Daniel Ponce-Taylor
Director of Programs,
Global Vision International
Tourism as a Tool
for Change
Voluntourism, eco-tourism, or whatever else you may call it, is the hot new travel trend around the world. It’s so hot that even Carnival Cruise Lines built a new boat dedicated to providing their guests a trip where they can interact with local Caribbean cultures and participate in service projects of their choice.
Global Vision International, though, is way ahead of the volunteer tourism trend. Now in its 20th year, GVI has a network of more than 26,000 alumni who have all chosen to do something a little different than lay on a beach with a drink in hand during their vacation.
“It doesn’t matter what the definition [of voluntourism] is,” said Daniel Ponce-Taylor, director of programs at GVI, at the 2016 Blue Ocean Summit. “It matters what’s happening on the ground.”
What’s happening on the ground during a GVI trip, it turns out, is actually quite different than the typical voluntourism model employed around the world.
With a mission of creating a network of passionate people who want to make a difference, GVI uses a service learning approach that accelerates both the learning process and change.
The traditional volunteer-based tourism program includes short interactions with the local populace or environment that has more of an impact on the visitor than it necessarily does on the intended target, said Daniel.
GVI’s service learning model provides for an immersive experience from start to finish for guests, and the take-aways extend much farther beyond the duration of the trip. Regardless of the length or location of the GVI program, guests are given material to read and study before leaving home, and then are taught the skills required to participate in their course by GVI staff even before they arrive at their desired destination.
“The trip is a two-way process,” said Daniel. “It’s about what you give and what you get.”
The giving part is the piece GVI coordinates with the local government and non-governmental organizations before a project begins. Objectives and end-goals are identified jointly, along with the skills guests will need to contribute to a project’s success.
No need to worry, though, if you don’t think you have the skills necessary to contribute because GVI will teach what you need to know.