The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) and the destination hosts Travel Oregon and Travel Portland are working with the ESTC Voluntourism Partner Planeterra (www.planeterra.org), an organizer of volunteer travel, to offer voluntourism opportunities. The collaboration will provide for the first time in the event’s history, the opportunity for delegates of the Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism Conference (ESTC) held Sept. 8 to 10 in Portland, Ore., to participate in volunteer activities during field sessions.
For the first time TIES is offering hands-on volunteer activities at its annual conference, and the delegates will be invited to be part of the voluntourism field sessions offered at the ESTC 2010. The voluntourism field sessions include the opportunities to create a community garden, and to work on ecological restoration at an outdoor environmental education center and wildlife refuge. Richard G. Edwards, Planeterra director, said this effort underscores the increasing importance of voluntourism as a niche of sustainable tourism. “These field sessions will allow delegates to get a hands-on voluntourism experience and give back during their visit to Portland,” Edwards said. “This is the type of activity we encourage travelers to participate in that leads to a richer traveler experience and inspires people to continue to give back. Our community development projects around the world benefit from receiving volunteers who in turn continue to contribute for years afterwards thanks to the connections they made and their desire to make a difference over the long term.”
Voluntourism sessions are planned for a half-day at the beginning of the conference, Wednesday, Sept. 8, at the outdoor environmental education center, Columbia Springs, and for Thursday, Sept. 9, at one of Portland Parks and Recreation’s community gardens. A third activity planned for Friday, Sept. 10, at Tualatin National Wildlife Refuge will give participants a chance to do maintenance on a tree-planting project. Each project offers the opportunity to positively contribute to the sustainable development of the Portland Area, and highlights key elements of voluntourism that typify the over 50 diverse, life-enhancing projects Planeterra spearheads in 25 countries around the world. In addition to the field sessions, the ESTC 2010 will also feature a Voluntourism Panel (Thursday, Sept. 9, 6 to 7:30 p.m.) with international experts discussing issues surrounding this nascent tourism niche. There are several diverse opinions and complexities interwoven within voluntourism: development implications, travelers' experiences and impacts on host communities, among others. This panel will be open to the public and will serve as a platform to gain insight and best practices for operators and travelers alike.
The Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism Conference (ESTC) is North America’s largest and only conference focusing on sustainability in travel and tourism. It is organized by The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) with the support of the ESTC sponsors and partners. A leading international meeting place, the ESTC brings together innovative minds from across the industry to discuss practical ideas and solutions that inspire positive changes. Hosted by Travel Portland and Travel Oregon, the ESTC 2010 will bring together 500 business leaders, tourism professionals and community stakeholders. Registration is now open. An early bird rate is offered for those who sign up before July 8. Planeterra is a global nonprofit dedicated to sustainable community development through travel. Founded in 2003 by G Adventures, Planeterra evolved out of a long history of travelers committed to finding ways to give back to the people and places they visit. Planeterra selects the projects and works with G Adventures to arrange voluntour travel programs worldwide. For more information, call 416-260-0999 or visit www.community.planeterra.org.