VolunTourism: Development For The “Top Billion”?
It was about a year ago at this time that I wrote a short piece entitled “What If VolunTourism Is Development For The ‘Developed’ World?” I had recently read Dambisa Moyo’s book, Dead Aid, and incorporated some of her comments into the post. To give you some indication of the language contained within Ms. Moyo’s book, here is how Niall Ferguson opens the Foreward:
It has long seemed to me problematic, and even a little embarrassing, that so much of the public debate about Africa’s economic problems should be conducted by non-African white men. From the economists (Paul Collier, William Easterly, Jeffrey Sachs) to the rock stars (Bono, Bob Geldoff), the African discussion has been colonized as surely as the African continent was a century ago. The simple fact that Dead Aid is the work of an African black woman is the least of the reasons why you should read it. But it is a good reason nonetheless.”
A similar line of questioning has been aimed at voluntourism, and voluntourists in particular, regarding whether short-term engagement by people from outside of a community even serves a purpose or has any lasting value. The mantra – - “Does it do more harm than good?” – - has become more prevalent on blogs, in articles, and via tweets. But what if voluntourism serves a very different purpose? What if voluntourism is naturally geared toward evolving the “Top Billion” on the planet?
Andrew C. Revkin, who inks the DOT Earth Blog for The New York Times, recently posed an intriguing question: “Do The Top Billion Need New Goals?” It is a short piece; nonetheless, it is incredibly thought-provoking. Revkin writes:
But, as yet, there’s no set of such goals for those who are already living lives that many analysts say are consuming resources at a pace well beyond the planet’s carrying capacity, particularly if the habits that attend affluence — from greatly increased meat consumption to unthinking energy use and greenhouse-gas emissions — are adopted by another few billion people.”
I have long held the belief that by engaging more individuals from the “Top Billion” in voluntourism experiences, we can address some of the items that Mr. Revkin puts forth in his post. Why, for example, is development always focused on those who are challenged by material poverty? (I ask you: Who is more impoverished: someone who cannot control their appetites and habits of consumption, or someone who is struggling to put food and water on the table?) And if you focused attention on changing the habits of the “Top Billion,” is it not possible that food, water, and other natural resources would be more forthcoming for the “Bottom Billion”?
Speaking only for myself, I can say that as a result of my own voluntourism experiences – both domestically and abroad – - I have changed numerous habits in my life: significant reductions in water use, strict vegetarian diet, minimal purchases of consumer goods, composting, recycling and many others – not because these practices are becoming more socially acceptable, mind you, but because I have seen, firsthand, in communities in Mexico and elsewhere, the direct and indirect results of my poorly conducted habits. The messages that came across in the education that I received through my voluntourism experiences were more than profound, they empowered me to change my personal habits and have inspired me to continue to do so.
For the upcoming issue of The VolunTourist Newsletter, Dr. Nancy McGehee has connected with Andrew W. Bailey, PhD, Assistant Professor in Recreation & Youth Development at Calvin College. Dr. Bailey shares his insights via an article entitled “Voluntourism as a Catalyst for Wisdom: Evidence from the Pay It Forward Tour.” Dr. Bailey concludes:
This study provides evidence that voluntourism can facilitate growth in holistic, developmental assets. When paired with social engagement at home, various leadership experiences, and routine personal reflection, the longevity of these outcomes may be increased. Of course, not all voluntourism experiences have an educative intent, and a singular focus on the growth of trip participants may result in exploitation of the host community. Each program should relegate their own influence on participants, but any effort to increase compassion, perspective-taking and wisdom seems a welcome endeavor.”
I appreciate what Dr. Bailey says regarding the ‘exploitation of the host community.” If organized improperly, with poor communication regarding the desired-for reciprocal development of both parties and/or their assets – community residents and voluntourists alike, then voluntourism has the potential to be extremely detrimental. But if it is handled with a conscientious approach, with full disclosure as to the goal of reciprocity on the human development track, then the ‘needs’ of all participants are much more likely to be addressed. Thus, the causes of ‘poverty’ – whether it be material poverty or ‘lack-of-perspective’ poverty – will have a greater chance of slowly but surely being dismantled.
Although it may be too late for us to add the elimination of “lack-of-perspective” poverty, and others, to the 2015 Millennium Development Goals, I see no reason why we can’t create a new set of goals, as Mr. Revkin suggests, for the “Top Billion” as we progress through Millennium 3.0. The VolunTourism Community seems to be as good a starting point as any if we collectively agree to head in this direction. Here’s hoping.
