Search Travel Market Report

mainlogo
www.travelmarketreport.com
  • News
  • Packaged Travel
  • Cruise
  • Hotels & Resorts
  • Destinations
  • Retail Strategies
  • Niche & Luxury
  • Air
  • Training & Resources

Travel Agents Help Customers Give Back While On Vacation

by Richard D’Ambrosio / August 07, 2017
Travel Agents Help Customers Give Back While On Vacation

A team of Christopherson Business Travel's employees traveled to Guatemala in 2016 to assist local villagers in building ventilated stoves.

If given the choice, most travelers would choose sleeping in a five-star seaside resort over bedding down on the floor of a rural medical clinic under construction.

But experts say there is still a strong market interested in building community-service projects in remote locales into their vacations. Many see “traveling with a purpose” as a natural evolution for consumers wanting to immerse themselves in authentic experiences, with Millennials a prime target market for interested agents.

“Millennials are making money now, and they’re saying, ‘Let’s travel, but do some good, have a positive social impact,” said Josh Cameron, head of strategy and business development at CV Humanitarian Travel, in Birmingham, AL.

Anneli Buehrle, volunteer product and contracting manager for STA Travel, said being socially conscious is top of mind for many of today’s travelers, “and we’re seeing increased interest from Millennials and Gen Zers to participate in responsible travel. More than ever, travelers are keen to be immersed in local life, connect with locals, learn about the culture, and give something back to a community.”

STA Travel offers trips in about 22 countries, including Canada, Costa Rica, and in Asia and Africa. Its current projects cover four categories: conservation, working with animals, communities and teaching children.

CV Travel has partnered with Choice Humanitarian, a charity based in West Jordan, UT, that helps relieve poverty in remote destinations in seven countries. The two organizations pair groups and individual volunteers with local projects.

Choice Humanitarian hosted 16 trips with CV Travel in 2015 and 21 in 2016, and there are 30 planned already for this year. Travelers work for at least a few days in a village sourced by Choice Humanitarian, and then append a trip afterwards. For example, a project in Nepal would add a side trip to Mount Everest; a trip to Kenya includes Lake Victoria.

“We will partner you with an organization and we will give you this experience that you otherwise wouldn’t be able to get through a conventional vacation, including speaking the language every day, eating truly authentic local food, experiencing a real cultural exchange,” Cameron said.

Choice Humanitarian’s director of corporate community impact Jordan Menzel said he is seeing a lot of interest from high-net-worth families who are “looking for ways to help introduce the next generation to the challenges going on around the world.” He also works with universities, including study-abroad programs and groups like Engineers Without Borders.

More agents interested in growing market
Tourism Cares certifies travel counselors in its Good Travel Advisors program to encourage agents to think about service travel. In the year since the Good Travels Advisor program launched, 851 travel agents have purchased the course, 498 have been certified and 101 have elected to be included in the agent finder (goodtravels.org) program, to help source sales leads.

Service travel “is having a bit of a moment right now. Demand is rising and it’s more mainstream,” said John Yonce, director of community advancement and engagement at Tourism Cares in Canton, MA. He noted Me to We’s partnering with The Travel Corporation and Classic Vacations to offer service travel opportunities with vacation packages.

Yonce said he heard from one agent about a couple who asked the guests at their destination wedding to forego a gift and instead spend for a day of giving nearby.

“There is client interest in giving back, primarily among the people already involved with nonprofit organizations at home,” said Daniela Harrison, travel consultant at Avenues of the World Travel in Flagstaff, AZ. “If you know your clients do that kind of activity at home, you can then speak with them about including giving back in their travel. Generally they don’t bring it up, so it’s important for advisors to know their clients well enough to know if this would be of interest to them.”

Harrison helps promote service tourism by posting on Facebook. “I usually keep track of who ‘liked’ the post so when they plan their next trip I can tailor it to what they are interested in.”

Doing good for your business and for the world
Agents say that combining community service with leisure travel can create strong bonds to an agency and repeat business because of the intimate and powerful nature of the experiences the agent helps create.

“It can lend to a deeper and richer experience for your client,” Yonce said. “If you’re doing it right, it becomes a virtuous circle. The conversations you had before the trip and after they return can lead to a deeper and richer relationship with your client.”

