Crooked Trails has built over 50 smokeless ovens in two villages in Peru thus far, but there are many more to go. Ultimately, we would love to outfit every family home with a smokeless oven that needs one in our partner villages. Primary local partners (e.g. NGOs, community leaders, cooperatives, etc.): Crooked Trails has been working in Vicos for over a decade, since 2000. Our main contact in Vicos is Pablo Tadeo and his family. Pablo works with RESPONS, a local travel agency based in Huaraz that encourages responsible travel. He is one of ten members of the local tourism committee, which Crooked Trails and The Mountain Institute helped to establish. Pablo lives with his wife and three children on a farm in Vicos and serves as one of the host families for home stays. Target market(s) for this itinerary (check all that apply): □✔Youth □✔Adventure □ Luxury □✔Senior □✔Family □✔Donor □ Other Minimum age for participation: none Comfort level: □ Roughing it □✔Basic □ Comfortable □ Luxury □ Other Activity level: □ Easy □✔Moderate □ Strenuous □ Extreme □ Other Special requirements (e.g. skills or languages): None How do you prepare and engage your volunteer participants, if applicable, before or after the trip? All participants get full support from our staff before departure, including lengthy pre-departure information to help prepare them for the trip. We also de-brief after they return. Cost (per person): □✔Budget ($0-150/day) □ Mid-range ($150-300/day) □ Upscale ($301-500/day) □ Luxury ($501+/day) □ Other Charitable donations and travelers? □ Expected □ Not expected □ Not expected but travelers often donate □✔Other: a donation is made and is part of the travel cost Travel agent commission: □ Yes □ No □✔Other: case-by-case basis Is financial support provided to the partner organization? We do periodic fundraising for our partners to support specific projects or to respond to a specific need, such as disaster response. We have also sent them volunteers to help them develop certain aspects of their community-based tourism projects over the years. Contact with children and vulnerable populations, and ensuring a safe environment for children? Our facilitators are always vetted and trained to be sensitive to and aware of any needs that may arise around vulnerable populations. Awareness of ChildSafe travel guidelines? ( https://thinkchildsafe.org/travelers/ ) □✔Yes □ No □ I am a ChildSafe provider □ Other
GoodTravelsAdvisor.org | 22 GOOD TRAVELS ADVISOR: MEANINGFUL TRAVEL PROVIDER GUIDE
EARTHWATCH INSTITUTE WEBSITE www.earthwatch.org | CONTACT Alix Morris | EMAIL [email protected]
COMPANY INFORMATION Company specialty and value proposition: Earthwatch Institute is an international nonprofit organization that connects citizens with scientists to improve the health and sustainability of the planet. Since its founding in 1971, Earthwatch has empowered nearly 100,000 volunteers from all walks of life to join leading scientists on field research expeditions that tackle critical environmental challenges around the globe; from climate change to ocean health, human-wildlife conflict, and more. Earthwatch works with all sectors of society, from corporations to teachers, students, community leaders, zoos and aquaria, and more. Philanthropic focus area(s) of trips: Earthwatch supports rigorous research that responds to global challenges — from climate change to human-wildlife coexistence to environmental sustainability — while engaging with local communities. Through our citizen science model, we provide research teams with funding and volunteers needed to support data collection in marine, terrestrial, freshwater, and urban ecosystems. Geographic scope served: □ 1-3 countries □ 4-8 countries □✔8+ countries #1 itinerary title with meaningful travel experiences: Wildlife of the Mongolian Steppe #2 itinerary title with meaningful travel experiences: Costa Rican Sea Turtles Types of itineraries with meaningful travel experiences? □ FIT □ Group □✔Both □ Other
ILLUSTRATIVE ITINERARY Itinerary name: Amazon Riverboat Exploration Type of experience: □✔Volunteer experience □ Social enterprise experience □ Both Itinerary summary and highlights: The vast, pristine Amazonian forests of northeastern Peru are home to an incredible array of wildlife. The Pacaya- Samiria National Reserve, the location of this study, is an example of how conservation can work in collaboration with local communities. Today, global climate change, bringing severe droughts and floods, threatens this protected area. As part of this expedition, you’ll float down the Samiria River, watching dolphins leap and counting the macaws as they fly overhead. You will monitor the waters for once-endangered caiman, and keep your eyes open for large fish as they swim by. If you’re lucky, you’ll spot recovering populations of giant river otters and manatees. And if you’re on hand during the dry season (August-November), you’ll count wading birds at the mouth of the river. You may catch and release river dolphins, measuring their health and growth. If you’re ready for more strenuous work, you’ll climb aboard a canoe or motorized boat, and explore the shoreline, seeking out river turtles and helping to protect their eggs. Or you may walk slowly and quietly through the forest to record the movements of peccaries, tapirs, primates, and game birds. Working with local community members, you’ll learn about local fishing, hunting, and conservation efforts. Tour duration, in hours or days: 8-15 days Average group size: 7 Maximum group size: 20 The trip’s social impact activities and their duration and frequency: Search for dolphins: As you boat along with the current, you’ll spot, count, and identify the species of individual pink river dolphins and grey dolphins. Hike the rainforest: In the rainforest, you’ll track an abundance of wildlife, including primates and game birds, and record their behavior. Monitor macaws: From a boat, observe and count these colorful
GoodTravelsAdvisor.org | 23 GOOD TRAVELS ADVISOR: MEANINGFUL TRAVEL PROVIDER GUIDE
birds at 500-meter intervals. Take fish census: The fish practically jump out of the water onto the team’s hand-made rods and nets. Measure, weigh, and identify the species of everything you catch. Track caimans: Take to the river at night to find these smaller relatives of the alligator. The team will locate caimans by shining headlights that reflect back when they catch their eyes. You’ll safely capture, measure, and release any caimans you catch. Engage with communities: While in the Amazon, you’ll have the opportunity to interact with local people from a number of villages. The research team has formed very positive relationships with these communities over the past 16 years. Tour program history and community development goals: Our volunteers take action to help scientists accomplish their research goals and contribute to tangible outcomes that advance conservation. Earthwatch-supported principal investigators (PIs) increase scientific knowledge by producing peer-reviewed publications and informing management plans and policies that conserve and restore ecosystem services and biodiversity. These outcomes depend on citizen-scientist collected data. Since our founding in 1971, more than 100,000 volunteers have joined Earthwatch expeditions around the world. Primary local partners (e.g. NGOs, community leaders, cooperatives, etc.): Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology Target market(s) for this itinerary (check all that apply): □ Youth □✔Adventure □ Luxury □✔Senior □✔Family □✔Donor □✔Other: Professional Minimum age for participation: 18 Comfort level: □ Roughing it □ Basic □✔Comfortable □ Luxury □ Other Activity level: □ Easy □ Moderate □ Strenuous □ Extreme □✔Other: There are a range of tasks varying from easy to strenuous, and participants can choose to take part in the activities they want. You can do all easy tasks and/or mix them up with more rigorous tasks. Special requirements (e.g. skills or languages): None How do you prepare and engage your volunteer participants, if applicable, before or after the trip? We answer all pre-booking questions by phone or email. Volunteers set up an online portal where they can access travel and equipment resources as well as connect with other team members. We share an extensive briefing document, including detailed travel and logistical information and reading material related to the research. We answer all their pre-fielding questions by phone or email. We provide medical & evacuation insurance as well as 24-hour support. Cost (per person): □ Budget ($0-150/day) □ Mid-range ($150-300/day) □ Upscale ($301-500/day) □ Luxury ($501+/day) □✔Other: Depending on the itinerary (8 or 15 days), the cost per day ranges between $250/day and $330/day. Charitable donations and travelers? □ Expected □ Not expected □ Not expected but travelers often donate □✔Other: A research contribution is built into the cost for the expedition. The full expedition cost is U.S. tax-deductible. Travel agent commission: □ Yes □✔No □ Other Is financial support provided to the partner organization? Yes, in the form of funding for staffing and operating the boat that is used for the research expedition. Contact with children and vulnerable populations, and ensuring a safe environment for children? No Awareness of ChildSafe travel guidelines? ( https://thinkchildsafe.org/travelers/ ) □ Yes □ No □ I am a ChildSafe provider □✔Other: N/A
GoodTravelsAdvisor.org | 24 GOOD TRAVELS ADVISOR: MEANINGFUL TRAVEL PROVIDER GUIDE
G ADVENTURES, INC. WEBSITE www.gadventures.com | CONTACT Kim McCabe | EMAIL [email protected]
COMPANY INFORMATION Company specialty and value proposition: What if your vacation could be your way of giving back? That’s the central idea behind G Adventures, a sustainable, small-group tour operator that offers more than 700 different itineraries for almost every age, stage of life and budget of traveler, in 100+ countries around the world. We combine fantastic, immersive, transformative adventures with a commitment to social good. That simply means that while your clients are having the time of their lives, they can also go, knowing that more of their vacation dollars are staying in the local communities they visit, and helping to empower women, train youth, and conserve indigenous cultures. It’s tourism with a conscience, and travel you can be proud to promote. Philanthropic focus area(s) of trips: On a G Adventures tour, travelers can have a variety of immersive and experiential opportunities with locals; from practicing traditional handicrafts, to helping install clean cookstoves, to prepping and dining on regional cuisines with local culinary artists. We also ensure that all of our trips help to promote animal welfare. Travelers have opportunities to observe fantastically diverse wildlife in their native habitats around the world, knowing that the trips will not cause harm. Geographic scope served: □ 1-3 countries □ 4-8 countries □✔8+ countries #1 itinerary title with meaningful travel experiences: Explore Machu Picchu #2 itinerary title with meaningful travel experiences: Northern Thailand Adventure Types of itineraries with meaningful travel experiences? □ FIT □✔Group □ Both □ Other
ILLUSTRATIVE ITINERARY Itinerary name: Explore Machu Picchu Type of experience: □ Volunteer experience □✔Social enterprise experience □ Both Itinerary summary and highlights: This eight-day adventure into Peru’s culture and history offers an ideal introduction to Machu Picchu, one of the world’s most spectacular archaeological sites. Take a scenic train to the famous citadel and enjoy free time to explore its many corners. Roam the Sacred Valley, taking in incredible views of the Andes and experience food and handicrafts prepared by indigenous artisans. Traveling with knowledgeable guides who know this region best to experience it like a local. Included highlights: two-day Sacred Valley tour with visit to Ollantaytambo, Moray, and Pisac ruins and pre-Incan salt pans; traditional Andean lunch at Sacred Valley community co-op restaurant; traditional pachamanca-style dinner; scenic train and guided tour of UNESCO World Heritage Site, Machu Picchu; a visit to the Cusco Planetarium, and all internal flights and transport between destinations and to/from included activities. Tour duration, in hours or days: 8 days Average group size: 12 Maximum group size: 16 The trip’s social impact activities and their duration and frequency: In the Sacred Valley of Cusco, travelers will have the opportunity to contribute to sustainable tourism in Huchuy Qosqo, a small village of 65 families and approximately 300 people. By eating at the Parwa Community Restaurant, visitors learn how the resident-run restaurant was kickstarted by G Adventures’ nonprofit Planeterra Foundation with support from the Multilateral Investment Fund in 2014, and how it has since grown to become a successful farm-to-table program that
GoodTravelsAdvisor.org | 25 GOOD TRAVELS ADVISOR: MEANINGFUL TRAVEL PROVIDER GUIDE
boosts the local economy. All income earned by the restaurant is used for investment in social projects for the community. Ingredients used in the restaurant are bought directly from the local farmers, providing a local market for direct sales. Parwa Restaurant has an average of 16,000 travelers a year, mostly from G Adventures tours. Employees earn monthly salaries, health insurance, pension funds, and other labor benefits. In a positive ripple effect, some 25 micro entrepreneurs received technical assistance and funds to establish new businesses to supply the Parwa restaurant or sell their goods to G Adventures travelers who visit. That investment is creating impact and spreading wealth and empowerment. Tour program history and community development goals: Nine micro entrepreneurs received technical assistance and funds to establish new businesses to supply the Parwa restaurant or sell their goods to G Adventures’ travelers. In two years they have spent over $60,000 of profits on the community’s development priorities including: sanitation systems, water tanks for each of 65 families in village, a computer center and library, a scholarship program for youth, and a social security system for the elderly. This is in addition to improvements made to the business. As supporters of this enterprise, G Adventures and its Planeterra Foundation have measured benefits to the community against data collected in 2012 (baseline) and 2015, (at project’s end). These impacts continue to be monitored regularly by Planeterra’s South America project manager, while the Huchuy Qosqo Association provides them with an annual report of how profits are used on their community development projects. Primary local partners (e.g. NGOs, community leaders, cooperatives, etc.): • Huchuy Qosqo Community Association 2012-present through supplier relationship and Planeterra foundation monitoring • ARARIWA Association CENFOPAR Center for Training, Peru 2012-2015 + Continued partnership with each of the communities involved in the trek through supplier relationship and Planeterra Foundation monitoring Target market(s) for this itinerary (check all that apply): □ Youth □✔Adventure □ Luxury □✔Senior □✔Family □ Donor □✔Other: Affinity groups Minimum age for participation: 12 Comfort level: □ Roughing it □ Basic □✔Comfortable □ Luxury □ Other Activity level: □ Easy □✔Moderate □ Strenuous □ Extreme □ Other Special requirements (e.g. skills or languages): None Cost (per person): □ Budget ($0-150/day) □✔Mid-range ($150-300/day) □ Upscale ($301-500/day) □ Luxury ($501+/day) □ Other Charitable donations and travelers? □ Expected □ Not expected □✔Not expected but travelers often donate □ Other Travel agent commission: □✔Yes □ No □ Other Is financial support provided to the partner organization? At the outset, G Adventures provided funding for training and infrastructure development. G Adventures’ operations team worked directly with the communities to help develop the experiences and make them market-ready. In the case of Parwa Community Restaurant in Peru, G Adventures financed the construction of the professional kitchen and outdoor dining area as well as the in-kind expenses related to project management and operations training. The project was co-financed by the Multilateral Investment Fund of the Inter-American Development Bank, which funded an extensive culinary training program and soft costs related to field staffing for onsite project management and monitoring. Contact with children and vulnerable populations, and ensuring a safe environment for children? We are currently in the scoping phase of a full-fledged child protection policy with Friends International’s ChildSafe division. Our tours operate in a way that brings us up close and personal to families in villages, through home-based meals and overnight stays. Our groups are accompanied by tour leaders and passengers are never alone with children. That said, the mere exposure to children that community tourism creates, has necessitated the development of a robust policy and guidelines for tour operations, hence our plan for a policy to be completed in 2017 and rolled out in 2018 globally. Awareness of ChildSafe travel guidelines? ( https://thinkchildsafe.org/travelers/ ) □✔Yes □ No □ I am a ChildSafe provider □ Other
