VWB Projects with Track of the Tiger T.R.D.

Responsible Tourism Development

RTD1 - Ensuring Market Access For Tourism MSMEs.

Perhaps the most effective way to address income inequality, provide opportunity, protect the environment and to understand our celebrate our cultural differences, is to support and promote a level playing field for responsible tourism.

Your one-off or regular small monthly donations to fund VWB Volunteers working on this initiative will have a significant multiplier effect on the individuals, communities and host countries that benefit from your support.

The industry has long proclaimed that tourism has the potential to address inequality, poverty, and environmental problems in the developing regions of the world that attract tourist visitors

Whilst many tourism-related organisations and NGOs are doing commendable work towards that goal, their modest progress over the past 30 years has been overshadowed by the exponential growth and negative impacts of mass tourism.

The RTA (Responsible Tourism Alliance) contends that the industry’s prevailing shareholder profit-driven, commission-based model – used by both traditional and online travel agents is the main problem. It denies the host destinations, and the stakeholders in them, the level playing field that would allow them fair market access, and an equitable share of the opportunities and revenue that tourism offers.

The traditional business model is basically a monopoly, that exerts far too much control over the distribution of guests to tourism destinations, and to the businesses within them. It takes too great a share of the profits, most of which are ‘leaked’ back out of the host country. It pays little if anything in local taxes, and puts the cost of infrastructure development, destination management and environmental protection onto the local taxpayer.

The RTA uses the same online infrastructure and widespread connectivity to provide its membership with an alternative - a level playing field - in the form of an advertising platform and non-commission based booking channel designed to put people and the planet before profits by:

• Providing market access, opportunity and equitable revenue share for our membership of Small, Medium & Micro Enterprises – tourism businesses operating in compliance with our recommended service standards and responsible tourism best practices.
• Eliminating the excessive commissions paid to the industry’s middlemen and are ‘leaked’ back out of the host country – at great cost to its development prospects.
• Ensuring our membership of responsible tourists access to a wide range of unique and rewarding travel experiences provided at fair prices by those who are responsible for tourism compliant.
• Collaborating with others, sharing resources to increase our impact and reduce costs in support of our common goals.

A fairer share of revenue will have a multiplier effect in the local economy, increase the tax base, and reduce over-tourism by expanding the tourism footprint into the outlying areas as well as creating non-tourism reliant revenue streams as a risk management strategy.

The expanded menu of attractions, available under 'better value' deals, will encourage visitors to stay longer reducing the number of flights (carbon emissions) they take each year.

The social enterprise driven model is the key to developing responsible tourism destinations with a broad and sustainable marketing appeal based on their diversity of travel experiences that showcase the local customs, culture, lifestyle and environment.

You can help by donating the funds necessary to support VWB volunteers engaged to add and train tourism MSMEs joining the platform.

VWB Volunteers are tasked to provide our small business partners, entrepreneurs and communities with the following services aimed at preparing them for membership by developing of their online business profiles/presentations. (creative writing, photography, video, business model development, service skills and responsible tourism best practices and risk reduction practices in the Covid-19 era.)

Who can get involved

• VWB Volunterers - Who have the skills and training to contribute to the task force and training roles as outlined.

Costs: Baht 1,600.- per day, per volunteer. Covers: Accommodation, transport, meals, materials for one member of a 4 person Task Force = Baht 6'275.- per day. Note* You may donate any amount to this fund. 

Donations: Review options Here.

Assignment Duration: Flexible - subject to the type of tasks being undertaken.

Programme Management: Track of the Tiger T.R.D. & VWB - Contact Us 

Credibility & Transparency: Review detail Here

Recognition: See VWB Donor Logs

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Subscribe to the VWB Blog.

RTD2 - Tourism Business Skills Development For Tourism MSMEs.

Subsidise a Skills Development Training Programme - A single session (8 hrs.) run by 1 expert on a day rate, and 2 VWB assistants, transport costs, materials and lunch for staff and 12 participants.

We offer RTA Business Partners skills-development workshops  - and welcome assistance from local experts supported by VWB staff and volunteers in developing/delivering training workshops. These include: 

• Managing Enquiries & Bookings via the RTA Local Agent.
• Basic Business Management - (establishing revenue & expenditure projections.)
• Business Operations Manual - Standard procedures for running your business (all staff roles and reports.)
• Basic Financial & Operational Reporting (an RTA format designed to position the business for impact funding or crowdfunding support going forward.)
• Local Business Regulations & Taxation.
• Managing your business profile on the RTA database and marketing your business effectively on the site. 
• Basic Hospitality Training.
• RTA Best Practices (waste management, hygiene, safety, conservation and more) 
• Cross-Cultural Challenges
• English language learning for tourism.
• 2nd Revenue Stream Generation (non-tourism reliant) options.

Who can get involved

• VWB Volunterers - Who have the skills and training to contribute to the task force and training roles as outlined.
• Schools & Universities - Providing groups or individual interns/postgraduate students to assist in a wide range of research based data gathering tasks.
• All Others - who are in a position to subsidise the costs of the volunteers and related expenses involved.

Donation: Baht 15,700.- You may cover the cost of 1 session or contribute any amount to the cost of a session. You may also donate any smaller amount to this project fund.

Assignment Duration: Generally a one day event..

Programme Management: Track of the Tiger T.R.D. & VWB - Contact Us.

Credibility & Transparency: Review detail Here

Recognition: See VWB Donor Logs

Follow at on Facebook: facebook.com/VWB.org
Subscribe to the VWB Blog.