The Al Jazeera Effect on Voluntourism

Last week I was supposed to be on this couch, joining in this chat on Al Jazeera but had a minor detail with the airlines/doctor/family not wanting me to fly to DC at 36 weeks pregnant – debbie downers….

What effect do you think this will have on the industry if any? Projects Abroad takes quite a hit in this as do orphanage projects, it also touches on the for profit vs non profit bit. You all know my feeling about working in orphanages so I’m quite happy to see this piece come out.

What do you think about it? FINALLY someone gets called out on their orphanage projects – hopefully everyone else working in orphanages will truly re-evaluate their projects in this space now.

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Here are some of the recent articles and the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQcTpRjJi7o – read the comments in YouTube

Voluntourism: A Misguided Industry

When Volunteering Becomes Big Business

Are You Giving the BBC Another Chance?

If you’re at all involved with the BBC you’ve been getting a ton of emails lately – my question is are taking the time to read them or just pressing delete? We’ve all been down this road before with the BBC – my question for you is, with the below outline as their Operating Plan, are you opting in this time???

-BBC Annual Operating Plan 2012-

Member Benefits:

• Create and email survey to members to see what practical benefits might be helpful to them
• Research possible areas like reduced airline and insurance costs.
• Pursue 3-4 areas of shared member benefit

 

Events for 2012:

 

• Work with Chair and later expanded Events Committee to plan and execute Sept event in DC for Harris Wofford Fellows.
•  Also plan and execute December event to commemorate UN Year of the Volunteer in DC area.
• Enlist members of the Effective Practices Group to support the DC training for Wofford Fellows

Media Initiative:

• Begin canvassing members to see what kinds of articles in what kinds of publications would be helpful for BBC to move into media outlets
• Prioritize list and create monthly schedule to move these articles into the media
• Develop relationships with various media outlets to assist in getting articles out
• Recruit writers or personally write articles that speak to the whole sector

 

Education Initiative:

• Survey BBC members to find what topics might be of particular interest to members for Webinars.
• Get training on use of IBM webinar system and learn how to implement
• Begin conversations with Jim Lindsay of Catholic Volunteer Network and Ann Schodde of the US Center for Citizen Diplomacy on creating a series of collaborative webinars on topics of interest to members of BBC
• Create monthly or every-other month list of webinars to be produced for members
• Recruit webinar leaders on various topics
• Develop evaluation instrument so that participants can give feedback

Working Groups:

• Continue to work with chairs of working groups to convene at least every other month
• Work with committee members to assess current relevance of each working groups
• Disband less relevant groups, create new groups as needed, recruit new leaders for working groups that need them
• Work with leadership of each group to create relevant agendas
• Work with leadership of each group to create ways to evaluate the groups effectiveness

 

Fund Raising:

• Continue calls and emails to last year’s donors that have not given this year
• Ask why they have not given this year and what they need from BBC
• Work intensively on the larger list of those orgs who are affiliate members but have never given to the BBC.   Ask board to take on a list of 10-20 organizations they know and ask for support
• Recruit a group of at least 4 members who would work with me to research the kind of project we can go to foundations to support.
• Determine if such a grant proposal should be solo BBC or joint proposal with several organizations
• Do search for appropriate foundations
• Write and submit grant proposals
• *See asterisk below

Printed Materials:

• Determine with board members what might be helpful printed materials for BBC to have
• *Create special fund raising initiative to fund such materials
• Ask BBC members if they have communications staff or interns who could help design said materials (Eric Mlyn has already offered the use of his staff in some way)
• Create distribution channels for materials and make available to members to take with them to conferences they are attending

Three Special Focus Areas in 2012 and Beyond:

1)      Impact Tool for Assessing Volunteer Impact in communities

• Continue to work with Effective Practices Working group (as expanded) to assess the possibility of creating one or more impact tools for members
• Develop partnerships with development agencies that have created such tools for their long term development needs
• In preparation for the 2013 conference at Northwestern,  intensify work with academics concerning possible parameters for such a tool
• Determine if a separate conference might be warranted in early 2013  to flesh out more of what is possible with such impact assessment tool
• Possibly plan for Spring 2013 conference

