Our idea:We have taken the decision to pledge a percentage of our profits to different foundations and organizations that have an important impact on the lives of local communities, on the protection of the native forests, and further afield, on the wellbeing of the tourism industry and those who work in it across the world.
This sounds like a major challenge, but we feel it is the least we can do to give something back to the local area and to the industry that facilitates our own livelihoods.
Fundacion Chol-Chol:
We have recently established a link with the Fundación Chol-Chol based in the 9th region here in Chile. It is a non-profit organisation whose mission is to provide education and technical assistance to individuals who live in poor, rural, indigenous communities in order to create opportunities that foster self-sufficiency, develop self-esteem and improve economic stability.
The Foundation tailors its educational activities to be comprehensive and, most importantly, relevant to the day-to-day lives of its beneficiaries. In order to do this, the institution promotes team-work and self-management, offers small-scale loans, and provides marketing support in order to assist in selling products and services.
In addition to this, the Foundation offers both short and long term voluntary projects for professionals seeking to make a difference whilst traveling. We intend to support these projects and meanwhile, we hope that our small donations, a percentage of which will be generated from your stay with us, can make a difference to the lives of others.
Take a look at the Foundation’s website for further information and to see what our donations can buy:
http://www.cholchol.org/en_quienes_vision.php
The Foundation tailors its educational activities to be comprehensive and, most importantly, relevant to the day-to-day lives of its beneficiaries. In order to do this, the institution promotes team-work and self-management, offers small-scale loans, and provides marketing support in order to assist in selling products and services.
In addition to this, the Foundation offers both short and long term voluntary projects for professionals seeking to make a difference whilst traveling. We intend to support these projects and meanwhile, we hope that our small donations, a percentage of which will be generated from your stay with us, can make a difference to the lives of others.
Take a look at the Foundation’s website for further information and to see what our donations can buy:
http://www.cholchol.org/en_quienes_vision.php
Tourism Concern:
The larger non-profit making organisation that we aim to support financially through donations is Tourism Concern, a London based organisation where I (Sarah) did a stint of voluntary work on the Latin American section in 2004.
Tourism Concern's Mission Statement is to ensure tourism always benefits local communities.
The Tree House Hostel aims to do this as far as possible by supporting local producers of cakes, jams, cheese, laundry services, even the local off-licence!, but we feel this is not quite enough in terms of the bigger picture.
Tourism Concern has a wide range of exciting and innovative projects working with communities in destination countries to reduce social and environmental problems connected to tourism. They also work with the outbound tourism industry in the UK to find ways of improving tourism so that local benefits are increased.
Tourism Concern's Mission Statement is to ensure tourism always benefits local communities.
The Tree House Hostel aims to do this as far as possible by supporting local producers of cakes, jams, cheese, laundry services, even the local off-licence!, but we feel this is not quite enough in terms of the bigger picture.
Tourism Concern has a wide range of exciting and innovative projects working with communities in destination countries to reduce social and environmental problems connected to tourism. They also work with the outbound tourism industry in the UK to find ways of improving tourism so that local benefits are increased.
Central to Tourism Concern's work is the fact that tourism often causes or exacerbates poverty. For this reason, the NGO has been working since 1989 to raise awareness of the negative impacts of tourism: economic, cultural, environment and social. They work with the tourism industry rather than against it. The statement on the header from the Tourism Concern website highlights just what a difference people can make if they work together for a common cause.
Tourism Concern has events London throughout the year and their projects and campaigns can be followed through their website, or better still, become a member and receive their In Focus magazine.
They also have a webshop stocking fabulous books for those who work in the tourism industry, or for those who want to travel within in. A couple of my personal recommendations are:
The Ethical Travel Guide, Polly Patullo with Orely Minelli for Tourism Concern - http://shop1.actinicexpress.co.uk/shops/tourismconcern/index.php?cat=The_Ethical_Travel_Guide
Corporate Futures: Corporate Social Responsibility in the Tourism Industry, A Consultation on Good Practice – http://shop1.actinicexpress.co.uk/shops/tourismconcern/index.php?cat=Student_Support___Teaching_Materials
We can only hope that out meager effort to support the above foundations and organisations will help someone, somewhere in their endeavour to better their own lives, or those of others.