CV Humanitarian Travel, which is part of Christopherson Business Travel, sends a group of employees on a Choice Humanitarian trip every year to help boost collaboration and engagement. Cameron recommends that agents consider suggesting such a trip to corporate clients looking for a new twist on an offsite meeting. 

“You’re in a village for four to five days. The people you are around have major issues, having enough food, clean water. You’re building school houses. It totally takes the focus off of yourself and pulls at your deepest emotions, and you bond with people in a way that isn’t replicable in the United States,” said Cameron, who himself has gone on eight trips.

  
  
Related Articles
Tourism Cares Meaningful Travel Map Heads to Hawai’i
Tourism Cares Brings Travel Industry Volunteerism To Detroit
Tourism Cares Refreshes Its Strategy
Willamette Valley Oregon to Serve as Host of Tourism Cares’ 2024 Travel Summit

MOST VIEWED

  1. The Most Anticipated Hotel and Resort Openings of 2025
  2. Trinidad and Tobago Declares State of Emergency
  3. Here’s When Each Cruise Line Pays Travel Advisors Their Commission
  4. Princess Cruises Cancels Regal Princess Sailing for Unscheduled Dry Dock
  5. New U.K. ETA Requirement for Americans and Canadians Begins this Week
  6. Trevello World Holdings Inc. Acquires Gifted Travel Network


  1. Andrea DeMarco Out at Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Jason Montague to Oversee Oceania and RSSC
  2. Nikki Upshaw Departs Oceania Cruises
  3. Air Canada Flight Attendants Highlight Unpaid Work In Contract Demands
  4. Four of the Biggest Rule Changes Coming for Travelers and Advisors in 2025
  5. Here Are the Cruise Wave Season Promotions for 2025
  6. American Airlines Vacations Drops AAdvantage Requirement
TMR Subscription

Subscribe today to receive daily in-depth coverage, analysis of industry news, trends and issues that affect how you do business. Subscribe now for free.

Subscribe to TMR

Top Stories
Journese Releases New Sales Tool for The Hawaiian Islands
Journese Releases New Sales Tool for The Hawaiian Islands

The new interactive sales brochure includes real-time rates and inventory.

Smaller Groups, Bigger Revenues: 107-Year-Old Collette Celebrates Record Year
Smaller Groups, Bigger Revenues: 107-Year-Old Collette Celebrates Record Year

When you’re 107 years old, having your best year ever means just a little bit more.

It’s Been a Long Road for Rio Las Vegas, but the Comeback Is Here
It’s Been a Long Road for Rio Las Vegas, but the Comeback Is Here

After completing phase one of the multi-year transformation, the refreshed Rio is showing new signs of life

Serenity at Coconut Bay Announces Bonus Rewards for Canadian Advisors
Serenity at Coconut Bay Announces Bonus Rewards for Canadian Advisors

For a limited time, advisors can earn up to $300 for tour operator and direct bookings.

Avanti Destinations & Japan National Tourist Org Unveil New Travel Advisor Tools
Avanti Destinations & Japan National Tourist Org Unveil New Travel Advisor Tools

The “Beyond the Golden Route” tools highlight FIT itineraries that avoid heavy crowds.

Belgium Strike Grounds Flights, Disrupts Train and Bus Services in Brussels
Belgium Strike Grounds Flights, Disrupts Train and Bus Services in Brussels

At least 40% of all flights from Brussels International Airport are expected to be canceled on Monday.

TMR OUTLOOKS & WHITE PAPERS
View All
Advertiser's Voice
More than Villas. An Experience.
About Travel Market Report Mission Staff Advisory Board Advertise Syndication Guidelines
TMR Resources Calendar of Events Outlook/Whitepapers Previous Sponsored Articles Previous This Week Articles
Subscribe to TMR
Select Language
Do You Have an Idea Email
editor@travelmarketreport.com
Give Us a Call
1-(516) 730-3097
Drop Us a Note
Travel Market Report
71 Audrey Ave, Oyster Bay, NY 11771
© 2005 - 2025 Travel Market Report, an American Marketing Group Inc. Company All Rights Reserved | 243 South Street, Oyster Bay, NY, 11771 USA | Telephone (516) 730-3097| Terms and Conditions
Cookie Policy Privacy Policy