GoodTravelsAdvisor.org | 26 GOOD TRAVELS ADVISOR: MEANINGFUL TRAVEL PROVIDER GUIDE
GoPHILANTHROPIC TRAVEL WEBSITE www.gohpilanthropictravel.com | CONTACT Lydia Dean | EMAIL [email protected]
COMPANY INFORMATION Company specialty and value proposition: GoPhilanthropic Travel is an innovative socially conscious travel company encouraging a deeper understanding and connection to the world through travel. Trips involve engaging one-on-one with NGOs, social entrepreneurs, and community leaders who are actively making the world a more just place. We partner with small organizations, tackling big global issues such as child labor, human trafficking, gender bias, FGM, a lack of access to health care and education. Travelers discover the complexities of development work, understand the challenges and experience first-hand the courageous people and organizations paving the way for a better future. Philanthropic focus area(s) of trips: GoPhilanthropic Travel provides a unique opportunity for travel by working in partnership with GoPhilanthropic Foundation, a registered 501c3 non-profit, committed to partnerships with a carefully vetted group of not for profit organizations around the world providing effective, creative and sustainable solutions to global issues. The Foundation provides funding and tools for their partner programs in addition to guidance and support for their development as a whole. GoPhilanthropic travelers are given rare access to this vetted portfolio of organizations and experience first-hand a deeper understanding of pressing issues faced by the countries they visit. Geographic scope served: □ 1-3 countries □✔4-8 countries □ 8+ countries #1 itinerary title with meaningful travel experiences: An In-depth look at the link between poverty and human trafficking, and the power of community development. #2 itinerary title with meaningful travel experiences: The Changing Face of India: Fighting gender discrimination and human trafficking with grassroots innovation Types of itineraries with meaningful travel experiences? □ FIT □ Group □✔Both □ Other
ILLUSTRATIVE ITINERARY Itinerary name: An in-depth look at the link between poverty and human trafficking and the power of community development Type of experience: □ Volunteer experience □ Social enterprise experience □✔Both Itinerary summary and highlights: This journey, rich in culture and history, takes you from the archeological wonders of Angkor Wat, to the bustling streets of Hanoi, then onto the picturesque terraced terrain of Sapa, the fertile, northernmost region of Vietnam. While this region of SE Asia offers staggering beauty in so many forms, it ranks among the poorest in the world. The intergenerational post traumatic effects of the Khmer Rouge and Vietnam War are still tangible today and have resulted in extreme poverty and a lack of education. Effects of this destruction are seen in a widespread weakening of the family and community networks and a vulnerability to human trafficking, now one of the faster growing industries. Couple your historical and cultural exploration of these magnificent yet complex countries with a deep dive into the issues surrounding poverty, gender-discrimination and human trafficking. Meet with GoPhil Foundation’s carefully vetted group of courageous change-makers, local non-profits working hard to rebuild stronger families, communities and futures through community-driven education and empowerment programs. Tour duration, in hours or days: 10-14 Average group size: 10
GoodTravelsAdvisor.org | 27 GOOD TRAVELS ADVISOR: MEANINGFUL TRAVEL PROVIDER GUIDE
Maximum group size: 12 The trip’s social impact activities and their duration and frequency: Our trips offer a traveler the opportunity to meet a vetted group of NGOs with proven, transparent results. Travelers have the chance to hear and learn directly about their work, then have the opportunity to be a part of financial grants and capacity building, investing in their growth long-term. Tour program history and community development goals: GoPhil Travel works in conjunction, providing the travel logistics for GoPhilanthropic Foundation. Our partner programs are on the front-line, offering services in villages and communities lacking access to healthcare, education and human rights. GoPhilanthropic believes in investing in the growth and health of the organization as a whole. Once a program has been fully vetted and a trusting relationship has been established, we provide grants to fund their most critical needs based on their priorities. These range from daily food and medicine, to salaries or training for qualified staff, to basic operational costs such as electricity and internet services. In many cases, these are the unattractive, hard to fund yet fundamentally important items on an organization’s budget. We then consider the strength and weaknesses of a program’s core competencies. Through a series of on-site assessments conducted over a period of time, we are able to identify the skills and knowledge needed to scale and develop on a healthy trajectory and in some cases help to identify additional resources to assist in their development. Primary local partners (e.g. NGOs, community leaders, cooperatives, etc.): We have over 40+ partnerships with grassroots NGOs, most of whom we have had close partnership for 5 years. All of these partners are listed on the GoPhilanthropic Foundation Website. Target market(s) for this itinerary (check all that apply): □✔Youth □ Adventure □✔Luxury □✔Senior □✔Family □✔Donor □ Other Minimum age for participation: 10 (accompanied by parent) Comfort level: □ Roughing it □ Basic □ Comfortable □✔Luxury □ Other Activity level: □ Easy □✔Moderate □ Strenuous □ Extreme □ Other Special requirements (e.g. skills or languages): GoPhil only supports careful, thoughtful volunteer placements where skills sets are matched with specific needs of the program and where ideally, a volunteer can spend significant time (3 months or more) fully immersed in the culture and context. How do you prepare and engage your volunteer participants, if applicable, before or after the trip? We offer a broad range of educational materials before going-- helpful FAQ on where they are traveling to, the cultural norms and customs. We then provide a significant amount of information relating to the NGOs they will be visiting so they have quite a lot of background on the programs they will be engaging with. Cost (per person): □ Budget ($0-150/day) □ Mid-range ($150-300/day) □✔Upscale ($301-500/day) □ Luxury ($501+/day) □ Other Charitable donations and travelers? □ Expected □ Not expected □✔Not expected but travelers often donate □ Other Travel agent commission: □✔Yes □ No □ Other Is financial support provided to the partner organization? GoPhilanthropic Travel is affiliated with the work at GoPhilanthropic Foundation who raised over $400,000 a year for grassroots NGOs working on providing access to education, health and human rights in impoverished areas. GoPhil Travel provides donors and potential donors the experiential component to the Foundation where they make their donation. GoPhil Travel is also a donor to GoPhil Foundation. Contact with children and vulnerable populations, and ensuring a safe environment for children? Yes we do and we have very strict policies that relate to how we are able to interact with children. These policies extend to limitations on photographs. Please let us know if you would like full access to our Child Protection Policies. Awareness of ChildSafe travel guidelines? ( https://thinkchildsafe.org/travelers/ ) □✔Yes □ No □ I am a ChildSafe provider □ Other
GoodTravelsAdvisor.org | 28 GOOD TRAVELS ADVISOR: MEANINGFUL TRAVEL PROVIDER GUIDE
GVI 3GLOBAL VISION INTERNATIONAL4 WEBSITE www.gviusa.com | CONTACT Matt Mitton | EMAIL [email protected]
COMPANY INFORMATION Company specialty and value proposition: GVI specializes in volunteer travel, internships focused on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and experiential education. We are unique in that all GVI programs are run by GVI staff on the ground in close partnership with local organizations and communities. This ensures a high level of support and adherence to our 1st brand promise, that “You will make a difference”. This is assured through a strongly stakeholder led process for project development and implementation. The network of 150 field staff around the world, ensures strong 24/7 support for our participants to ensure that as well as making a difference they are safe and through discussions and reflection that they are also growing in their understanding of global issues. Philanthropic focus area(s) of trips: Our travelers are hands on “agents of change”. We focus on a number of the UN’s SDGs and empower our volunteers to ensure that even after they return home they are capable and inspired to make a real difference. Broadly our programs can be split into Conservation (marine and wildlife/terrestrial) and Community (construction, gender equality, education, health and poverty alleviation) focusses. Typically the participants will be working alongside an international team in partnership with local organizations and will have an experience that is out of reach to a typical traveler. Geographic scope served: □ 1-3 countries □ 4-8 countries □✔8+ countries #1 itinerary title with meaningful travel experiences: International Volunteering Experiences #2 itinerary title with meaningful travel experiences: International Internship Experiences Types of itineraries with meaningful travel experiences? □ FIT □ Group □✔Both □ Other
ILLUSTRATIVE ITINERARY Itinerary name: Volunteer with Elephants in Thailand Type of experience: □ Volunteer experience □ Social enterprise experience □✔Both Itinerary summary and highlights: Your clients will travel to Chiang Mai Province in Northern Thailand’s Chiang Mai where they will volunteer with elephants that have been relocated from working in the tourist industry. They work directly with the elephant’s mahouts and local villagers to assist with rehabilitation and reintroduction into a semi-wild forest environment, whist exploring alternative livelihoods for the community. The volunteers live and work in a local Karen community in the hills and lush Mountain forests West of Chiang Mai. Staying in home stays, they experience the local cultures and way of life to a degree impossible on traditional tourist trips in an area famous for its traditional elephant keeping communities. During the day, volunteers will spend some of their time in the fields with the newer elephants and may also get the chance to trek into the forests on longer excursions to monitor the elephants that have been with the program longer as they start to live more natural lives. Volunteers will have the chance to learn about elephant physiology, behaviour, social interactions and more, together with the history of elephants, mahouts and communities in the area.
GoodTravelsAdvisor.org | 29 GOOD TRAVELS ADVISOR: MEANINGFUL TRAVEL PROVIDER GUIDE
After their time, volunteers should have a fuller understanding of the welfare improvements they have helped to bring to these gentle giants and the alternative livelihoods and income sources they have helped to contribute to for the villagers and mahouts. Tour duration, in hours or days: This program is available from 1 to 24 weeks as a volunteering program or internship at the longer durations. Average group size: 15 Maximum group size: 24 + staff The trip’s social impact activities and their duration and frequency: Participants on the GVI Chiang Mai elephants contribute to social impact through the following activities: • Financial support of participants provides funding to rescue elephants from tourist camps and bring elephants and their mahouts back to the forests surrounding their villages to live a life as elephants naturally do: residing in the forest as a social herd foraging for food free of the work in tourism such as giving rides, painting or doing circus trips. The participants and their financial support also contributes to the creation and support of local homestays creating a sustainable tourism model that the community should be able to utilize for decades to come. This is ongoing as each participant’s financial contribution goes to the long term running and management of this program • Collecting behavioral data on the elephants and their interactions with the herd provide a study to raise awareness about this sustainable tourism model while also monitoring the ability of the elephants to recreate a semi-wild herd. Data is collected daily (Monday - Friday) on hikes to see the elephant • Collecting general data on flora and fauna in the region creates a study providing geographical data over long periods of time which can be utilized to monitor the health of the biodiversity of the area over time. Biodiversity info is collected daily (Monday- Friday) on hikes to see the elephants as well as general hikes in the area. • Teaching English classes for local school children, mahouts, home stay families and general community members provides a capacity building opportunity to provide the community with skills and knowledge that can empower them go on to set up and run similar sustainable tourism projects and provide better education and employment opportunities for local people. English classes are taught throughout the week (Monday- Friday)- specific times depend upon school schedules, season and general community needs but the English language training is ongoing in the community. Tour program history and community development goals: Elephants are sadly often viewed as property and a means for generating income for local communities through harmful or degrading activities such elephant riding or using them to beg on the streets of large cities like Bangkok. The elephant tourism industry is unregulated and welfare for the animals often secondary, with them being forced into camps or to take tourists for rides. They are intelligent animals that need mental, physical and social stimulation to thrive. They will typically live in herds with complex social interactions, have urges to migrate or move location and even exist on a rich diet that self medicates for many ailments. Caring for them is an expensive business, and without alternatives the activities that are turned to are often detrimental to the animal’s health and well being. This project aims to provide alternative income sources, allowing the elephants to be released from their duties and return to a healthier and more typical life style. Along with training the volunteers and local communities in local issues relating to the UN SDGs, the project results feed into GVI’s global SDG assessments. This again feeds into our mission of building a global network of people united by their passion to make a difference. Primary local partners (e.g. NGOs, community leaders, cooperatives, etc.): GVI partners with a range of national and international NGOs, Government Institutions, Educational establishments and grassroots organizations. Partners include Ohio State University, Duke University, Stanford University, Save the Children Mexico, South Africa National Parks board, the Building Bridges Coalition, NAFSA, The Forum on Education Abroad, The Red Cross Fiji, Panthera, the Environment Ministry in Costa Rica (MINAE) and many more. A full list can be found here: http://www.gviusa.com/resources/global-partnerships/ Target market(s) for this itinerary (check all that apply): □✔Youth □✔Adventure □ Luxury □ Senior □✔Family □ Donor □✔Other: Professional Minimum age for participation: 18 Comfort level: □ Roughing it □✔Basic □ Comfortable □ Luxury □ Other Activity level: □✔Easy □✔Moderate □ Strenuous □ Extreme □✔Other: Easy to Strenuous depending on the program, e.g. teaching to trekking through rainforest.