How Global Media Outlets Are Informing Our Perspectives On VolunTourism
In a recent article entitled “How Mother Teresa’s Work Spurred Growth Of ‘Voluntourism,’” Ben Arnoldy shared his thoughts about the connection between Mother Teresa’s work in Calcutta and the expanding trend of voluntourism. Prior to the posting of his piece, I received the following email from Mr. Arnoldy:
Hi David
I am the South Asia correspondent for The Christian Science Monitor. I am working on a story tied to the 100th anniversary of Mother Teresa’s birthday, and I’ve been talking with a number of people who came to India as tourists and volunteered for her in Calcutta. Of all her many accomplishments, she strikes me as someone who understood early the power of voluntourism by making it very simply (simple) for people to show up and volunteer for whoever (however) long they wanted.
The article is going to make the point that lifelong missionaries like Mother Teresa are on the decline, but there are other forms of international charity that are on the rise, including lay missionary programs and voluntourism.
I had hoped to reach you by phone, but I missed you and with the time change (I’m in New Delhi) it may be hard to connect.
Could I ask you a few questions over email?
* What year did the voluntourism trend really take off?
* Are you seeing any dropoff in voluntourism abroad with the recession?
* Mother Teresa’s drop-in and volunteer program seems like an early embrace of this trend. Do you agree, or were there many other organizations drawing international voluntourists decades ago as well?
* Mother teresa epitomized the old way of doing international volunteer work: you join a religious order, and you go for a lifetime. Is voluntourism a democratized, easier, 21st-century version of this?
* Travel has made it easier for people to volunteer abroad, but it’s also made it easier for those volunteers to come back home quickly, rather than devoting serious time in a place. Can these volunteers really have much impact when they go on relatively short trips?Best,
Ben Arnoldy
South Asia Bureau Chief
The Christian Science Monitor
(I replied to each of his questions and will post my responses in the upcoming issue of The VolunTourist Newsletter which will publish on 8 October 2010.)
There are a couple of items that struck me from his email. The first was that he would even be looking at voluntourism as a trend to which he could relate the work of Mother Teresa. I am unfamiliar with this subject being broached elsewhere and I found it to be fascinating. Second, his recognition that a shift is on in the world as it pertains to ‘life-long’ service and embracing a monastic lifestyle dedicated to supporting the well-being of others is also something that I do not remember seeing in the media previously.
Mr. Arnoldy’s email offers us a different way of looking at voluntourism; his article gives us further insights into his own thinking on the subject and raises questions for all of us to consider. What interests me the most, of course, is that with the increasing input of media representatives from around the world, we are very likely to discover things that we have not considered about voluntourism in the past. Doubtless, this will enliven the discussion on the subject and expand our own perspectives on what voluntourism is, and is not, presently; what it may become; and how we may move it forward as a global community.
VolunTourism is clearly expanding beyond the CANUU (Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States) countries. This email from Mr. Arnoldy is but one example. With the emerging interest in voluntourism from the G-BRICs (Germany, Brazil, Russia, India, and China), Malaysia, and Singapore, which I wrote about in the latest issue of The VolunTourist Newsletter, we will be privy to a greater supply of viewpoints which will enable all of us to integrate those views into our own perspectives. Thus, we will collectively insure a healthier future for voluntourism, one with a world-centric, integral view of the interdependence of travel and service.
Hurricane Katrina: Unparalleled In Its Influence On VolunTourism
Editor’s Note: If you are a voluntourist who plans to be down in the Gulf Coast region during the week of 22 – 29 August 2010, you may wish to connect with K5Nola.com. The group is organizing numerous service projects throughout the city and surrounding areas during that week.
The fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina is nearly upon us. As difficult and challenging as the memories of this event are, we cannot fail to recognize the role Katrina has played in stimulating the growth and development of voluntourism.
Since 29 August 2005 when Katrina made landfall, approximately 2 million people from countries all over the world have come to the U.S. Gulf Coast to assist, in whatever way possible, in the recovery efforts. This, in and of itself, is remarkable; yet, it only tells part of the story. The rest of the story focuses on the influence that Katrina has had on voluntourism since that time. Here are four key impacts that I have recognized in the five years following the storm:
- Participation of Convention & Meeting Delegates
- Active Engagement of Convention & Visitors Bureaus & Other Destination Marketing Organizations
- Media Coverage
- The Involvement of the Travel & Tourism Industry
Participation of Convention & Meeting Delegates
If a convention or meeting has been held in New Orleans, Louisiana, since August 2005, it is a pretty good bet that delegates, and perhaps even their attending spouses or family members, engaged in some sort of voluntary service in advance of, during, or after the meeting or convention. To give some indication of just how pervasive this culture of being of service while in the Gulf Coast region has become in the aftermath of Katrina, here is an excerpt from an interview by Adi Ignatius with Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks, which appears in the July/August 2010 issue of Harvard Business Review:
Adi: “What has been your big leadership moment since you came back?”
