The VolunTourist™ is a premium Newsletter for the Travel Trade. For those interested in discovering what is happening in the world of VolunTourism and seeking emerging practices, general information, and case studies, this is your Source.

UnXpected

Thank you, again, for your interest in The VolunTourist!

On to your questions:

1) When will the next VolunTourism Forum be held and where?

We are diligently working on this and will have an answer in the May 2005 issue of The VolunTourist.

Rather than create speculation, we ask for your patience as we review the options and make a final decision.

2) What is happening in the area of VolunTourism Research?

Currently a group of students from The George Washington University are polling tour operators to determine how many TO's are offering VolunTourism products or services to their clients. Results of this survey will appear in a future issue of The VolunTourist.

As for additional research, we are working on leads for funding and development of instruments. We will definitely keep you posted.

3) Do you know of any VolunTourism programs in China?

The majority of programs in China are focused on the environment. There are a couple of organizations that do long-term placement of volunteers in China, but we were unable to find programs that fit the VolunTourism model.

4) Have you seen articles where authors are using the words "voluntouring" and "voluntour?"

Yes, we have seen these articles. What it means and how we plan to address it are still part of internal discussions with our team members. Count on the fact that we will be diplomatic, collaborative, and inclusive in our efforts.

5) Have you considered starting a VolunTourism Association?

Indeed! This is something that we are exploring currently and will have more information in a future issue.

Let us hear from you! Email us with your questions, comments, and testimonials at: voluntourist@voluntourism.org

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