GoodTravelsAdvisor.org | 30 GOOD TRAVELS ADVISOR: MEANINGFUL TRAVEL PROVIDER GUIDE
Special requirements (e.g. skills or languages): At GVI most of our volunteers are “unskilled”, but with our unique network of over 150 field staff worldwide supporting them 24/7 on the ground, we are able to train the volunteers with the skills they will need to make a real difference. How do you prepare and engage your volunteer participants, if applicable, before or after the trip? Volunteers and interns are prepared before the program through interaction with our Country Experts and provision of training materials. The real experience starts though when they hit the ground and our staff can train them face to face. Following the program our Alumni team are there to communicate with the volunteers as part of our 3rd brand promise of 360 degree support and to support our mission of: building a global network of people united by their passion to make a difference. Cost (per person): □✔Budget ($0-150/day) □ Mid-range ($150-300/day) □ Upscale ($301-500/day) □ Luxury ($501+/day) □ Other Charitable donations and travelers? □ Expected □ Not expected □✔Not expected but travelers often donate □✔Other: Professional Travel agent commission: □✔Yes □ No □ Other Is financial support provided to the partner organization? Around 60-70% of our funds go into running our field operations, which is a mixture of staff wages, rent, food, aid to partners etc. Contact with children and vulnerable populations, and ensuring a safe environment for children? Yes, we have an extensive Child Protection Policy and insist on background checks for relevant volunteers. Awareness of ChildSafe travel guidelines? ( https://thinkchildsafe.org/travelers/ ) □✔Yes □ No □ I am a ChildSafe provider □ Other
INTERCULTURAL OUTREACH INITIATIVE 3IOI4 WEBSITE www.ioi.ngo | CONTACT Johann Besserer | EMAIL [email protected]
COMPANY INFORMATION Company specialty and value proposition: IOI runs and supports research and conservation efforts in Cuba, Costa Rica, and Galapagos. We provide boutique, rustic, high- end travel experiences that visit our research and conservation projects on location. By giving back 100% of our surplus into the projects, we ensure maximum impact of your travel dollars. Every dollar spent turns into a contribution to science and conservation directly at the sites you visited and fell in love with. In addition to supporting our projects with funding via your high-end trip, you can participate in our projects hands-on through optional citizen science and service learning experiences. Philanthropic focus area(s) of trips: Our projects are focused on conservation, education, and social development in isolated and unique places of particular natural beauty or relevance. Through our work, we empower isolated communities to grow in a sustainable way. Your travel funds contribute to supporting our projects. These include turtle nesting monitoring, female empowerment, English teaching, coral reef and coastal habitat restoration, veterinary clinics, personal growth, and public health workshops. As a 501©3 recognized non-profit organization, we guarantee 100% of the surplus going to the projects visited. Geographic scope served: □✔1-3 countries □ 4-8 countries □ 8+ countries
GoodTravelsAdvisor.org | 31 GOOD TRAVELS ADVISOR: MEANINGFUL TRAVEL PROVIDER GUIDE
#1 itinerary title with meaningful travel experiences: Cuba - Culture and Conservation #2 itinerary title with meaningful travel experiences: Science and Sustainability - a new EcoTourism in Costa Rica Types of itineraries with meaningful travel experiences? □ FIT □ Group □✔Both □ Other
ILLUSTRATIVE ITINERARY Itinerary name: Science and Sustainability - a new EcoTourism in Costa Rica Type of experience: □ Volunteer experience □ Social enterprise experience □✔Both Itinerary summary and highlights: Day 1: Arrival Liberia Airport; IOI representative present work of organization; Day 2 Optional - Boutique tourism in Costa Rica; AM: Presentation on the rational use of the turtle eggs and the commercialization vs conservation of the resource; PM: If there is a turtle arribada, transfer to the Wildlife Refuge to observe this phenomenon. If no turtle arrival, alternatives include: horseback riding, catamaran tours, wildlife watching, deep sea fishing, wellness; Day 3 La Fortuna: Sustainable concepts in Eco-tourism; PM: Presentation and tour by project staff about sustainable tourism concepts including organic, on-site agriculture and farm to table dining, reforestation, and holistic wellness; Day 4 - La Fortuna: Sustainable Eco-tourism experiences; AM: Organic gardening demonstration with option to participate; PM: Hot springs; Night: Nature/amphibians walk in restored wetlands; Day 5 La Fortuna: Nature and Wellness experience; Nature/Wellness Tour of choice: Volcano hike, Guided nature walk, Kayaking/paddle boarding, Rafting, Ziplining, Waterfall, Guided meditation or yoga workshops; Day 6 - El Jobo: Science and Tourism; PM: Presentation by local Scientists about sea turtle monitoring and environmental education programs. Optional night: Sea turtle monitoring; Day 7 - El Jobo: Citizen Science – Ecotourism that contributes; AM/PM: Relax at resort; Optional day: participate in conservation project; Optional night: Sea turtle monitoring; Day 8 - Departure Liberia Airport Tour duration, in hours or days: 8 days Average group size: 10 Maximum group size: 20 The trip’s social impact activities and their duration and frequency: Our model is unique in that it does not rely on philanthropic support to keep our conservation projects alive. This unique flexibility, which is independent of funder interest or funding cycles, is only possible through the innovative merger of Sustainable Eco-Tourism (your travels) and our citizen science and service learning itineraries (conservation and social development of unique locations). Through our model, we provide the continuous support for the projects you visited, ensuring that they prosper. Specifically, in the example itinerary above, you will be taken on a journey through sustainability in tourism. First, you will learn about the typical way Costa Rica interprets Eco-Tourism. You will stay at an upscale boutique hotel and will participate in the amazing natural phenomenon known as the arribada,when thousands of sea turtles come ashore to nest. In addition to the small scale, wild-life theme of the first location, our second stop introduces concepts of on-site, organic, farm-to-table food production and restoration of natural habitats as part of the experience. Our last stop increases the involvement of the traveler and the sustainability level of the itinerary once more, introducing science as part of a sustainable tourism that cares. The travelers will be introduced to our scientists and invited to participate in our ongoing sea turtle research and conservation projects. Tour program history and community development goals: IOI serves as the link between the international expertise of our academic partners, the funding of our clients, and the local needs of our host communities in Costa Rica. To that end, we extend three branches of operation: educational travel programs, outreach projects in conservation and social development, and volunteer opportunities in our projects. Since embarking on our journey in 2006, IOI has grown into a mature organization with an innovative design, merging educational travel with conservation and community development. Our mission in Costa Rica is to contribute to the conservation of sea turtles by promoting scientific research and the empowerment of women entrepreneurs. We support scientific research and conservation projects along the Pacific coast for sea turtles under stress from poaching and overfishing. To reduce the economic incentive for poaching, we provide a financing program that addresses socioeconomic problems of poor and marginalized women in the fishing communities we work in. IOI uniquely provides microloans to women in our fishing communities to help them start their businesses, reducing the economic pressure on their husbands that often leads to the poaching of wildlife. We evaluate the success of our projects by measuring the continuous reduction of the number of poached nests on the beaches we monitor. On the social impact side, we assess the numbers of participating women and their successfully launched businesses. Primary local partners (e.g. NGOs, community leaders, cooperatives, etc.): • EquipoToraCarey, 1 year • Fundacion Horizontes, 2 years
GoodTravelsAdvisor.org | 32 GOOD TRAVELS ADVISOR: MEANINGFUL TRAVEL PROVIDER GUIDE
Target market(s) for this itinerary (check all that apply): □ Youth □✔Adventure □ Luxury □ Senior □✔Family □ Donor □✔Other: Conservation, Volunteering, and Science Comfort level: □ Roughing it □ Basic □ Comfortable □ Luxury □✔Other: Rustic high end Activity level: □ Easy □✔Moderate □ Strenuous □ Extreme □ Other Special requirements (e.g. skills or languages): Spanish recommended but not required How do you prepare and engage your volunteer participants, if applicable, before or after the trip? Via email Cost (per person): □ Budget ($0-150/day) □ Mid-range ($150-300/day) □✔Upscale ($301-500/day) □ Luxury ($501+/day) □ Other Charitable donations and travelers? □ Expected □ Not expected □✔Not expected but travelers often donate □ Other Travel agent commission: □✔Yes □ No □ Other Is financial support provided to the partner organization? Yes, we support our local partner organizations with expertise and funding that correlate directly to the project. We are a non-profit organization, thus, 100% of our surplusses go to project - our own, or supported local projects. Contact with children and vulnerable populations, and ensuring a safe environment for children? No Awareness of ChildSafe travel guidelines? ( https://thinkchildsafe.org/travelers/ ) □✔Yes □ No □ I am a ChildSafe provider □ Other
LOKAL TRAVEL WEBSITE www.lokaltravel.com | CONTACT Eytan Elterman | EMAIL [email protected]
COMPANY INFORMATION Company specialty and value proposition: Lokal is a marketplace that allows travelers to discover and book culturally immersive experiences around the globe. They work with community cooperatives, associations, and micro tour operators (many of whom have been capacitated by USAID, peace corps, universities, and NGOs) that offer access to amazing destinations but struggle to reach international travelers. Lokal offers strong marketing and booking solutions to help drive travel dollars to destinations that are often overlooked. Currently 80% of the experiences they represent cannot be booked anywhere else online. Philanthropic focus area(s) of trips: As a social enterprise, Lokal provides travelers a deeper understanding of how their purchasing power can positively impact the places they visit. The platform then gives travelers a flexible solution to put that education into practice. Up to 80% of travel dollars spent through the marketplace gets reinvested into local communities which has a direct impact on conservation efforts. Supporting low impact tourism projects helps communities value their land in new ways. Instead of extractive activities (hunting, logging, etc.), selling their property, or moving to bigger cities for employment, residents of these small communities are now investing in tourism and conserving their beautiful environments and cultures for tourists to appreciate.
