Canada’s National Post Newspaper: Philanthropic Travelers

"Taking the High Road, Philanthropic Travel connects tourists with world's poor," by Craig Offman National Post (Canada)

..munificent as those gestures might sound, some proponents of philanthropic tourism take exception to voluntourism's approach, which they believe can be counterproductive.

"Most grassroots (humanitarian) organizations can't manage when hundreds of people come for a morning or afternoon to build a nursery school or a latrine,"said David Chamberlain, owner of San Francisco-based operation Exquisite Safaris Philanthropic Travel, whose company donates US$250 per traveller to the grassroots organizations with whom he has worked.

Mr. Chamberlain says that many of the towns his company supports have massive unemployment issues, and the can-do, Peace Corps model of voluntourism only takes jobs away from locals who need the money, no matter how paltry.

"The philanthropy (Philanthropic Travel) message of giving puts the community's needs first, he said, emphasizing that companies in his space who do not give something back to the local humanitarian organizations have questionable intentions.

We're trying to inspire not only travellers and hosts, but also the industry, he said. We've (travel industry) been reaping rewards of world heritage (indigenous people) sites without participating in helping the communities around them.

When we started our business, we asked ourselves, how can we create an experience meaningful for travellers that would be different?," recalled Mr. Chamberlain.

One of the company's big accomplishments is contributing for a school in Zambia, which cost US$10,000 and was completed last year.

Arthur Brooks, a sociologist who studies the confluence of conservatism, wealth and charity, agrees with operators who say that a little generosity is better than lot of indifference.

"It's easy to ridicule people who dabble," he said. "But it's cynical to say that it's reprehensible to care about poor people while enjoying the finer things in life."

Ultimately, he believes, the concept (Philanthropic Travel) challenges the soul.

"It goes back to the Biblical teachings," said Mr. Brooks, author of Gross National Happiness. "It won't help the poor if we don't help the poor, but it also doesn't help the poor if we make ourselves poor."

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posted by: David, Exquisite Safaris