International Voluntourism Guidelines Research Launched

04-06-2011

 

 

Industry Leaders Collaborate to Create Global Initiative

To Transform Good Intentions into Best Practice

 

WASHINGTON, DC and TORONTO, April 5, 2011 - The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) and Planeterra, a leading non-profit foundation dedicated to sustainable community development and environmental conservation through travel, are collaborating to develop a set of criteria that will help international voluntourism providers plan and manage their programs in a responsible and sustainable manner.

 

An increasing number of travel companies are adding volunteer opportunities to their tour itineraries worldwide, and the trend, which is now commonly known as voluntourism, is growing rapidly. The 2008Condé Nast Traveler/MSNBC poll, for example, stated that the number of regular volunteer vacationers has doubled since 2002, and the number of those who have volunteered at least once has tripled.According to the 2009 Green Traveler Study by CMIGreen, 59.1% of those surveyed said they were interested in volunteering during a future trip.

 

With this growth, a myriad of issues and challenges has emerged, including: project development concerns, impacts on host communities, travelers' skills and experiences, and the potentials for positive change. There is an increasing need for effective tools that help providers and travelers make smart decisions. The goal of the TIES-Planeterra effort is to address these challenges and to outline parameters that will guide both project leaders and travelers alike.

 

„Travelers are searching for new authentic experiences worldwide, like voluntours, that put them face to face with some of our most important global challenges,‰ says Megan Epler Wood Executive Director of Planeterra. „There are now more opportunities for travelers with skills, in areas like engineering and health care, to assist local communities and help develop beneficial projects, like assisting with clinics and developing clean water systems for villages that lack adequate services ‰ says Epler Wood.

 

To ensure that this project incorporates a diverse range of industry knowledge and experiences, TIES and Planeterra are working with an International Expert Committee representing a variety of industry sectors and regions:

 

Bodhi Garrett, Co-Director, Andaman Discoveries, Thailand

Valeria Gracia, Asociación Civil Voluntario Global, Argentina

Sallie Grayson, Programme Director, People and Places, U.K.

Nancy McGehee, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Virginia Tech University, U.S.A.

Paul and Thandi Miedema, Founders, Calabash Tours, South Africa

Kristin Lamoureux, Ph.D., Director, International Institute of Tourism Studies, The George Washington University School of Business

Lelei LeLaulu, President, Community Benefit Development and Co-chairman, Innovation for Sustainable Development Centre, U.S.A.

Daniela Ruby Papi, Founder, PEPY Tours, Cambodia

Gopinath Parayil, Founder and Chief Executive, The Blue Yonder, India

Marnie Heim-Stafford and Jeremy Stafford, Owners, Voluntours, South Africa

Andy Woods-Ballard[Back to Press Releases Main]