Schultz: “I decided – - against the advice of many people at the time, because it had a high cost attached to it – - to take 10,000 store managers to New Orleans. I knew that if I could remind people of our character and values, we could make a difference. The conference was about galvanizing the entire leadership of the company – - being vulnerable and transparent with our employees about how desperate the situation was, and how we had to understand that everyone must be personally accountable and responsible for the outcome of every single customer interaction. We started the conference with community service. Our efforts represent the single largest block of community support in the history of New Orleans, contributing more than 54,000 volunteer hours and investing more than $1 million in local projects like painting, landscaping, and building playgrounds. Projects took place in several New Orleans neighborhoods over the course of the week, and I personally assisted with the restoration of homes in one of the hardest-hit areas of the city.”
Katrina has changed the nature of conventions & meetings, not only in New Orleans, but also, via ripple effects, in other cities such as Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Washington.
Active Engagement of Convention & Visitors Bureaus (CVBs) and Other Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs)
In my research of voluntourism over the years, prior to Hurricane Katrina, I have been unable to find any active involvement of a convention & visitors bureau (CVB) or other destination marketing organization (DMO) in the development of voluntourism programs for inbound leisure and business travelers. This should not surprise us, as the majority of the stakeholders of CVBs and DMOs are members of the travel & tourism industry or executives of nonprofit organizations, such as museums, which are often directly impacted by travel & tourism. Very rarely will an environmental or social infrastructure organization, often the ones for which volunteers will provide services, find itself a constituent of a DMO if travel & tourism does not serve as a revenue generator for it.
But soon after Hurricane Katrina, both the Mississippi Gulf Coast Convention & Visitors Bureau, headed at the time by Stephen Richer (more about Steve in the next segment of this post), and the New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau became, by default no less, instantly involved in navigating a surging tide of inbound voluntourists offering to do whatever they could to ‘make a difference.’ These two CVBs were thrust into a role of formalizing relationships between nonprofit & social service entities in the region and travel & tourism industry representatives to meet the influx of visitors – some with their work gloves and some without; some with experience and some without – all with a desire to help.
Thus, Katrina inspired what has become a substantive list of CVBs and DMOs across the globe that have embraced voluntourism and are actively developing unique opportunities for visitors to volunteer in their respective destinations. What’s more, these CVBs and DMOs are embracing voluntourism proactively, rather than in response to a natural or man-made disaster. Katrina has taught CVBs and DMOs much about the importance of formalizing relationships between the nonprofit sector and the travel & tourism industry to meet the demands of the ‘awakening consumer.’
Media Coverage
On 19 February 2007, USA Today posted an article by Larry Copeland on its front page entitled “Katrina ‘Voluntourists’ Make Labor A Vacation.” This represented the first time that a major media publication had ever used the term ‘voluntourists.’ Stephen Richer, former executive director of the Mississippi Gulf Coast CVB, was interviewed for the piece:
‘They’ve had a tremendous impact,’ says Stephen Richer, executive director of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau, who estimates that 500,000 volunteers have come here since Katrina flattened the coast on Aug. 29, 2005. ‘When I look at the people all of us have been dealing with on a day-to-day basis, they are the one group that has brought nothing but hope.’”
Richer told me later in an interview, “that article changed the course of voluntourism,” and I am inclined to agree with him, at least where the media is concerned. In the three-plus years since this article ran, media attention has steadily grown to encompass publications well beyond the reach of those solely dedicated to travel & tourism.
Involvement of the Travel & Tourism Industry
As voluntourism in the U.S. Gulf Coast region expanded in the months following Katrina, a number of travel & tourism industry practitioners began their first exploration of this type of travel. Granted, in some cases this was almost a mandated response, as representatives of hotels and tour operations in the Gulf Coast will tell you, their guests and clients simply wanted to help. And with firsthand experience comes a desire to build on that knowledge and understanding and to see if it can be applied elsewhere.
Cruise lines, hoteliers, tour operators, destination management companies, and even online travel portals have responded in varying degrees since Katrina. From my personal experience, I can tell you about two entities that built programs upon what was learned and inspired, in part, in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina: Travelocity.com and the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, LLC.