GoodTravelsAdvisor.org | 33 GOOD TRAVELS ADVISOR: MEANINGFUL TRAVEL PROVIDER GUIDE
Geographic scope served: □ 1-3 countries □ 4-8 countries □✔8+ countries #1 itinerary title with meaningful travel experiences: Osa Community Adventure ( https://www.lokaltravel.com/go/osa-community-adventure ) #2 itinerary title with meaningful travel experiences: Lanjia Lodge Golden Triangle Experience ( https://www.lokaltravel.com/go/lanjia-lodge-golden-triangle ) Types of itineraries with meaningful travel experiences? □ FIT □ Group □✔Both □ Other
ILLUSTRATIVE ITINERARY Itinerary name: Osa Community Adventure Type of experience: □ Volunteer experience □✔Social enterprise experience □ Both Itinerary summary and highlights: Join a small group of intrepid travelers on a unique adventure to Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula, home to an astounding 2.5% of the world’s biodiversity! You’ll connect with local residents from several rural communities who will welcome you into their homes, share their way of life, and provide a glimpse into a rugged, wild side of the country that few travelers ever get to experience. Venture deep into the rainforest to explore pristine swimming holes, observe incredible wildlife in Corcovado National Park and relax on a beautiful beach or two. Better still, every place we go will be tied to local efforts to improve communities and protect the beautiful, fragile environment on the peninsula! The trip takes travelers through three distinct Osa communities of approximately 300 residents. Each community visit lasts between 2-3 days and transportation is via a private SUV the entire week. Highlights of the trip: Hike 1.5km into the jungle in Dos Brazos to stay overnight at a mountainside cabin. Watch the jungle come to life from a remote lookout spot at sunrise. Hike into Corcovado National Park and see amazing wildlife - scarlet macaws, monkeys, sloths, and much more. Canoe out into a private lagoon that helps the Villalobos family protect nearly 1,000 acres of rainforest. Swim in pristine waterfall pools at Naguala ecolodge. Try rare jungle fruits. Learn how locals mine for gold with Juan Cubillo. Learn how to make home cooked Tico style meals with Alice. Tour duration, in hours or days: 8 days Average group size: 8 Maximum group size: 8 The trip’s social impact activities and their duration and frequency: The Osa Community Adventure trip takes travelers through three distinct rural communities over the course of a week. This weeklong trip invests hundreds of dollars per traveler in multiple marginalized communities. With a group of 6 or 8 the impact is much greater. Dos Brazos is a community that until recently did not offer many tourism related activities, (and only had two jobs out of the 300 residents that weren’t related to illegal gold mining), but with the establishment of their association (ACODOBRARTI) and the opening of the Corcovado trail, their tourism industry has started to grow. They recently reinvested a part of their tourism revenue to build a beautiful community center that makes Dos Brazos a destination for local and national events (the president of Costa Rica recently visited) which will inevitably bring more business to the community. Rancho Quemado is really well organized as a community; tourism activities are divided between the cooperative Osa Rural Tours and the Association of Rancho Quemado. Tourism growth in Rancho Quemado has motivated many families to stop hunting and mining for gold, instead focusing more on tourism. They also have a soccer field with lights and a newly inaugurated library with computers. The last community visited on the trip is Los Planes de Drake that includes a stay at gorgeous ecolodge that preserves hundreds of acres of primary rainforest. One day is also spent visiting Sirena Biological Station via a local tour operator. Tour program history and community development goals: The Osa Community Adventure was created as a byproduct of an award winning documentary film (http://www.twopointfivepercentfilm.com/ ) that two of Lokal’s founders co-produced about the intersection of rainforest conservation and tourism development in the Osa Peninsula. Six months on the ground in 2012 and 2013 provided a first hand perspective into the development of the community tourism projects and allowed for friendships to develop in a very organic manner. Lokal was founded after the completion of the film as a direct response to what was learned on the ground; that working with local communities and empowering locals to be stewards of their land is a great way to help conserve the Osa. Seeing that this solution is applicable all over the world Lokal was born with a global goal in mind and a regional adventure in the Osa that is one of a kind. Success is measured by driving more travelers to these marginalized communities. Our modest goal is to send 32 travelers on the Osa Community Adventure trip in the coming year, which would be a huge boost to all three communities and local businesses that are part of this trip. These travelers would drive tens of thousand of dollars directly into the Osa communities, which would at least double the annual income for many of our partners. GoodTravelsAdvisor.org | 34 GOOD TRAVELS ADVISOR: MEANINGFUL TRAVEL PROVIDER GUIDE
Primary local partners (e.g. NGOs, community leaders, cooperatives, etc.): • The Osa Community Adventure works with many partners, including cooperatives, associations and local businesses and tour operators. They are all listed in the next section. • Osa Lodge, ACODOBRARTI (Dos Brazos Association), Osa Rural Tours, Rancho Quemado Association, Naguala Ecolodge, Caminos de Osa Target market(s) for this itinerary (check all that apply): □ Youth □✔Adventure □ Luxury □ Senior □✔Family □ Donor □✔Other: Conscious consumers, culturally curious Minimum age for participation: 14 Comfort level: □ Roughing it □✔Basic □ Comfortable □ Luxury □ Other Activity level: □ Easy □✔Moderate □ Strenuous □ Extreme □ Other Special requirements (e.g. skills or languages): Most community members only speak Spanish but the trip includes a translator. How do you prepare and engage your volunteer participants, if applicable, before or after the trip? N/A Cost (per person): □ Budget ($0-150/day) □✔Mid-range ($150-300/day) □ Upscale ($301-500/day) □ Luxury ($501+/day) □ Other Charitable donations and travelers? □ Expected □✔Not expected □ Not expected but travelers often donate □ Other Travel agent commission: □✔Yes □ No □ Other Is financial support provided to the partner organization? No Contact with children and vulnerable populations, and ensuring a safe environment for children? No Awareness of ChildSafe travel guidelines? ( https://thinkchildsafe.org/travelers/ ) □✔Yes □ No □ I am a ChildSafe provider □ Other
ME TO WE WEBSITE https://www.metowe.com/volunteer-travel/ | CONTACT Aaron Sapra | EMAIL [email protected]
COMPANY INFORMATION Tour program history and community development goals: ME to WE Trips are impactful, life changing and provide participants with the unique opportunity to volunteer for our charity partner, WE Charity, which has a 20-year history of holistic, sustainable development work. Half of ME to WE’s net profits are donated to WE Charity—helping you make an even bigger impact on the communities our travelers visit. The other half is reinvested to grow the enterprise and its social mission. The community and its needs determine volunteer efforts. We work in close collaboration with community members and development experts to develop holistic solutions that have lasting impacts. Alongside locals, travelers may lay foundations or bricks for schools, run summer camps for children, or support workers digging fields and planting trees. These efforts contribute to the many
GoodTravelsAdvisor.org | 35 GOOD TRAVELS ADVISOR: MEANINGFUL TRAVEL PROVIDER GUIDE
important steps needed to establish the five pillars, which eliminate the obstacles to education. Importantly, these efforts do not take jobs away from locals. In fact, WE Charity’s development projects create jobs for supervisors, skilled engineers and project managers. A ME to WE Trip participant’s volunteer work is essential to completing the numerous and ongoing projects that benefit the communities where WE Charity works. WE Charity has been honored with numerous awards, including the World’s Children’s Prize for the Rights of the Child; the Roosevelt Freedom From Fear Medal and the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship. The impact of WE Charity’s development model has been externally validated by the U.S.-based social-impact consulting firm Mission Measurement. Primary local partners (e.g. NGOs, community leaders, cooperatives, etc.): WE Charity is our charity partner and our best friend in changing the world. Using a highly effective model, ME to WE is structured to offset expenses and help provide pro bono services to WE Charity’s efforts at home and abroad. With a holistic approach to sustainable international development, WE Charity empowers communities with the means to lift themselves from poverty. To date, WE Charity has built more than 1000 schools and schoolrooms around the world, empowering more than 200,000 children with an education. Hundreds of communities have benefited from its water and sanitation projects, medical resources and alternative income programs. We work with WE Charity for one simple reason: together, WE change the world.
THREE ILLUSTRATIVE ITINERARIES Itinerary #1 name: ME to WE Kenya Experience - Bogani Cottages & Tented Camp (3 night/4 day) Type of experience: □ Volunteer experience □ Social enterprise experience □✔Both Itinerary summary and highlights: Flashes of red from Maasai shukas colour the savannah’s plains as beaded jewellry-decorated necks jingle softly with each step. Sounds of school children laughing echo across the sky, mixed with greetings of ’jambo!’ Goats are heard bleating while grazing near traditional huts within bustling villages, animated by the day’s work ahead. Find yourself immersed in the beauty of Kenya. • Participate on a sustainable international development project. • Connect with community members by experiencing their daily lives in rural Kenya. • Explore nature as you walk through the African bush and experience the true savannah, led by your local Masaai guide. Day 1: Only a 2-hour drive north of the Masai Mara gate, guests will make their way to Bogani Cottages and Tented Camp. After a quick lodge orientation, enjoy lunch and then learn a few words of Swahili before visiting the community and seeing projects under way. Day 2: Optional sunrise bush walk with a ME to WE guide exploring the local flora and fauna. Following breakfast, spend the morning with the women of the community and learn what daily life in rural Kenya is like. After lunch, go to the project site where they will participate firsthand in a community project. Finish the day with a visit WE Charity’s first all- girls high school in the Maasai Mara, where they’ll meet students and teachers. Day 3: Return in the morning to the project site and continue making progress on the community project. After lunch, guests will have the opportunity to sit with a women’s beading circle and learn how they’re empowered to earn an income. Finish the day and learn about local medicinal herbs & train in the art of Maasai weaponry. Day 4: Optional bush walk at sunrise overlooking the Mara Plains. Depart with the driver to their next destination. The trip’s social impact activities and their duration and frequency: On this trip, travellers will learn about our partner charity’s sustainable development model – WE Villages – and how we work with rural communities to break the cycle of poverty and achieve long-term community development goals. There are five pillars of impact that make up this model, and they will have the opportunity to see how they lead to scalable change within the communities: 1. Education: Quality primary education 2. Water: Safe/clean drinking water and sanitation systems 3. Health: Sanitation & health care services 4. Food: Agriculture and food security 5. Opportunity: Alternative income projects Throughout the stay at Bogani, travellers will have the opportunity to experience a guided walking tour of a local primary school in Enelerai community, and see the difference between an old school structure, and a new working school built by WE Villages. They will join the mamas at Emori Joi for a special walk through the community and learn more about how the Kipsigis organize their homes and lives. They’ll also fetch water with the mamas - a task the women
GoodTravelsAdvisor.org | 36 GOOD TRAVELS ADVISOR: MEANINGFUL TRAVEL PROVIDER GUIDE
perform daily - share a meal and participate in a discussion about changes taking place in the community regarding gender and culture. Before departing Bogani, our travellers roll up their sleeves and work alongside Maasai and Kipsigi community members as they help to on a community project.
Itinerary #2 name: ME to WE India Experience – Araveli Cottages & Tented Camp (3 night/4 day) Type of experience: □ Volunteer experience □ Social enterprise experience □✔Both Itinerary summary and highlights: Travellers will surround themselves with the sights and scents of a culture rich in history, traditions and beauty. Travel from the hustle and bustle of city life in urban Udaipur to the calm and serene rolling hills of rural Rajasthan. A home- away-from-home, our bespoke Araveli Cottages and Tented Camp will provide the sights of vibrantly coloured saris dotting the hillsides of the Aravalli Mountains as our guests find themselves immersed in in India’s raw, untouched beauty. • Connect with community members by learning about their daily lives • Participate in a sustainable international development project • Explore the hills of the Aravalli Mountain Range & experience many of India’s age-old traditions led by your local guide Day 1: Begin your journey as you travel to our bespoke Araveli Cottages and Tented Camp, a two-hour drive northeast of Udaipur. After a quick lodge orientation, enjoy lunch before learning a few words of Hindi. Afterward, visit a local community to see development projects that are underway. Day 2: Take in the sunrise with an optional morning yoga session. Following breakfast, spend the morning with the women of the community and learn what daily life in rural India is like. After lunch, you will have the opportunity to meet a local farmer and hear about his agricultural challenges. Then, return to the project site where you will participate firsthand in a sustainable development project. Day 3: Optional sunrise nature walk with your ME to WE guide exploring the local flora and fauna. Return to the project site and continue making progress on your community project. After lunch, unwind and try your hand at traditional crafts like tie-dying and block-printing. Connect with a community member as you join a women’s or men’s circle to hear their personal stories and participate in meaningful discussions. Day 4: Optional light yoga at sunrise overlooking the Aravalli Mountain Range. Depart with your driver to your next destination. The trip’s social impact activities and their duration and frequency: On this trip, travellers will learn about our partner charity’s sustainable development model –WE Villages – and how we work with rural communities to break the cycle of poverty and achieve long-term community development goals. There are five pillars of impact that make up this model, and they will have the opportunity to see how they lead to scalable change within the communities: 1. Education: Quality primary education 2. Water: Safe/clean drinking water and sanitation systems 3. Health: Sanitation & health care services 4. Food: Agriculture and food security 5. Opportunity: Alternative income projects Travellers will experience the warmth of a community welcome as they gather with students and villagers who will be directly impacted by the work they are doing. In accordance with Hindu tradition, they will partake in a Poja–a traditional Hindu prayer ceremony to mark the beginning of an auspicious event. Every new initiative begins with a blessing to ensure the success and prosperity of the work being undertaken. Learn about the village and the community project that they will be helping with, and discover how their efforts and the work of WE Charity will make a meaningful impact on the lives of children in the community and their families. On day two, travellers will spend the morning connecting with local women. They’ll join them on a walk through their village to share in their daily activities, such as collecting water, feeding animals and making chapatti. They’ll also meet a local farmer to explore agriculture projects in the region and the challenges they’re addressing. Over the final couple of days they’ll join local community members to volunteer on a sustainable development project, such as laying the foundation for a new classroom.
GoodTravelsAdvisor.org | 37 GOOD TRAVELS ADVISOR: MEANINGFUL TRAVEL PROVIDER GUIDE
Itinerary #3 name: ME to WE Ecuadorian Amazon Experience – Minga Lodge (3 night/4 day) Type of experience: □ Volunteer experience □ Social enterprise experience □✔Both Itinerary summary and highlights: Dive deeper into Ecuador’s vibrant culture and landscape on this transformative experience, and leave more than a footprint behind—leave a positive impact. Discover the wild beauty of the Amazon and connect with Indigenous communities that call the rainforest home. Recharge and reflect on the day’s adventures at Minga Lodge, a charming destination that boasts stunning views of the Rio Napo, a tributary to the Amazon River. • Contribute to a sustainable development project • Connect with community members and learn more about their daily lives • Explore the Amazon rainforest, with an expert jungle guide Day 1: Fly into Coca, before travelling by boat up the Napo River. Arrive at Minga Lodge, take part in a trip orientation, and enjoy an optional wild Amazonian night walk. Day 2: Join in optional morning birdwatching. Later, meet local community members, start your volunteer project and spend the afternoon with a local farmer. Day 3: Explore the rainforest with your jungle guide, before enjoying a traditional cooking lesson. Visit a cacao farm and learn how chocolate is made—a key source of income in the region. Day 4: Head to the airport in Coca via boat, before flying back to Quito to continue your journey. The trip’s social impact activities and their duration and frequency: On this trip, travellers will learn about our partner charity’s sustainable development model –WE Villages – and how we work with rural communities to break the cycle of poverty and achieve long-term community development goals. There are five pillars of impact that make up this model, and they will have the opportunity to see how they lead to scalable change within the communities: 1. Education: Quality primary education 2. Water: Safe/clean drinking water and sanitation systems 3. Health: Sanitation & health care services 4. Food: Agriculture and food security 5. Opportunity: Alternative income projects In a playful but educational group session, travellers will learn key Spanish phrases that will help to foster a connection with new friends in the community. They will challenge their senses with blindfolded taste tests and other interactive teaching tools, then partner up and practice your greetings with a fellow traveller. When the sun goes down, the rainforest comes alive. Join your jungle guide for an adventurous night walk to discover the incredible array of nocturnal wildlife that calls the jungle home. You might spot frogs, spiders, tree snakes and owls—but with tens of thousands of species in the Amazon Basin, there’s no limit to what this one-of-a-kind experience might have in store. Over the next couple of days, our guests will enjoy a hearty breakfast, then take a quick jungle walk or canoe ride to a nearby WE Villages community. As the community develops, priorities and tasks shift – our guests will learn about these changing priorities and other community initiatives. They’ll interact with local members and together, contribute to an ongoing sustainable development project such as laying the foundation for a new classroom. There’s no better way to understand the lives of local people than by walking a mile in their shoes. Guests will meet a local farmer and join their family to carry out their daily activities, such as planting seeds, collecting water from the river and harvesting crops. Time permitting, a guide may be able to provide a traditional cooking lesson. Transform exotic and unusual local ingredients into traditional dishes, and enjoy the fruits of your labour as a pre-lunch snack.
