Socially responsible tour operators

The German Travel Association said that a growing number of tour operators are engaged in CSR in their businesses. A good example was Studiosus, which offers “study trip” holiday packages in cooperation with partners in local destinations. It is more up-market because the vacations tend to be expensive. A two-week vacation to Ethiopia, for example, would cost well over 2,500 euros ($3,400 dollars).

Another organization that offers “alternative” volunteer holiday packages is TravelWorks. It cooperates with local partners in different parts of the world. The company offers travelers a stay with a host family combined with social or environmental work in a local institution.

Nico Siegmund, a young German student teacher who participated in a TravelWork program in Ghana in 2009, was happy with his experience there. But he said he felt that it was too costly. Siegmund’s two-month volunteer holiday cost 960 euros without air fare, vaccinations, visa or other travel costs.

 ”It’s pretty expensive because you have to pay for everything yourself, so the flights, the vaccines, travel insurance and the stay,” Siegmund said.