I have mentioned in some of my writings about my breakfast with Jeffrey Glueck, former chief marketing officer of Travelocity, back in 2006 at a restaurant in New Orleans when he shared some of the details of his own ‘voluntourism honeymoon.’ He was there to assist in the planting of 30,000 trees in the Gulf Coast as part of the company’s carbon offset initiative. Soon thereafter, Travelocity launched its Travel For Good program which has become a financial oasis during the Great Recession for potential voluntourists who apply for its ‘change ambassador grants’ each quarter.
In my conversations with Sue Stephenson, Vice President of Community Footprints at the Ritz-Carlton, she has discussed some of the details of the learning that her team accrued in the weeks and months following Hurricane Katrina. This learning was incorporated into the later development of Give Back Getaways and VolunTeaming – the two voluntourism initiatives which the company started in April 2008.
Visitors to the Gulf Coast Region, and their desire to be of service, may very well have provided the catalyst behind the majority of the subsequent development of voluntourism by members of the travel & tourism industry. However, what is noteworthy is that some of these entities have taken voluntourism well beyond the U.S. Gulf Coast. This, too, must be counted as part of the legacy of Katrina.
Final Thoughts
As I told Eva Vasquez in a recent interview, celebrities like Angelina Jolie have certainly had their influence in inspiring us to re-purpose our lives and commit to causes around the world; this cannot be denied. But in the case of voluntourism, there is really only one name that can be recognized as having had the most significant influence, to date that is, behind the growth and development of this genre of travel – Katrina.
“Is VolunTourism A Viable Opportunity For Canada?”
The above question was posed by a recent subscriber to The VolunTourist Newsletter; I must say, it is refreshing to receive a direct inquiry like this. So here we go.
I first wrote about Canada’s potential as an ‘incubator of voluntourists’ back in 2007. Is it possible that some of the same contributing factors that are likely to produce a culture of potential voluntourists amongst Canadians can be harnessed to entice domestic engagement as well as draw other voluntourists to Canada? Yes, I believe it can.
Fortunately, we are not starting from an entry level position where domestic & inbound Canadian voluntourism is concerned – there is a precedent at work here.
An Example Of Successful Canadian VolunTourism: The Land Conservancy of British Columbia
I have had a number of opportunities to visit Canada over the last several years. Most of my time has been spent in the Victoria-Vancouver area, in particular, looking at the work of The Land Conservancy (TLC) of British Columbia with my colleague Karma Brophy. What Ms. Brophy and I discovered almost immediately is that TLC has been offering ‘voluntourism’ experiences, what TLC refers to as “Conservation Holidays,” for nearly a decade without truly realizing just how advanced the organization had become in its development of ‘voluntourism product’ and delivery of unique overall experiences. (A blog post from June 2010 entitled “Voluntourism: A Holiday You Can Feel Good About” lets us know that TLC is catching on.)
Through Conservation Holidays, TLC has crafted hands-on engagements for their members, generated additional revenue to support their conservation endeavors, and galvanized the connection between their ongoing efforts and their loyal supporters. The practicality makes the organization appear ingenious. The truth is that TLC has simply opened the door to ‘ownership’ and personal investment in its cause, rather than limiting the contact to ‘membership’ fees in support of its cause. There is no investment like sweat equity, and when it comes to voluntourism for NGOs, this has to be the most compelling reason for offering such journeys in the first place.
Canada’s Volunteer Infrastructure
Canada has an incredible opportunity to expand on what TLC is doing in other parts of the country. Not only conservation of vast stretches of land, but also the chance to engage voluntourists in citizen science, archaeology, and trail construction & maintenance. And then, too, there are options to assist with social challenges in urban areas. Toronto, for example, has provided the backdrop for numerous convention & meetings groups to participate in voluntary service activities that benefit children & youth and families. All of this is possible because Canada has an extensive infrastructure for volunteering.
It is this infrastructure that also makes voluntourism viable in Canada. Inbound tour operators have a tremendous asset available to them and can formalize partnerships with NGOs to organize and coordinate volunteer activities in a professional manner in virtually every destination. Through Volunteer Canada, volunteer centres can be accessed in each province, streamlining the connection even further.
Additionally, in a country in which the overall volunteer rate is nearly 1 in 2 persons, the attitude of service is pervasive. Inbound visitors/voluntourists have a much higher chance of working alongside local residents to assist with projects that may be small or as large as the community itself. And we know how much voluntourists enjoy working alongside local residents. In such situations, voluntourists have a tendency to feel that what they are doing has some lasting value, is not a ‘hand-out,’ and has the possibility of being of real assistance. What’s more, local residents can see travelers in a completely different light and interact with them, share information about the destination, and even join voluntourists during ‘off-hours.’
