9. Be honest marketers

 Honest marketing is essential for participants to understand the nature of the project they are signing up for and to create trust among the tour organizer, volunteer organization, beneficiary communities, and participants. By tour and partnering organizations being honest about the organization’s impact, participants can better discern the right fit for them and will not be disappointed by contrasting realities.
Provide Accurate and Honest Information on Websites and Promotional Materials
  • Do promotional materials reflect realistic expectations about what can be accomplished during a short-term volunteer project?
  • Do the words used to describe your organization in your marketing materials accurately describe what you are providing such as “voluntourism”, “ecotourism”, “responsible tourism”? Is your organization’s interpretation of such terms clearly defined?
  • Does the material state or imply that the tour operator financially supports the partnering organization, when in fact the onus for donations is left up to the guests themselves?
  • Are volunteers provided with accurate information on how much of their funding is going to partner projects?
Comments
Respectful Marketing
  • Are there images or information provided on your site that might harm or embarrass the people or communities you are meant to serve?
  • Are descriptions of places honest, or are they ethnocentric and/or exaggerated (e.g. “squalor”, “desperate”, and so forth)?
  • Are the opinions and contributions of local staff or local volunteers also included with the stories of foreign volunteer efforts?
Comments


revision note: to be added later