2)      Evolving Several Areas of Focus for BBC

a)      Members outside the United States

• Work to identify possible member organizations outside the United States
• Recruit a “task” group from among BBC members, empaneled for a specific period of time, to define what membership for organizations outside the U.S. means for BBC and determine if this is a direction we should begin to lead in
• If task group decides yes to above, then BBC begins to build a coalition with organizations in other countries looking at this as a relevant approach to international volunteering
• BBC begins looking for financial support in U.S. and abroad for such an initiative

b)     Creation of Network of Networks

• Recruit “task” group from BBC members to determine what kind of leadership role BBC could take on in leading an international initiative on networks of organizations
• BBC considers co-convening a domestic or international conference on International Network of networks and do so with the support of corporate and other partners
• BBC could potentially put forward the creation an international secretariat on international networking and serve as its first facilitating organization
• Work with David Caprara and others to include in this conversation how to work with “South-to-South” volunteer sending organizations

3)      Develop New Working Relationships

• Clinton Global Initiative (Jennifer Zeisler via Charles Phillips)
• World Bank/IMF
• Interaction and its member agencies
• Faith based groups working in international volunteer space
• Other groups you might want to name

‘The Voluntourist’ Book by Ken Budd Hits Shelves

In case you havent snagged a copy already make sure you pick up Ken Budd’s The Voluntourist book that was just released. Some great lessons, anecdotes and storytelling that everyone from the first time traveler to seasoned voluntourism organization manager can enjoy!

http://www.thevoluntouristbook.com/

Voluntourism Conference 2012

Just a reminder that this year George Washington University wanted to host the conference so I have nothing to do with it. I’ve been getting tons of emails from people wanting details and I have no more than you do. I believe it is happening August 16-17 in DC at GWU. If you are interested in speaking or want more details please contact Kristin Lamoureux who is the Director of International Institute of Tourism Studies The George Washington University.

New Trip Advisor Survey Includes Voluntourism Stats

In case you havent seen it… read the full article here.

Sustainable travel has taken off, quite literally. TripAdvisor, an online travel operator, has surveyed 700 U.S. travellers and found that 71 percent of them will choose eco-friendly options within the next 12 months. One year ago that same figure was 65 per cent.

Another 57 percent said green travel is a constant feature of their plans while another 44 per cent said they tended to be greener at home than while they were away. Another 47 percent said they were equally green both at home and away.

The research also surveyed travelers’ perception of green claims by hotels. 44 per cent said they “mostly” believe it when hotels claim to be eco-friendly, while 32 per cent said they rarely do. 41 per cent said they need to see it firsthand to believe it while 24 percent would be convinced if the hotel produced an environmentally friendly certification.

Money is not a problem for half of interviewees, who said they would be happy to spend more money to stay at an environmentally-friendly place. 23 per cent said they wouldn’t mind spending an extra $25 per night to stay in greener accommodation, while 9 per cent said they could spend between $25-$50 extra for that. Also, the financial crisis does not seem to affect green travellers. 75 per cent of them said the economy does not affect their preference for eco-friendly travel choices.

It seems that clearer information wouldn’t go amiss, though. Sixty percent of travelers said they rarely know for sure whether hotels are truly eco-friendly while13 percent said they never do.

Voluntourism is getting bigger and 24 per cent of respondents said they would consider it while 3 per cent had already done it. 16 per cent of respondents were unfamiliar with the term.

Can Social Media Truly Increase Travel Sales?

Some great new stats out from Reuters and Bloomberg! Granted this is more for hotels and canned package vacations but it will start there and grow to niche markets. Read the full article here, highlights below: http://www.adventuretravelnews.com/can-social-media-lift-travel-two-takes

• Facebook linked 15.2 million visitors to hotel websites in 2010, a 35 percent jump from the prior year, according to a 2011 study by travel researcher PhoCusWright. Of that number, about 568,000 resulted in a booking—a conversion rate, in industry parlance, of almost 4 percent. That’s higher than the conversion rate from travel review sites.
• Almost 118 million Americans alone will research travel purchases online this year, up from 114.5 million in 2011; online bookings will jump from just over $100 billion to almost $120 – to the tune of 98 million bookings.
• First-time visitors to five-month-old Trippy are invited to sign in using their Facebook credentials and then are prompted to select a destination. The site combs data streams of relatives and friends to compile a list of recommended hotels and restaurants.

Best Travel Websites – How Does Yours Rank?

I’m helping to build a new website for a client and an interesting debate arose – who has the best website out there? Who should we try to emulate? Who can we learn from?

I reached out to many industry contacts and everyone scratched their head – not one site really jumped out as above and beyond the rest. A lot of people said they could name a list of horrible sites but hardly anyone could name great sites.

Now – I know what you’re thinking – ‘define a great site’. Nevermind SEO for a second, nevermind all that programming mumbo jumbo in the background that is necessary; I’m talking about which websites clearly state on their homepage what differentiates them, which websites make you want to hang around a little longer, which websites inspire even the most jaded of us to get out there and travel??

