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Hotels & Other Suppliers

If the argument for getting involved in VolunTourism were simply limited to social responsibility, one could easily suggest, and rightly so, that an alternative form of "making a difference" could be more functional and beneficial to a hotel or other supplier. "Greening" your operations is certainly one option that would demonstrate commitment to social responsibility and reduce overall costs. But what if you represent a Five-Star property or similar venue where "greening," by some of its very practices, poses a challenge to your "Diamond Status"?

In the case of VolunTourism you have other attractive elements:

  • It has the potential to positively affect your balance sheet;
  • It can be applied to your in-house employee-giving programs;
  • It can become an affinity program for your clientele; or
  • You may choose to utilize it to strengthen relationships with your vendors & suppliers
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WEEKLY WEBCAST

Tuesdays 10am ET/7am PT

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

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.