An Overview

Why you engage in a VolunTourism initiative may seem irrelevant. On the contrary, if you think of VolunTourism as simply another PR opportunity, you are completely overlooking the potential.

In order to maximize "The Role of VolunTourism" as it relates to your entity, you must be very clear about what you envision as the outcomes of developing your strategy - be very clear from the outset - this IS strategic. A variety of suppliers are utilizing VolunTourism in many different ways. The Hilton San Francisco, for example, has a full-time staff person, Jo Licata, dedicated to organizing VolunTourism projects for in-bound meeting groups. Travelocity and Orbitz (via CheapTickets) have organized their respective approaches to VolunTourism as well. And most recently, April 1st, 2008, The Ritz Carlton Hotel Company, LLC, launched its Give Back Getaways program.

In four easy steps you must:

1. Determine WHY you will use VolunTourism
2. Determine WHAT resources you will invest in the initiative
3. Determine HOW you will implement your strategy, and
4. Implement, Evaluate, and Modify accordingly

It will take effort, a strong team member to lead the charge, and lasting commitment. Measuring your success will be relatively easy if you have clarified your "Why."

For additional resources, look to archives of The VolunTourist and other sections of this website. Should you have in-depth questions about how to approach VolunTourism as a Hotel or Other Supplier, feel free to contact us.

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THE VOLUNTOURIST - Past Webcast for Hotel & Other Supplier Representatives

Sue Stephenson, Vice President, Community Footprints, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, LLC The Ritz Carlton & VolunTourism - March 25 , 2008 Synopsis How has The Ritz Carlton Company, LLC, created its VolunTourism Initiative? Why are they branching into this arena? What are some of the challenges to keep in mind when developing such initiatives? Guests address these topics and discuss others during this episode of The VolunTourist. [Listen To The Webcast] (Click Here To Download) Guests Mark Sherwin, General Manager, The Ritz-Carlton, Tyson's Corner; Sue Stephenson, Vice President, Community Footprints, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, LLC.   Suggested Readings From The VolunTourist Newsletter VolunTourism del Hilton - Jo Licata, Community Projects Manager for the Hilton San Francisco, shares her thoughts on VolunTourism and how it has impacted clients, staff, and the local community Outrigger Waikiki - Hotel employees were at the heart of a local volunteerism effort when guests began to express interest in joining them as Voluntourists.