Here are a couple examples of gorgeous sites that tell their story effectively, whether by images or headlines. These happen to also be the companies that consistently win awards and are featured by the media.

I hear you whining already, ‘these are big budget companies and that’s not my company’ – stop whining. Most of these could be designed very similarly in a WordPress template and be cheap to update and maintain.

From the adventure world:

• Wildland Adventures
• Asia Transpacific Journeys
• Micato Safaris

And my current favorite in the Voluntourism world:

• Cross Cultural Solutions

So who did I leave off the list? What great sites are out there that I’m missing???

Don’t Waste Your Marketing Dollars on Social Media

This is an awesome article that really speaks to the heart of social media – it can be great if you have a plan, just doing Facebook, Twitter, blogging bc you think you should won’t get your company anywhere. Credit to James Fry of Earthwatch for forwarding me this.

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Right now, there are a lot of blinking lights and distracting excitement surrounding social media. Businesses are throwing ad and management dollars into social with the broad hope that customers will come stampeding through their doors. For most businesses, this just isn’t happening.

Social media isn’t a magical way to gain new business with a few ads and aggressive networking (e.g., posting on your wall, tweeting about your business). Remember in the late 1990s when the Internet became widely adopted and businesses threw big money into hollow online ventures with no revenue model? The same will occur in social media without a true marketing plan.

If you don’t have a true marketing process attached to your business’s social environment, save yourself some time, money and headache and move your investment somewhere else. Why?

Social networks such as Facebook are platforms for people to connect with one another based off of their common interests, location, connections, and other personal attributes. Nobody I know goes to Facebook to see what ads are showing on their wall – they go there to connect with their friends and share their lives with other people they care about. I don’t log on and say, “I wonder what Ford Motor Company is talking about today.” I log on to see what new photos my family has uploaded or what movie my sister is recommending I see this weekend.

With the sheer number of marketing messages the average person is bombarded with each day, it is becoming progressively more difficult to capture someone’s attention long enough to effectively present your brand, especially when they are not focused on seeking out your brand in the first place.

When a business does capture a Facebook user’s attention, shouldn’t there be a process to draw them in and engage them in a way that moves them closer to becoming a customer? Shouldn’t it be fun, easy, and casual for the user? Yes. And yes.

I see many businesses on Facebook today making a major mistake. They spend ad dollars to drive potential customers to their wall, get them to like their page and then expect the conversational nature of Facebook to take over and provide free nurture marketing all the way to checkout. The number of fans you have doesn’t mean a thing unless it’s attached to a solid marketing environment – one that moves each fan closer to a sale.

Read the full article here: http://mysupermarketer.com/index.php/blog/entry/dont-waste-your-marketing-dollars-on-social-media-1

One Company Sets Standard for Volunteering in Haiti

Thought I’d share parts of a paper written by by Andrea Atkinson, Urgent Service Director at Elevate Destinations. Their trip to Haiti won a Nat Geo Tour of a Lifetime Award in 2011 so below is a little about how they did it.

Is it time for everyone to open Haiti up as a destination? Probably not. But are there ways to do it effectively? Yes, see below as an example.

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Effective Volunteer Travel Creating Relationships for Meaningful Service in Haiti & The Gulf

Volunteering and service abroad have become very popular for individuals and groups. Developing a volunteer program that both benefits a community as well as positively impacts volunteers is not as easy as just sending a group of people into a “community in need”. In order for one to two week stints of work to be effective and create meaningful change, it is important for travel providers to know how to create experiences that actually give back as well as provide a platform for travelers to serve in solidarity.

Effective Volunteer Program Components

Address sustainability: Understand the environmental, economic, and social benefit for communities. Sustainable development is a norm of the development world. When we bring volunteers into the service world – we need to prepare them for this direct contact. It is important to ensure that the work being done provides a well-rounded and aligned support of sustainable development goals.

Assess long-term impact and ensure that the programs supported have plans for positive impact in the long-run. There are so many programs that have been started and then abandoned by well-meaning volunteers and organizations. Find an organization with a long-standing commitment to the country and cause and find out what their long-range plan is.

Work with well-established organizations: Work with well-established non-profit organizations that have track records of success, transparency and long-term commitment to the community.

Help raise funds: Provide fundraising support to non-profit partners. Each of our travelers is tasked with raising $500. Some have raised over $4000. This has multiplied their effect in the program. Our initiative has raised over $30,000 for causes in Haiti and has engaged hundreds of small donors that now have invested in Haiti.

