3. Ensure beneficial relationship for partner orga
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With increasing interest in volunteer tourism, there are increasing demands on tour companies to incorporate volunteer projects in their tours. Tour operators and volunteers should keep in mind how their efforts are actually contributing to the needs of the recipient organization and community.
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- Do volunteers provide valuable services to the organization and community? (Some questions to consider: Do volunteers provide locally unavailable skilled labor? Do volunteers provide services that would otherwise be costly for partner organizations? Are volunteers taking the place of local jobs?)
- Does volunteer participation in the project contribute negatively to the local environment?
- Is volunteer participation culturally appropriate?
- Will the volunteer be employed in a position that will create dependence or create a void when the volunteer leaves? Alternatively, will his or her position build the capacity of local people and programs to better sustain themselves once the volunteer is gone? (For example, is the volunteer teaching English directly to children? Or teaching teachers how to improve their English, thereby providing capacity building to the teachers?)
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- Might the financial contribution be more effective than volunteers?
- Are the financial costs of hosting volunteers considered?
- Would a financial contribution help to sustain ongoing project needs?
- Would a financial contribution potentially create any dependencies?
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revision note: to be added later