Sustainable CRM? – Philanthropy and Voluntourism Engages Travellers

"Our family started planning a trip to Peru and Ecuador last winter. We had read about kids raising money for people in Africa and we thought it would be cool if we raised money for a needy
organization in an area that we planned on visiting. Trip planners at Gap Adventures told us
about the Planeterra Foundation<!– a> and Planeterra said that House of the People of the Sun (Inti Runakunaq Wasin in Quechua) in Cuzco could use our help. We thought it would be really
great to help these kids, many of whom do not have homes or parents to care for them, plus it would be exciting for us."

Watch a video of the House of the People of the Sun

Those are the words of two 10-year-old girls! These young humanitarians were so motivated to help out that they set up raising funds by making posters and flyers and doing presentations at their church and school to get support. They raised $2,933 and donated a "ton of toothbrushes" from their dentist.

People that take Planeterra Voluntours or visit a Planeterra project are often inspired to share their story, as these young girls did, because their experience was so meaningful. Sometimes it was the volunteering, working with a community project, seeing exotic wildlife for the first time, or
trying out new food. Most often though, it’s the connections made with local people that make the long lasting memories, a desire to return or to maintain contact.

Travellers have been so inspired by the community project they have visited that they have raised funds like the story above illustrates, or have purchased needed supplies to deliver on arrival. Others get together with fellow travellers on the trip and make a big donation after they return home. Upon return from a trip to Tanzania and visiting the Mpanga Primary School, some travellers decided to make a group donation, which was matched by Gap Adventures, to buy supplies to build 20 new desks for the school.

Consistently, the experiences with the local people and the projects rate as the highlights of peoples’ trips in formal and informal post- trip evaluations. Even when the tour involves the types of activities considered to be trips of a lifetime, such as African safaris and world famous sites like Machu Picchu, travellers are touched by the locals’ efforts to welcome them into their lives and cultures, and best of all, into their homes.

When the partnership with the Ccaccoccollo community began years ago in Peru, it was the many
travellers touched by their experiences there who wanted to give back to the people who live and work along the Inca trail. Several projects were established there, starting with improving labour
practices for all cooks and porters, and evolving to include initiatives that help women and children such as a weaving cooperative, a home and shelter for children living in extreme poverty, and stove-building to remove smoke from kitchens and reduce respiratory problems in Peruvian families.

Travellers’ devotion to these projects keeps the momentum going, allowing accomplishments far greater than many expect. With proper management and communication, the impact on local communities can be significant and very positive. From a customer retention standpoint, those clients’ devotion to the tour company that made the connection possible is clearly seen at the time of their next vacation booking.

– Kelly Galaski

Kelly Galaski is partnership coordinator at Planeterra and an advocate for integrating sustainability into all business including travel. She has worked for over 10 years in the tourism industry for
hotels, restaurants, tour operators, and in community ecotourism development consulting.