COMMON CHARACTERISTICS FOR ALL ME TO WE PROGRAMS Tour duration, in hours or days: All itineraries included in this survey are 4 days, 3 nights in length. This varies by travel partner and by the needs/desires of the individual traveller Average group size: Most adult group departures are private and therefore group size is dependent on the individual guest’s party. Private departures can include from 2-50 people depending on the partner and the segment.
GoodTravelsAdvisor.org | 38 GOOD TRAVELS ADVISOR: MEANINGFUL TRAVEL PROVIDER GUIDE
Target market(s) for this itinerary (check all that apply): □ Youth □ Adventure □✔Luxury □ Senior □✔Family □ Donor □✔Other: Professional Minimum age for participation: There are no legal age minimums but we recommend that children be at least 8 years of age in order to fully appreciate experience of a ME to WE trip. Comfort level: □ Roughing it □ Basic □✔Comfortable □ Luxury □ Other Activity level: □ Easy □ Moderate □ Strenuous □ Extreme □✔Other: Activity levels can be tailored to suit the needs of individual guests. Some people want to put in a lot of work on the various community projects being built, while others prefer to spend their time speaking with and learning from community members. Special requirements (e.g. skills or languages): None! ME to WE’s trip programs are designed to ensure that everyone can participate and everyone feels included regardless of their age or level of physical ability. How do you prepare and engage your volunteer participants, if applicable, before or after the trip? A ME to WE Trip kick-starts a life-long journey and participants leave a ME to WE Trip with a deeper understanding of sustainability and development issues, while gaining a new perspective on our 21st century world. Trip facilitators continue to stay in touch with participants and make personal suggestions for opportunities to stay engaged with the organization. ME to WE organizes alumni events to offer past participants the opportunity to reconnect with fellow trip participants, meet other like-minded individuals who have also travelled with ME to WE Trips and to check in on what everyone has accomplished since their trips. WE Day is an annual series of stadium-sized events that brings together world-renowned speakers and performers”from Malala Yousafzai and Martin Sheen to Demi Lovato”with tens of thousands of youth to kick-start a year of action through WE Schools. You can’ buy a ticket to WE Day”you earn it by taking on one local and one global action. WE Charity also has a series of campaigns that enable people of all ages to make a difference in their local communities. The campaigns involve issues from local hunger to water issues to marginalization and Aboriginal issues. Campaigns include WE Scare Hunger, WE Create Change, WE Bake for Change, WE Stand Together and WE Are Silent. Cost (per person): □ Budget ($0-150/day) □ Mid-range ($150-300/day) □✔Upscale ($301-500/day) □ Luxury ($501+/day) □ Other
MOUNTAIN LODGES OF PERU WEBSITE www.mountainlodgesofperu.com | CONTACT Nadia LeBon | EMAIL [email protected]
COMPANY INFORMATION Company specialty and value proposition: MLP owns lodges along the Salkantay trail and in Lamay and Lares, and operates high-end lodge based adventures with all comforts, great guides and cultural interpretation. Philanthropic focus area(s) of trips: MLP works with local communities to provide health, education, job training, farm experiences, and more. We share some of these projects with our guests by visiting weavers cooperatives and primary schools. One of the lodges in Lares region is a joint venture with the local community; the guests can experience meeting the villagers and visiting their homes. Geographic scope served: □✔1-3 countries □ 4-8 countries □ 8+ countries
GoodTravelsAdvisor.org | 39 GOOD TRAVELS ADVISOR: MEANINGFUL TRAVEL PROVIDER GUIDE
#1 itinerary title with meaningful travel experiences: The Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu #2 itinerary title with meaningful travel experiences: Sacred Valley and Lares Adventure to Machu Picchu Types of itineraries with meaningful travel experiences? □ FIT □ Group □✔Both □ Other
ILLUSTRATIVE ITINERARY Itinerary name: The Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu Type of experience: □ Volunteer experience □✔Social enterprise experience □ Both Itinerary summary and highlights: The Salkantay Trek offers a unique active experience that takes travelers across a 15,500 foot pass over the Andean mountains and down into the cloud forest and Machu Picchu. The trek takes 6 days over 11 bio-zones, from snow- capped peaks and glaciers to moist forests filled with birds and flowers. The trek challenges the travelers physically but also offers an intimate experience with only 12 other guests and 2 experienced guides. Natural and historical interpretation is provided all along the trek. The lodges offer deluxe accommodations, gourmet meals, jacuzzi, massage, free wifi and all amenities. MLP employs 95% local community members to work at the lodges and carrying loads on the trail. We also facilitate encounters with local farmers and artisans along the way. At the end of the program, travelers will experience a fully guided visit of Machu Picchu Sanctuary. Tour duration, in hours or days: 7 days from Cusco to Cusco, with 6 days of hiking Average group size: 12 Maximum group size: 12 The trip’s social impact activities and their duration and frequency: The Salkantay Trek provides an opportunity to meet local communities, farmers and artisans who supply goods to the lodges as well sell weavings and knits to the travelers. Travelers also can visit a reforestation project and nursery next to the first lodge, an organic coffee farm, and a primary school near our lodges. All projects are supported by MLP’s NGO Yanapana and travelers. MLP guides provide an introduction of the company’s involvement in all these projects. Tour program history and community development goals: MLP started operations in 2007 and founded the Yanapana NGO to address issues of health, education and job training in the communities we visit along the Salkantay Trek. We have grown the various projects to involve more communities, and expanded to other areas such as veterinary assistance, reforestation, wildlife conservation, and more. Yanapana.org is the NGO website that describes the work being done in the field. Primary local partners (e.g. NGOs, community leaders, cooperatives, etc.): • Yanapana.org (NGO Cusco) 10 years • Mollepata Community and its leaders Target market(s) for this itinerary (check all that apply): □ Youth □✔Adventure □✔Luxury □ Senior □ Family □ Donor □✔Other: Baby boomers Minimum age for participation: 12 Comfort level: □ Roughing it □ Basic □ Comfortable □✔Luxury □ Other Activity level: □ Easy □ Moderate □✔Strenuous □ Extreme □ Other Special requirements (e.g. skills or languages): No volunteers required due to the nature of the program How do you prepare and engage your volunteer participants, if applicable, before or after the trip? We provide a talk on the community projects to travelers before the trip starts and visit one of the projects on the first day. Cost (per person): □ Budget ($0-150/day) □ Mid-range ($150-300/day) □ Upscale ($301-500/day) □✔Luxury ($501+/day) □ Other Charitable donations and travelers? □ Expected □ Not expected □✔Not expected but travelers often donate □ Other Travel agent commission: □✔Yes □ No □ Other
GoodTravelsAdvisor.org | 40 GOOD TRAVELS ADVISOR: MEANINGFUL TRAVEL PROVIDER GUIDE
Is financial support provided to the partner organization? Yes. MLP provides funding for some of the health, education and other projects in the region as needed. We also provide technical expertise by bringing in experts from various fields. Contact with children and vulnerable populations, and ensuring a safe environment for children? We do not work directly with the children, but provide funding for primary school projects like vegetable garden, teacher housing, health care, etc. Awareness of ChildSafe travel guidelines? ( https://thinkchildsafe.org/travelers/ ) □✔Yes □ No □ I am a ChildSafe provider □ Other
OCEANIC SOCIETY EXPEDITIONS WEBSITE www.oceanicsociety.org | CONTACT Wayne Sentman | EMAIL [email protected]
COMPANY INFORMATION Company specialty and value proposition: Established in 1969, Oceanic Society is America’s oldest nonprofit organization dedicated to ocean conservation. We have seen how conscientious nature travel can drive conservation and connect people to nature in meaningful ways. Our Expeditions programs have been a core component of how we pursue our mission. Each of our expeditions is designed with the intention to positively impact the natural areas and human communities we visit while also delivering transformative nature experiences for our travelers. Moreover, any profits we earn are invested directly into our research and community conservation programs worldwide. Since 1969, we have guided tens of thousands of travelers on life-changing journeys to explore the natural world. Philanthropic focus area(s) of trips: We choose and design our expeditions to support three main goals: 1. Conserving the natural areas we visit; 2. Supporting economies that aim to utilize and protect nature in sustainable ways; 3. Providing transformative experiences in nature that translate to personal behavior changes. Our trips connect our travelers to a host of conservation-oriented programs. From marine mammal or coral reef conservation projects where you directly assist researchers, to land based experiences in Guyana, Senegal, and Kenya to visit with dynamic enterprises focused on conserving species and natural habitats. We are always striving to connect our clients with authentic and unique ways to commune with nature and with the communities that are dependent on it. Geographic scope served: □ 1-3 countries □ 4-8 countries □✔8+ countries #1 itinerary title with meaningful travel experiences: Kenya Safari - From Hyenas to Humpback Whales #2 itinerary title with meaningful travel experiences: Whales of Guerrero Research Project Types of itineraries with meaningful travel experiences? □ FIT □ Group □✔Both □ Other
ILLUSTRATIVE ITINERARY Itinerary name: Kenya Safari - From Hyenas to Humpback Whales Type of experience: □ Volunteer experience □ Social enterprise experience □✔Both
GoodTravelsAdvisor.org | 41 GOOD TRAVELS ADVISOR: MEANINGFUL TRAVEL PROVIDER GUIDE
Itinerary summary and highlights: Our reinvention of the "classic" safari takes you on an unforgettable journey to Kenya to see animal migrations on land and at sea. This unique trip was named one of National Geographic Traveler’s "50 Tours of a Lifetime" in 2014. Our program provides a quality nature experience, beginning with visits to Kenya’s most prominent conservation focused conservancies (Laikipia) and National Parks (Masai Mara) during the height of the migration season, and ending up snorkeling and whale watching along Kenya’s beautiful coast. Our educational and conservation-focused itinerary also includes visits with community conservation leaders and artists. Highlights include: meeting members of the Ocean Sole Foundation, Watamu Marine association, Mpala Research Center, and the mobile medical clinic Community Health Africa Trust (CHAT); giving travelers an insider’s look at unique ways to connect community or business driven trash-to-cash strategies, and health care to modern wildlife conservation efforts in Kenya. This program is designed to create a life- changing experience allowing the traveler to come away with not just pretty pictures, but also first-hand exposure to how local community needs and ingenuity play a role in modern day conservation of predators and marine resources in Kenya. Tour duration, in hours or days: 14 days Average group size: 6 Maximum group size: 12 The trip’s social impact activities and their duration and frequency: Throughout the trip, group members have regular interactions with our long-term conservation and research partners on the ground. These meetings are then reinforced throughout the program with nightly presentations or directed talks that often include members from the groups we are visiting along the way. Each group we meet benefits by our direct contribution to their efforts,and the two-way sharing that occurs between our guests and the groups. The connection allows for group members to become as engaged as they desire, and also provides an economic incentive for our partners to keep doing the work they are doing. The meetings allow local community members the opportunity to become our teachers, by sharing and educating our group about the challenges they face and the solutions they are implementing. Working with many of these groups for over a decade means that they know our commitment to working with them across all different political and social climates. Our visitors throughout the journey also start to understand how community needs, health care, and poverty play large roles in the success of conservation efforts. They also learn firsthand, either by our visits or direct volunteer efforts, how the human dimension to conservation goals is critical to its success. By visiting artists as well as conservationists, we also hope to portray the inspiration behind these efforts, not just the challenges that are inherent in solving them. Tour program history and community development goals: Designing our trips is often initiated by an invitation from our partners to visit them and learn more. We work closely to understand the community’s needs and to design our collaborations, which will reinforce their long-term goals. Frequently, bringing international groups of tourists to visit a new project or a new community center can go a long way in aligning the community to support the conservation efforts. We publish a Conservation Impact statement every fiscal year where we quantify our impacts and present measurable outcomes, either in dollars, or in volunteer hours contributed. We initiated a grant-supported project in conjunction with Stanford University researchers called Blue Habits. With Blue Habits we have tried to bridge the gap between awareness and action. In spite of the fact that behavior scientists widely agree that awareness alone does not lead to action, most organizations focus solely on raising awareness. The science of behavior change is a growing field of study, but that research is predominantly focused on behaviors associated with health and commerce (e.g. purchasing behaviors). There have been few efforts to study behavior change in the context of environmental health and conservation. Our goal is to make sure that the experiences the traveler has on our expeditions/safaris will go from simple awareness to inform and motivate them upon return home to adopt new conservation oriented, or ocean-friendly (i.e. blue) habits. Primary local partners (e.g. NGOs, community leaders, cooperatives, etc.): • Watamu Marine Association (WMA), 12 years working together. WMA is a unique initiative at the Kenyan coast bringing together members from the community, tourism, and environment sectors. WMA promotes community development and empowerment, and advocates for the protection and preservation of Watamu Marine Park and Reserves. Projects include: environmental welfare, anti-child abuse, community eco-tourism, community youth and women’s education, dolphin eco-tourism and education, waste recycling, promoting quality tourism, and advocating for sustainable fisheries. • Ocean Sole Foundation - 8 years. Ocean Sole is a small foundation that works on marine conservation with local communities. They work with artisans to transform discarded flip-flops into elephants, giraffes, lions, rhinos, dolphins, sharks, turtles and more. The artists are local men and women in need of employment who have been trained how to make the sculptures. There are lots of flip-flops to be found: Ocean Sole’s goal is to recycle 400,000 flip-flops a year. The initiative was founded in 1997 by a Kenyan marine conservationist who was working on a development project in the area. She encouraged the local mothers to make beach collected flip-flops into sculptures. From that start Ocean Sole is now recycling about 220 pounds of shoes a week. They are selling these animal sculptures to zoos and