The Financial Viability
Obviously, the financial viability has to be considered in all of this. Without sufficient compensation for all stakeholders, there is no reason to start such a venture. The meetings & conventions market is the most financially viable. Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary, and other meeting destinations all have the infrastructure and options available to produce financially sustainable opportunities.
The leisure market, on the other hand, will be more challenging. Group leisure should be viable. Independent travelers and families, if they are not part of a group leisure experience, will only be viable for NGOs which receive funds to compensate them for outlay of coordinating staff, etc.
Hoteliers and other accommodations may opt to support families and independent travelers in connecting with voluntary service projects as part of the hoteliers’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. Out-of-pocket expenses may be partially or fully absorbed by the hotelier depending on how they wish to establish their respective guest-based voluntourism programs. These fiscally subsidized approaches are viable, as long as the hotelier holds such efforts as a part of its CSR goals & objectives.
Final Thoughts
Canada has demonstrated both a track record of voluntourism programming over the years and the potential for crafting yet-to-be-defined unique voluntourism experiences for inbound domestic & international voluntourists.
For Canadian VolunTourism to flourish, however, it is most important to look at its potential from a provincial, and, perhaps, national perspective. The higher up the chain one goes, the more likely it will be to garner the necessary multi-stakeholder involvement. A collection of ‘investors’ in voluntourism can pool resources that are usually unavailable to single, or small-group contingencies. As Canada is well-versed in the cooperative model, a cooperative voluntourism group (consisting of NGOs, corporations, tourism entities, and other suppliers) can accomplish much to engage Canadian citizens and international visitors in meaningful, worthwhile projects.
If any country can be successful in establishing a viable, national voluntourism model, Canada has to be at the top of the list.
VolunTourism & Corporate Return On “Involvement” (RO”I”)
A new subscriber from Malaysia sent in a question regarding how to promote voluntourism to corporations. A timely question indeed, given that corporate profits are beginning to reassert themselves following the economic downturn that started in 2007-08.
There is really one axiom to keep in mind when considering how to promote voluntourism to corporations and that is “to speak to their listening.” Corporations have a language all their own, and any entity that is operating voluntourism programs must consider this language when discussing the potential benefits of corporate participation.
‘Return On Involvement’
Back in 2008 during an interview I had with a master’s degree student at the University of Denver, he mentioned the term ‘return on involvement,’ the new ROI. I immediately thought of the community involvement program at KPMG, aptly named “Involve.” This word ‘involve’ and the term ‘return on involvement’ resonate with corporations. Having such terms in your marketing and promotional materials will definitely attract corporations.
Customer Involvement, Not Just Employee Involvement
There is something else when we consider involvement, and this is how voluntourism has begun to fit into the changing landscape of what companies consider to be involvement. Initially, companies looked at community involvement as it pertains to employees. Now, however, through programs like Travelocity’s Travel For Good Change Ambassador Grants, ‘customers’ have an opportunity to also be ‘involved.’ Glad(R) to Give(TM) recently offered a promotional campaign for getting its customers involved. Here is a description of the program via HotMomsClub.com:
Now through June 30, Glad invites families to submit their own “Recipe for Giving”– or a story, idea and example of how their family gives back with food – whether it’s delivering a homemade pumpkin pie to the local fire station every Thanksgiving or hosting an annual charitable bake sale. Entries must be 100 words or less and submitted via the Glad to Give™ page on Facebook® or www.GladtoGive.com. Each of the four finalists receives $1,000 and will go on to compete in a Cookies for Kids’ Cancer™ fundraising event for a grand prize voluntourism trip for four to the island of St. Lucia.”
“… for a grand prize voluntourism trip for four to the island of St. Lucia” – customer involvement.
So entities seeking corporate clients to participate in voluntourism programs need not think only in terms of employee involvement. Developing programs that focus on the participation of customers is, perhaps, even more relevant given the current economic conditions and the way companies are leaning toward supporting customers to engage in local & global civic involvement.
Final Thoughts
There are, of course, other potential benefits to companies besides involvement of employees and customers through corporate social responsibility initiatives. Although this post has focused on the CSR side of voluntourism, it is not to suggest that additional possibilities should be overlooked. The key is to discover the language that one should use when describing such things as options that support the ‘business case’ for voluntourism – differentiation of products and services, for example. There are numerous ways by which you can demonstrate these opportunities through case studies or other examples; you have plenty to choose from, just find the one that works best for the folks who are ‘doing the listening.’