Employ and engage locals: Employ local labor, making certain that local jobs are not displaced. Volunteering to get something done that could be done by a local employed to do a job is not effective. Neither is bringing in an expert to get a job done and then not providing transfer of knowledge (ie not teaching a or many locals some of the skills to provide this service in the future as well as not learning from locals).

Work in solidarity not superiority: Working side-by-side with locals, learning from them and supporting them while maintaining respect for their culture and knowledge. Developing cross-cultural relationships is one of the most effective things that can come of a volunteer program. It is important to create introductions and work with locals to develop real relationships and create solidarity.

Haiti Case Study:
A year and a half after the January 12 Haiti Earthquake, Haitians are still picking up the pieces, making a new life out of less than the little most people once had. The emergency stage is over, and the long-term rebuilding has begun. Ensuring Haitians have the resources for education is one of the critical elements of long-term recovery. Community engagement in Haiti offers the opportunity to participate in rebuilding a nation, one school and orphanage at a time.

Programs we have developed in Haiti support the rebuilding of orphanages and schools as well as support youth empowerment and the environment.

http://www.elevatedestinations.com/journey_haiti.html

Elevate the Gulf Case Study:
On April 20th, 2010 over 185 million gallons of crude oil began a three-month gush into the waters off the Gulf Coast of the United States. So began a national tragedy that not only affected marine and coastal flora and fauna, but an entire fishing economy, culture and ecosystem. The sheen on the water has dissipated, as has the media attention, but the long-term repercussions have only begun.

Programs we have developed in the Gulf are in partnership with The Ocean Foundation, to support an area of our country that has suffered economically, culturally and ecologically. Volunteers have worked on replacement or restoration of the oyster reef, seagrass bed and coastal marsh habitats has long-term benefits in helping to improve on-going problems in Mobile Bay.

http://www.elevatedestinations.com/gulf.html

Another Job Vacancy! Voluntourism is Booming

Looks like people are hiring, I keep getting a lot of job vacancy announcements (hmmm maybe supports my conclusion that business is up)! For those of you who run companies the vacancy probably wont interest you BUT it might be worthwhile to notice how other companies attract talent.

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Volunteer Co-ordinator in Malaysia
Be part of a young and dynamic community conservation project based
in the village on the Perhentian Islands.  We are looking for someone
who is great with kids and loves to immerse themselves in culture.
The selected person will be expected to lead our international volunteers
in our volunteering programme including English, eco snorkelling and
environmental school clubs, beach cleans, composting and community work.
All staff members and volunteers live in the same house.  The Ecoteer
staff, interns and volunteer all live together in Ecoteer House. All
household duties are shared on a rota basis amongst the staff and interns.

PLEASE BE EXPECTED TO LIVE IN A MUSLIM VILLAGE AND YOUR RESPECT FOR
THEIR CULTURE IS OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE TO THE PROJECT.

Suitable for
A fun loving, bubbly person who is a good team player, confident
swimmer and good with kids.  Teaching experience or qualification
is preferred but not essential.  The volunteer co-ordinator must
also be approachable for all volunteers at all times.  The candidate
should want to teach children aged 8-11 years old and want to organise
programmes for the villagers of the Perhentian village.

Personal Specification
1) A team player.
2) Excellent communication skills and confident public speaker.
3) High level of organization and ability to meet deadlines.
4) Knowledge of the work of Ecoteer and marine conservation in Malaysia.
5) Teaching experience and comfortable working with children.
6) Competent in using Microsoft Office.
7) A flexible and adaptive approach.
8) Must be comfortable in accessing assistance for a demanding role.
9) A confident swimmer.

Benefits
1) Free mixed dorm accommodation at the Ecoteer House in the Perhentian
Islands Village.
2) Share a monthly food budget of RM1000 with two other staff during project season (communal eating).
3) 1 day off per week and a block of 4 days off per month during the project season (February to November).
4) RM50 per head given for handling ‘groups’ from schools and corporations (NOT NORMAL VOLUNTEERS).
5) All work related expenses (NOT TRAVEL TO OR FROM MALAYSIA).
6) Shared internet via use of a dongle (not wifi).
7) Written reference letter upon completion of position.

Please visit our website – www.ecoteerresponsibletravel.com/jobs

Location
Perhentian Islands Village. Malaysia.

Start Date
ASAP

End Date
30th November 2012

Application process
Please email your CV/resume with a covering letter explaining why
you are suitable for this role to sehling@ecoteer.com

APPLICATION CLOSING DATE
1st April 2012