GoodTravelsAdvisor.org | 42 GOOD TRAVELS ADVISOR: MEANINGFUL TRAVEL PROVIDER GUIDE
museums across the world. They are creating business and employment opportunities by buying flip-flop waste from about 20 suppliers in the area. Target market(s) for this itinerary (check all that apply): □✔Youth □✔Adventure □✔Luxury □✔Senior □✔Family □✔Donor □✔Other: Customized versions of this program can be organized building off of the community connections - that could add additional time volunteering or incorporate a more focused experience with an in-country partner depending on the traveling groups interests/focus. Minimum age for participation: 12 Comfort level: □ Roughing it □ Basic □ Comfortable □✔Luxury □ Other Activity level: □ Easy □✔ Moderate □ Strenuous □ Extreme □ Other Special requirements (e.g. skills or languages): None How do you prepare and engage your volunteer participants, if applicable, before or after the trip? We send out background information about 120 days out from the trip start date. We talk with all participants about a month prior to departure and make sure to answer any questions they may have and make suggestions about what kinds of things that they may want to bring are best suited for the organizations we work with needs. During the safari we have ample opportunities to meet in-country partners and community leaders, and always strive to connect any on- ground activities to larger picture issues through evening presentations and discussions. On return we follow up with contact information for all organizations met on our travels, engage through post trip blog posts, and have some online programs that support the groups we work with here in the US, and try to engage our group members to spread the word or contribute once home. Cost (per person): □ Budget ($0-150/day) □ Mid-range ($150-300/day) □ Upscale ($301-500/day) □✔Luxury ($501+/day) □✔Other: It is not expected but almost always occurs. We also build in a cost that allows us to deliver a per group donation to each in-country organization we work with per trip. Charitable donations and travelers? □ Expected □ Not expected □✔Not expected but travelers often donate □ Other Travel agent commission: □✔Yes □ No □ Other Is financial support provided to the partner organization? We provide support through built in program fees that are directed at the organizations we work with. On some programs we provide volunteer hours that can be used as in-kind or matching "funds" for grants. With some of our partners we do occasionally co-apply for conservation or capacity building grants. And in some case we have been able to bring cooperating Directors or researchers out on some of our international expeditions to share their stories. Contact with children and vulnerable populations, and ensuring a safe environment for children? No Awareness of ChildSafe travel guidelines? ( https://thinkchildsafe.org/travelers/ ) □✔Yes □ No □ I am a ChildSafe provider □ Other
GoodTravelsAdvisor.org | 43 GOOD TRAVELS ADVISOR: MEANINGFUL TRAVEL PROVIDER GUIDE
SEE TURTLES WEBSITE www.seeturtles.org | CONTACT Brad Nahill | EMAIL [email protected]
COMPANY INFORMATION Company specialty and value proposition: SEE Turtles is a non-profit sea turtle conservation program who supports more than a dozen local conservation groups across Latin America. Our trips provide volunteer opportunities for travelers to participate in sea turtle research and conservation efforts with local organizations and researchers, including turtle nesting beaches, in-water research, and more. Our trips help fund the research programs, provide additional donations for turtle conservation, and support local communities as much as possible. Philanthropic focus area(s) of trips: Our trips are all about encouraging sea turtle conservation efforts. As part of the tours, fees are paid to local partners for their part in helping to arrange lodging, meals, educational presentations, and conservation activities. We also put $50 from each client towards our Billion Baby Turtles program, which supports efforts to protect important nesting beaches around Latin America. In addition, we put a heavy emphasis on community benefits from these trips. All of our partners hire local residents to help patrol the beaches and work with the tour groups. On all but our Cuba trips (where the government owns the hotels), every trip focuses locally-owned (non-chain) accommodations and restaurants and hires local guides. Describe your tour program’s history and community program goals, including how you measure success: Since our launch, our trips have resulted in more than 1,000 people participating in sea turtle conservation efforts in 7 countries. These trips have generated more than $800,000 in revenue to conservation efforts and local communities and we hope to pass $1 million later this year. In addition, the funds raised through tours have helped to save at least 50,000 hatchlings at six different turtle programs. The volunteers on our trips have completed more than 4,000 work shifts, patrolling nesting beaches, overseeing hatcheries, doing beach clean-ups, and sea turtle monitoring programs. We believe that the money that is spent in communities near sea turtle hotspots are at least as an important investment in long-term conservation efforts as the money given to local organizations. We have seen the transformation in communities when tourism becomes a bigger generator of income than exploitation of turtle eggs, meat, and shells and believe that local communities being involved in conservation is the best way to sustain conservation efforts. Special requirements for volunteering: Basic physical fitness (for trips that involve walking nesting beaches) but no background in biology or knowledge of Spanish needed. How do you prepare and engage your volunteer participants, before or after trip? We prepare volunteers before the trips with detailed trip packets that describe the nature of the research and accommodations, as well as with conference calls to talk through the itinerary, research, and packing lists. We also provide pre-trip information about minimizing the environmental impact of trips, including reducing plastic use, use of coral-friendly sunscreen, and avoiding purchase of products made from turtleshell. After the trips, we follow up with additional information on how participants can continue supporting conservation efforts in their daily lives and through social media. We also encourage participants to continue financial support of the programs that they visited. Does your company provide financial support to the partner? Yes, as noted above, every trip pays fees to partner conservation organizations for the research activities, in addition to a $50 donation per tour to turtle conservation organizations. Those additional donations generally go to the groups who host the tours but in some cases they go to other organizations (for trips that don’t involve nesting beach conservation programs. We also provide grants to partners for community education programs. Do you work directly with children or vulnerable populations? No. We provide financial support of efforts of our partners to educate local students and involve vulnerable populations in conservation efforts but they do not directly interact with tours.
GoodTravelsAdvisor.org | 44 GOOD TRAVELS ADVISOR: MEANINGFUL TRAVEL PROVIDER GUIDE
THE THIRD HALF WEBSITE www.thirdhalfsoccer.com | CONTACT Mike Geddes | EMAIL [email protected]
COMPANY INFORMATION Company specialty and value proposition: The third half is an adventure soccer travel company with a social purpose. We design 7-14 day trips for groups or individual travelers age 16+ who want to experience new countries and cultures while learning about Global Citizenship and making a difference. Soccer is often called “the world’s only common language.” We use the medium of soccer to create immersive experiences that introduce travelers to the challenges facing young people in different countries around the world. Travelers interact directly with local youth, giving them a first-hand experience of the challenges they are facing and how we can solve them together as equals. Profits from every trip are invested into programs that use soccer to help underserved youth. Philanthropic focus area(s) of trips: Our social mission is to support vulnerable youth all over the world. We do this by working with community-based NGOs that use soccer to tackle social issues like gender inequality, youth unemployment, crime, gang violence, racism and HIV/Aids. Because soccer is the universal language, it allows our travelers to interact and learn from their hosts as equals and teammates and not “poverty tourists.” Every trip involves hands-on work with the local NGO that allows the traveler to feel connected to their impact, which we create according to our mission as a social enterprise by investing profits from each trip directly into the local NGO, allowing them to increase their social impact. Geographic scope served: □ 1-3 countries □✔4-8 countries □ 8+ countries #1 itinerary title with meaningful travel experiences: Kick4Life: Lesotho and South Africa #2 itinerary title with meaningful travel experiences: Sport Against Racism Ireland: Ireland Types of itineraries with meaningful travel experiences? □ FIT □ Group □✔Both □ Other
ILLUSTRATIVE ITINERARY Itinerary name: Kick4Life: Lesotho and South Africa Type of experience: □ Volunteer experience □ Social enterprise experience □✔Both Itinerary summary and highlights: Join the third half as we take you from pony trekking and campfires in the majestic mountains of Lesotho to the incredible natural splendor of Cape Town in South Africa. Football is a religion in Africa and you’ll experience this first- hand whether in the passion of attending a professional match or playing pick-up games with local children. You’ll learn about Lesotho’s ancient language and culture and about the history of civil rights in South Africa with a visit to the famous Robben Island, site of Nelson Mandela’s imprisonment. You’ll also see first-hand how soccer can help in the fight against HIV and Aids by working with inspirational local young leaders. You’ll be hosted by Kick4Life, an award-winning charity that uses soccer to provide holistic support for orphans and vulnerable children. Your visit will directly support their work and your training will cover Global Citizenship, International Development, Design Thinking, Leadership and Public Health. Highlights of this experience include: Pony trekking in the Drakensburg Mountains; Learning about African culture and languages; Playing soccer against local kids; Eating at Lesotho’s top-rated restaurant; Volunteering with Kick4Life to help them spread HIV education through sport; Tour of Cape Town including Robben Island, Table Mountain and the V&A Waterfront Tour duration, in hours or days: 12 days Average group size: 20
GoodTravelsAdvisor.org | 45 GOOD TRAVELS ADVISOR: MEANINGFUL TRAVEL PROVIDER GUIDE
Maximum group size: 25 The trip’s social impact activities and their duration and frequency: Each third half experience features a curriculum that includes global citizenship, design thinking and a social topic that is determined by your destination. The idea is that every experience makes the customer better able to understand the challenges facing underserved communities around the world and how we can solve them together. The itinerary is built around three pillars: soccer, culture and education. Each day includes at least one activity focused on education, which could be: hearing from local youth about the challenges affecting them; volunteering with the local host NGO; or participating in one of our educational workshops on Global Citizenship, Design Thinking and a social topic determined by destination (for example, the HIV/Aids pandemic in Africa) led by youth from the local community. The third half is a social enterprise and we exist to support the local NGOs. We do this by helping them design, market and execute travel experiences and we invest profits from each trip directly into the NGO, allowing them to earn sustainable revenue from each trip. Additionally, we challenge each traveler to raise a modest sum in donations ($300 per person) before they travel using a crowdfunding site. The total sum is invested in the local NGO so the travelers can directly see the impact in real terms; an example in this itinerary, by the end of the trip the travelers understand that 2,000 children will receive free HIV testing. Tour program history and community development goals: The world is facing many challenges. To solve them we need to understand the problems and how we can solve them together as Global Citizens. We believe that soccer is a powerful vehicle for global citizenship. Nothing on earth has the same power to cross boundaries of race, religion and culture and to bring people together. Our dual mission is to educate a new generation of informed and conscious global citizens and to support nonprofit organizations serving vulnerable youth. The way we bring these two missions into alignment is through soccer and travel. The third half has unique expertise that comes from being born out of a partnership between two leading organizations in their field: eSoccer is the leading American company in “education soccer travel” with over 15,000 satisfied customers. They have access to high schools, colleges and youth soccer clubs all over the USA and 15 years of travel experience. streetfootballworld is an award-winning leader in the field of “soccer for good”, connecting over 120 trusted NGOs in 70 countries. They know the best nonprofit organizations working on the ground and can track their impact. The way we track our customer impact is through qualitative and quantitative surveys. The way we track beneficiary impact is through direct reporting from the local hosts. Each trip generates a financial investment in the local NGO which is known before the trip, enabling each NGO to directly quantify the social impact in terms of youth served. Primary local partners (e.g. NGOs, community leaders, cooperatives, etc.): • Kick4Life, 2 years • Sport Against Racism Ireland, 2 years Target market(s) for this itinerary (check all that apply): □✔Youth □✔Adventure □ Luxury □ Senior □ Family □✔Donor □✔Other: Education (eg: schools and colleges) Minimum age for participation: 16 Comfort level: □ Roughing it □✔Basic □ Comfortable □ Luxury □ Other Activity level: □ Easy □✔Moderate □ Strenuous □ Extreme □ Other Special requirements (e.g. skills or languages): None How do you prepare and engage your volunteer participants, if applicable, before or after the trip? We provide information about the social mission of each host ahead of the trip, and direct interaction with the host via Skype (if appropriate). Each traveler is briefed in detail on arrival before the start of any volunteering moment. Volunteer experience is continually monitored throughout the duration of the trip for quality control and to address issues. Cost (per person): □ Budget ($0-150/day) □✔Mid-range ($150-300/day) □ Upscale ($301-500/day) □ Luxury ($501+/day) □ Other Charitable donations and travelers? □✔Expected □ Not expected □ Not expected but travelers often donate □ Other Travel agent commission: □ Yes □✔No □ Other Is financial support provided to the partner organization? Yes. This is absolutely critical to our mission as a social enterprise. We exist to help our partners become financially sustainable, which includes giving them the financial capacity to invest in training and employing their staff. Volunteering for us is a means through which we build a more educated customer base and provide the revenue which local
GoodTravelsAdvisor.org | 46 GOOD TRAVELS ADVISOR: MEANINGFUL TRAVEL PROVIDER GUIDE
organizations need. Volunteering is the means through which we allow our travelers to touch, see and feel the work of the local NGO, but it is NOT our primary social impact. Our impact is determined by the needs and wishes of our local partners, which are to be able to generate revenue to scale up their programs. Contact with children and vulnerable populations, and ensuring a safe environment for children? Every interaction of our travelers is managed through the local NGO, which is a trusted and audited member of the streetfootballworld network. All interactions with vulnerable youth are under the strict supervision of local coaches who are all qualified and trained in child protection issues. Our volunteer experiences are designed to be safe and simple and not to place the volunteers in situations that would require them to be specifically qualified. Awareness of ChildSafe travel guidelines? ( https://thinkchildsafe.org/travelers/ ) □✔Yes □ No □ I am a ChildSafe provider □ Other
THE TRAVEL CORPORATION WEBSITE www.ttc.com | CONTACT Marie Anne MacRae | EMAIL [email protected]
COMPANY INFORMATION Company specialty and value proposition: The Travel Corporation (TTC) is a highly successful international travel group of 30+ family of brands. Our philosophy is simple: to create enriching experiences for our travelers by combining an unbeatable mix of exceptional service and quality at great value, driven by a passionate global team who are driven to deliver memorable experiences. Our multi- award-winning portfolio ranges from luxury hotels and boutique river cruises to independent holiday package companies and a variety of guided travel experiences. Philanthropic focus area(s) of trips: Created as a joint initiative between The Travel Corporation’s (TTC) family of brands, the TreadRight Foundation is a not- for-profit that works to help ensure the environment and communities we visit remain for generations to come. Founded by Brett Tollman, CEO, TTC, to date TreadRight has supported more than 40 sustainable tourism projects worldwide. TTC & 7 of its award-winning brands and the TreadRight Foundation created a global partnership with ME to WE social enterprise by offering immersive volunteer trips for all generations, worldwide. In partnership with ME to WE, travelers have a unique opportunity to visit three iconic destinations: India, the Ecuadorian Amazon and Kenya. Geographic scope served: □ 1-3 countries □ 4-8 countries □✔8+ countries #1 itinerary title with meaningful travel experiences: ME to WE India Immersive Volunteer Trip Experience with Insight Vacations, Contiki, Trafalgar and Uniworld #2 itinerary title with meaningful travel experiences: ME to WE Ecuador Immersive Volunteer Trip with Contiki Types of itineraries with meaningful travel experiences? □ FIT □ Group □✔Both □ Other
ILLUSTRATIVE ITINERARY Itinerary name: Insight Vacations and ME to WE India Immersive Volunteer Trip Experience Type of experience: □ Volunteer experience □ Social enterprise experience □✔Both Itinerary summary and highlights: Join ME to WE and extend your Insight Imperial Rajasthan Tour with an unforgettable extension to the rural countryside of Rajasthan! Dive deeper into India’s vibrant culture and landscape on this sustainable, transformative excursion. Visit a community that works with WE Charity, supported by TreadRight, and participate on a sustainable development project alongside local families. Surround yourself with the sights and sounds of a culture rich in history, tradition and beauty, with a backdrop of the Aravalli range, the oldest plateau mountains in India. Work with a local community on a development project. Connect with community members by experiencing their daily lives. Explore nature as you walk through the Aravalli Mountain Range. Experience India’s age old traditions, led by your local guide. Tour duration, in hours or days: 3 nights, 3 days Average group size: <10 Maximum group size: 26
GoodTravelsAdvisor.org | 47 GOOD TRAVELS ADVISOR: MEANINGFUL TRAVEL PROVIDER GUIDE
The trip’s social impact activities and their duration and frequency: Start volunteering at the build site. There is a meaningful role for guests of all ages and abilities, as we help build a needed facility for the community, whether it is a school, latrine or a simple wall! You will be contributing to the project that the community needs most at that time. Women’s or Men’s Circle: Alternative Income and Livelihood. Meet the women and men involved in our alternative income projects and learn about their daily economic challenges and struggles to support and care for their families. Tour program history and community development goals: In partnership with ME to WE, we will help support their WE Charity’s international. Primary local partners (e.g. NGOs, community leaders, cooperatives, etc.): • ME to WE - social enterprise • WE Charity - supporting international sustainable development Target market(s) for this itinerary (check all that apply): □ Youth □ Adventure □ Luxury □ Senior □✔Family □ Donor □✔Other: Adults Minimum age for participation: 5 Comfort level: □ Roughing it □ Basic □✔Comfortable □ Luxury □ Other Activity level: □✔Easy □ Moderate □ Strenuous □ Extreme □ Other Special requirements (e.g. skills or languages): No, just an open mind to meet local people and immersing oneself in a new culture. How do you prepare and engage your volunteer participants, if applicable, before or after the trip? ME to WE will provide trip preparation materials. Charitable donations and travelers? □✔Expected □ Not expected □ Not expected but travelers often donate □ Other Travel agent commission: □ Yes □✔No □ Other Is financial support provided to the partner organization? TTC supports WE Charity through the TreadRight Foundation. We also supported and sponsored their various WE Days in the UK, USA and Canada. We have given financial support to help build classrooms and their WE Villages. Contact with children and vulnerable populations, and ensuring a safe environment for children? TTC does not work directly with children unless it is through ME to WE’s international sustainable development projects during the ME to WE immersive cultural experiences. Awareness of ChildSafe travel guidelines? ( https://thinkchildsafe.org/travelers/ ) □✔Yes □ No □ I am a ChildSafe provider □ Other
THE TREADRIGHT FOUNDATION WEBSITE www.treadright.org | CONTACT Marie Anne MacRae | EMAIL [email protected]
COMPANY INFORMATION The TreadRight Heritage Initiative The TreadRight Heritage Initiative looks to further the TreadRight Foundation’s commitment to the people and the places we visit. Heritage activities are vital to local economies. Millions of individuals around the world, especially women, are dependent on heritage-based work, and in many developing destinations the heritage sector helps create jobs, champion economic development, build connections to the global marketplace and empower the disenfranchised. In partnership with the Alliance for Artisan Enterprise, the TreadRight Heritage Initiative supports ancient cultural traditions that preserve the unique richness and diversity of people and place. To do so, TreadRight has created a small grants program for artisan enterprises, which has provided grants to the Centro de Textiles Tradicionales del Cusco in Peru, Laboratorio Giuditta Brozzetti in Italy, TRIA ETC in Greece, the Storyboot School in Canada, and the Village Weavers Project in Laos.
GoodTravelsAdvisor.org | 48 GOOD TRAVELS ADVISOR: MEANINGFUL TRAVEL PROVIDER GUIDE
Alliance for Artisan Enterprise The Alliance for Artisan Enterprise, an initiative of Aspen Global Health and Development at the Aspen Institute, was launched by former Secretary Hillary Clinton in 2012. The Alliance works to unlock economic value in the artisan sector, identifying and building tools and support systems needed to support artisan businesses around the world. Their community of members and partners envisions a world in which artisans are fully integrated into global commerce and where increasing revenues flow to artisan producers in communities in need of economic opportunity. The Alliance for Artisan Enterprise collaborates with key partners to develop resources that support the sustainable growth of artisan businesses. Their tailored set of programming provides artisan producers, often relegated to the informal economy, with the tools needed to develop viable and successful businesses. The Alliance is designing and implementing support systems for artisan businesses, including: 1. Networking platform for organizations around the world that participate across the artisan sector, including artisan businesses, social enterprises, NGO’s, government agencies, and others 2. Innovative Financing programs for artisan entrepreneurs to access much-needed capital 3. Artisan Business Coaching programs to support the sustainable development of locally-owned artisan businesses 4. Key events to showcase artisan entrepreneurs, share best practices, and uncover solutions to common barriers in the artisan value chain
UNEARTH THE WORLD WEBSITE www.unearththeworld.com | CONTACT Kathryn Pisco | EMAIL [email protected]
COMPANY INFORMATION Company specialty and value proposition: Unearth the World (UTW) is a social enterprise that plans personalized and meaningful international exchange opportunities for individuals, groups, and families. A husband- wife team founded UTW after their own transformative international volunteering experience where they learned about the pros and cons of service abroad. UTW’s unique model pairs travelers with vetted international nonprofits to engage in cross-cultural exchange and solve real issues in global communities like poor education and food insecurity. UTW’s focus on training, financial transparency and social impact sets them apart. Since 2015, more than 200 global citizens have donated over 3,500 hours of their time. UTW alums have started their own nonprofits, continued to volunteer in their own communities and become more civically engaged to multiply their tremendous impact! Philanthropic focus area(s) of trips: Unearth the World (UTW) pairs travelers with vetted international nonprofit partners to solve real issues in global communities. UTW partners include an education nonprofit in Peru, an organic farm in Nicaragua, a coffee cooperative in Guatemala, a community tourism organization in Mexico, a sustainable housing initiative in Zambia, and a Spanish school and eco-hotel in Nicaragua. Volunteer travelers donate their time and skills while simultaneously experiencing authentic cross-cultural exchange. Travelers can spend as short as a week or as long as a year abroad doing things like teaching, working on a farm, and building homes. Each program is personally planned to benefit both the volunteer travelers and the local community. Philanthropic focus areas include education, poverty, the environment, food security, and sustainable housing. Geographic scope served: □ 1-3 countries □✔4-8 countries □ 8+ countries
GoodTravelsAdvisor.org | 49 GOOD TRAVELS ADVISOR: MEANINGFUL TRAVEL PROVIDER GUIDE
#1 itinerary title with meaningful travel experiences: Unearth Nicaragua: Connect to the Global Community #2 itinerary title with meaningful travel experiences: Unearth Guatemala: Connect to the Global Coffee Community Types of itineraries with meaningful travel experiences? □ FIT □ Group □✔Both □ Other
ILLUSTRATIVE ITINERARY Itinerary name: Unearth Guatemala: Connect to the Global Coffee Community Type of experience: □ Volunteer experience □ Social enterprise experience □✔Both Itinerary summary and highlights: This itinerary allows travelers to spend 8 days experiencing Guatemalan coffee, culture, cuisine, agriculture and service through meaningful travel with Unearth the World (UTW) and their nonprofit partner. Highlights include engaging in authentic cross-cultural exchange, hands-on service, exciting day trips and local artisan workshops with the goal of breaking down barriers and promoting global leaders. This immersive program includes pre/post-trip training and all travel logistics provided by UTW. It also includes the opportunity to work and serve alongside a Guatemalan nonprofit. UTW’s nonprofit partner – based in San Miguel Escobar, Guatemala - works with coffee farming communities to create economic opportunity that improves the quality of life for farmers, their families, and communities. Trip participants spend time learning about and participating in every aspect of the coffee process including agricultural work with coffee farmers and activities related to the global coffee trade. This program also includes the opportunity to enjoy a tour of the Antigua market, a hands-on cooking class and an artisan workshop in which travelers engage with local people. And, a visit to Guatemala would not be complete without exploring other exciting areas of the country like Lake Atitlan, and Volcan Pacaya. Accommodations, meals and transport are all provided! Travelers stay in the community at a lovely guesthouse or with a local Guatemalan family. Three delicious meals per day are included and all prepared by local members of the community. Private transport is arranged using trusted local vendors. This once-in-a-lifetime experience combines impactful volunteer work, cross-cultural exchange, delicious food/drink and the foundation for lasting global relationships! Tour duration, in hours or days: 8 days Average group size: 15 Maximum group size: 25 The trip’s social impact activities and their duration and frequency: Unearth the World works closely with our community partner in Guatemala to ensure that all of our trips make tangible positive impact. We start by only working with local people therefore infusing our traveler’s resources directly into the community. We also dedicate a portion of each program fee towards the salaries for local employees, upkeep of the programs, and a donation to the non-profit. Our travelers work closely with our Guatemalan nonprofit partner and members of the local community. In Guatemala, UTW’s partner works with smallholder coffee farmers and cooperatives to create economic opportunities that improve the quality of life for their families and communities. They also facilitate the sale of coffee to several countries allowing the coffee farmers to receive up to 250% more than they would selling through options normally available to them. UTW volunteers are able to participate in important agricultural work, lend a hand to the farmers, and see firsthand the impact that their time and resources have on the San Miguel Escobar community. Travelers can even stay involved with this nonprofit by promoting, buying and/or selling delicious Guatemalan coffee stateside. Tour program history and community development goals: Unearth the World (UTW) was founded by a husband-wife team after their own transformative international volunteering experience where they learned about the pros and cons of service abroad. They returned from their journey determined to create an organization that plans ethical, transparent, immersive, and fun international volunteer programs. In order to improve the volunteer travel industry, UTW focuses on pre- and post-trip training, financial transparency and social impact. And, our organization is designed to positively impact both the international community and our volunteer travelers. UTW positively impacts our international partners by responsibly bringing human and financial capital into the community. UTW’s six mutually beneficial partnerships in Latin America and Africa are with grassroots organizations that are already doing amazing work to solve problems in their communities. These organizations benefit from UTW because we bring an influx of skilled volunteers, intentional cross-cultural exchange that breaks down stereotypes, and financial capital that bolsters their bottom line and allows them to continue and grow their work.
GoodTravelsAdvisor.org | 50 GOOD TRAVELS ADVISOR: MEANINGFUL TRAVEL PROVIDER GUIDE
UTW also favorably impacts the lives of our volunteers. Participants emerge from our pre-trip preparation, engagement in meaningful volunteer service, and post-trip coaching as better leaders with a stronger sense of social consciousness. We measure this through exit interviews. We also record the number of volunteers and hours served. To date, over 200 global citizens have donated over 3,500 hours of their time. UTW alums have started their own nonprofits and continued to volunteer in their own communities! Primary local partners (e.g. NGOs, community leaders, cooperatives, etc.): De la Gente in Guatemala for 1 year Target market(s) for this itinerary (check all that apply): □✔Youth □✔Adventure □ Luxury □ Senior □✔Family □ Donor □✔Other: Professional Minimum age for participation: None – but all children under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult Comfort level: □ Roughing it □✔Basic □ Comfortable □ Luxury □ Other Activity level: □ Easy □✔Moderate □ Strenuous □ Extreme □ Other Special requirements (e.g. skills or languages): None How do you prepare and engage your volunteer participants, if applicable, before or after the trip? Unearth the World has created a best-in-class global training program. All volunteers are fully prepared for their international program. Prior to the traveler’s departure, UTW facilitates 5 thematic global training modules in the form of emails and phone calls. Each module touches on different important topics like reflection, culture shock, global citizenship, language, history, culture, power and privilege. Each traveler is also equipped to navigate travel logistics (health, safety, etc.) through robust and personalized pre-trip communication. After volunteer travelers return home, UTW has a post-trip call with each individual to help them bridge their international experience into their daily lives. This post-trip support allows UTW volunteers to use their time abroad as a catalyst for further change. Unearth the World alums have started their own nonprofits, continued to volunteer in their own communities, changed their careers and become more civically engaged to multiply their tremendous impact! Cost (per person): □ Budget ($0-150/day) □✔Mid-range ($150-300/day) □ Upscale ($301-500/day) □ Luxury ($501+/day) □ Other Charitable donations and travelers? □ Expected □ Not expected □✔Not expected but travelers often donate □ Other Travel agent commission: □ Yes □✔No □ Other Is financial support provided to the partner organization? Unearth the World works closely with our international community partners to ensure that all of our trips make tangible positive impact in several ways. We start by only working with local people and organizations therefore infusing our traveler’s resources directly into the community. We also dedicate a portion of each program fee towards the salaries for local employees, upkeep of the programs, and a donation to the non-profit. In addition to financial capital that bolsters our partners’ bottom line and allows them to continue and grow their work, UTW brings an influx of skilled volunteers and intentional cross-cultural exchange that breaks down stereotypes. Finally, through UTW’s post-trip coaching, we encourage each of our travelers to stay engaged with their work abroad in some capacity upon returning home. Contact with children and vulnerable populations, and ensuring a safe environment for children? Two of our partners have education programs that work with children in schools. For these sites, we require all volunteers to submit a full background check. We also require that any volunteer working with a child is supervised by a local person, fully trained, and is qualified (as a teacher or childcare professional). We publish our Responsible Travel Policy on our website ( http://www.unearththeworld.com/about/responsible-volunteer-travel-policy/ ) that outlines our commitment to safety. Finally, we have made the decision to not work with orphanages or extremely vulnerable children. Awareness of ChildSafe travel guidelines? ( https://thinkchildsafe.org/travelers/ ) □✔Yes □ No □ I am a ChildSafe provider □ Other
GoodTravelsAdvisor.org | 51 GOOD TRAVELS ADVISOR: MEANINGFUL TRAVEL PROVIDER GUIDE
VISIT.ORG WEBSITE www.visit.org | CONTACT Dana Mazia | EMAIL [email protected]
COMPANY INFORMATION Company specialty and value proposition: Visit.org is the world’s leading platform for social impact travel experiences. 100% of host revenue is invested back into the local community. Based in NYC and founded in 2015, Visit.org offers 600+ immersive, impactful experiences in 70+ countries. Philanthropic focus area(s) of trips/offerings/experiences: All of our experiences are hosted by do-good organizations (nonprofits and other social ventures) that offer unique access to local culture and reinvest 100% of revenue into programs that benefit the local community. Geographic scope served: □ 1-3 countries □ 4-8 countries □✔8+ countries
ILLUSTRATIVE ITINERARY Itinerary name: New York City Cooking Class: Immigrant Immersion Type of experience: □ Volunteer experience □✔Social enterprise experience □ Both Itinerary summary and highlights: Embark on an immersive culinary adventure in New York City in which immigrants teach intimate cooking workshops in their homes, and participants encounter a new culture, cuisine, and neighborhood with every visit! Each workshop offers opportunities for culinary learning and discovery, cultural engagement and exchange, meaningful connection and social interaction, and of course, exceptional eating and drinking. You’ll build cross-cultural connections and increase your knowledge of traditional cooking. Revenue generated by this experience will be invested in supporting the inspiring immigrant instructors and creating spaces for cultural understanding through the sharing of New York’s vibrant food traditions. Highlights: • Learn traditional recipes and support cross-cultural learning and connection. • Prepare a delicious, authentic feast under the guidance of expert home cooks. • Trade stories and share a laugh with your host and fellow students while enjoying a meal together. Tour duration, in hours or days: This experience lasts either 2.5 hours or 5.5 hours, depending on how many dishes the traveler would like to prepare. Average group size: 1-6 people Primary local partners (e.g. NGOs, community leaders, cooperatives, etc.): League of Kitchens (social enterprise) Target market(s) for this itinerary (check all that apply): □✔Youth □ Adventure □ Luxury □✔Senior □✔Family □ Donor □ Other Minimum age for participation: N/A Activity level: □✔Easy □ Moderate □ Strenuous □ Extreme □ Other Special requirements (e.g. skills or languages): N/A Cost (per person): • 2.5-hour cooking class: $100 per person • 5.5-hour cooking class: $175 per person Contact with children and vulnerable populations, and ensuring a safe environment for children? There is no contact with children or vulnerable populations during this experience. Awareness of ChildSafe travel guidelines? ( https://thinkchildsafe.org/travelers/ ) □✔Yes □ No □ I am a ChildSafe provider □ Other
GoodTravelsAdvisor.org | 52 GOOD TRAVELS ADVISOR: MEANINGFUL TRAVEL PROVIDER GUIDE
WORLD EXPEDITIONS WEBSITE www.worldexpeditions.com | CONTACT Donna Lawrence | EMAIL [email protected]
COMPANY INFORMATION Company specialty and value proposition: An adventure holiday has the power to change you, and conversely you can effect change in the places you visit. Since 2005, travelers from across the globe have been making tangible change in underprivileged communities by partaking in our Community Project Travel (CPT) trips. Working alongside volunteers from the host communities, travelers complete grass-root construction projects that are funded by the World Expeditions Foundation. Philanthropic focus area(s) of trips: Our Community Project Travel program with the support of the World Expeditions Foundation is committed to assisting underprivileged communities in Nepal, Peru, Vietnam, Tanzania and Australia. These communities receive little or no government support and coupled with dire economic predicament need assistance. After consultation with the heads of these communities we have identified several projects in each community that we aim to complete over the course of time. These projects are completed over 3-10 days and form part of an adventure itinerary. Geographic scope served: □ 1-3 countries □✔4-8 countries □ 8+ countries #1 itinerary title with meaningful travel experiences: Rebuild Nepal: Shree Manjushree Secondary School, Gorkha Region #2 itinerary title with meaningful travel experiences: 4 day: Huilloc Healthy Cook Stove Extension Types of itineraries with meaningful travel experiences? □ FIT □ Group □✔Both □ Other
ILLUSTRATIVE ITINERARY Itinerary name: Rebuild Nepal: Shree Manjushree Secondary School, Gorkha Region Type of experience: □✔Volunteer experience □ Social enterprise experience □ Both Itinerary summary and highlights: In April and May 2015, Nepal was struck by a series of devastating earthquakes. The community of Kashi Goan in the Gorkha region of Nepal was close to the epicenter of the quakes. Tragically, nine people from the village died during the earthquake, 150 people were injured, 50 houses were destroyed and the secondary school received considerable damage. The World Expeditions Foundation will fund the construction of three classrooms at this school. In November 2017, you can be one of 16 travelers to take this incredible trek and assist this community to rebuild their school. The school was established in 1962 and has 365 students attending, aged between three and seventeen years. There are twelve teachers, five of which are funded by the Government and the seven remaining teachers are funded privately or by the village community. Kashi Goan village is made up of 50% Buddhists, 40% Christians and 10% Hindus; 90% of the villagers are Ghale Gurungs and 10% are Dalits. The trek is remote and spectacular affording views of the Langtang and Ganesh Himal, including a crossing of the Khurpu Dada Pass (3710m). This trek is not for beginners; previous trekking experience is required. The trails are mainly used by the villagers for herding stock, so they can be loosely defined. The beauty of this trek is that the chances of you seeing another group of trekkers are slim. Tour duration, in hours or days: 18 Average group size: 8 Maximum group size: 16
GoodTravelsAdvisor.org | 53 GOOD TRAVELS ADVISOR: MEANINGFUL TRAVEL PROVIDER GUIDE
The trip’s social impact activities and their duration and frequency: At the core of each project lies our commitment to sustainable and responsible travel. We take on projects with much care and consideration and with some important criteria in mind to ensure that we are having a positive impact on the host communities and environments where we conduct projects. These criteria include: • Consultation: during the project identification stage we consult with the leaders of the host community to ensure that the project fulfills a real need within that community. • Collaboration: when the actual project is being carried out we ensure that members of the host community partake in the project work in either a paid or volunteer basis ensuring ownership, interaction and transference of skills (in both directions) • Education: our program educates through the practical application of environmental and social solutions to the everyday problems that are experienced in impoverished and often remote communities. Our itineraries in addition to project work include the highlights and travel experiences that are typical of the host country. • Sustainability: we investigate and ensure that the projects are sustainable and long term and that the local community has the skills and resources to sustain the project once we leave. • Completion: our travellers combined with volunteers and tradespeople from the host community make up the work force to ensure that the project is complete by the time our group leaves. Tour program history and community development goals: Our Community Project Travel program commenced in 2005 and since that time we have completed 49 humanitarian and conservation projects across many countries including: 10 in Australia, 20 in Nepal, 5 in each of Peru, Vietnam and Tanzania, 1 in each of India, Kenya, Cambodia and Laos. This wonderful result was made possible by the combined effort of over 500 travelers from across the globe. Primary local partners (e.g. NGOs, community leaders, cooperatives, etc.): Our local operation in Nepal manages our community projects throughout Nepal, where we have been operating for 40 years. Target market(s) for this itinerary (check all that apply): □✔Youth □✔Adventure □ Luxury □✔Senior □✔Family □ Donor □✔Other: Professional Minimum age for participation: 12 years (with parent or guardian). Comfort level: □ Roughing it □ Basic □✔Comfortable □ Luxury □ Other Activity level: □ Easy □✔Moderate □ Strenuous □ Extreme □ Other Special requirements (e.g. skills or languages): None How do you prepare and engage your volunteer participants, if applicable, before or after the trip? Extensive pre-departure documents and personal service from our travel consultants. Cost (per person): □ Budget ($0-150/day) □✔Mid-range ($150-300/day) □ Upscale ($301-500/day) □ Luxury ($501+/day) □ Other Charitable donations and travelers? □✔Expected □ Not expected □ Not expected but travelers often donate □ Other Travel agent commission: □ Yes □✔No □ Other Is financial support provided to the partner organization? The costs of the project (i.e. the cost of materials, transport of the material and local labor) are funded by the generous donations we receive through the World Expeditions Foundation. Contact with children and vulnerable populations, and ensuring a safe environment for children? Before travelling all participants must read and acknowledge our Child Protection Code of Conduct that was developed in consultation with World Vision. Participants over the age of 18 years are required to provide us with a current police check or working with children card to ensure that they do not have a history of child abuse. Without this documentation participants cannot travel to our project sites. Awareness of ChildSafe travel guidelines? ( https://thinkchildsafe.org/travelers/ ) □✔Yes □ No □ I am a ChildSafe provider □ Other
GoodTravelsAdvisor.org | 54 20 Vernon Street, Second Floor, Norwood, MA 02062 TourismCares.org