Our Responsible Travel Statement
With hundreds of people signing up to our programmes every year, we acknowledge
that our customers have the potential to influence or change the communities that
they visit, and that sometimes these changes can be detrimental. This is unavoidable.
However, WAVA is firmly committed to promoting and supporting responsible travel,
and therefore our obligation is to consider the implications of the impacts caused
by travelling, and to encourage behaviours that are respectful and constructive,
rather than harmful or abusive.
It is often wrongly assumed that the only ‘real’ negative costs of travel is that
which is done to the environment – namely, the fuel that is burned (and consequently,
the carbon emitted) from the engines of the vehicles used to transport travellers
to their destinations.
But it’s not just about the environment. Our operations move beyond that, and we
have to make sure that our programmes benefit not just our participants, but also
the host communities, their economies and their environments.
This is the principle of the so-called triple bottom line:
- Social responsibility – acting in such a way that our partners, our project
staff, our volunteers and their families, all those who are directly impacted by
our business, and our own staff are treated with respect and benevolence. By blending
different cultures we endeavour to maximise the connection between our participants
and the local community and ensure that our business is a genuine exchange of efforts
and human capital.
- Economic responsibility – working hard to ensure that all arrangements within
our supply chain, all the way from the participant's payment through to the employees
on the project, are set up to benefit each individual, business or organisation
fairly and transparently, and that transactions are entered into consensually and
conducted freely. We ensure that approximately 70% of our participant’s fees go
directly to the destination country – thus facilitating the sustained growth and
development of local businesses.
- Environmental responsibility – taking into consideration all impacts on the
environment, we endeavour to maintain a zero-tolerance attitude to any damage caused
by our participants at their respective host communities around the world. Our conservation
efforts range from protecting and studying endangered animals, facilitating sustainable
waste disposal mechanisms, and overseeing the care and upkeep of plant life. As
a company, we are also very mindful of minimizing paper consumption, so when possible
we prefer to utilise web-based communication.
How do we ensure responsible practices occur?
Responsible travel is fast becoming somewhat of a ‘buzz’ word in the travel sector,
and there are many businesses claiming to maintain Responsible Travel policies.
WAVA takes transparency very seriously and it is important to us that we remain
credible. In view of this, we focus on three areas where we know we can make a difference:
- Educating our customers about the benefits of travelling responsibly
- Learning about our influence and acting in consequence
- Maintaining mutually beneficial relationships with our overseas partners
through constant contact and transparent business
We’re constantly striving to implement these activities and ensure both our overseas
partners and our participants carry out responsible practices:
Ensuring Responsible partners:
We invest a serious amount of energy in developing strong partnerships. Every year
each member of the WAVA staff personally meets and visits all of our key partners
and projects overseas. We vet them for credibility, integrity and
professionalism, and we’re engaged in a continuous process of programme refinement
through daily communication with our partners.
We are proud of these partnerships - they are the backbone of our service and the
vehicle through which we make possible great experiences for our travellers, and
real, long-term, valuable outcomes for the host communities. 2010 saw the introduction
of our Partnership Principles – this is a list of guidelines that we present
to each of our partners to ensure that they have set clear goals which show their
commitment to responsible travel.
The feedback we receive from our travellers is another way that we’re able to continuously
check on the development of our partners and the projects they maintain.
Ensuring Responsible travellers:
We encourage all participants to attend our Pre-departure Briefings – we
use these briefings as a conduit for proactively promoting the importance of responsible
travel to our participants. We educate them on how they should behave when travelling,
and how their involvement with local services can contribute to their sustainability.
We’ve also put together our Pre-departure Packs, which are given to each
of our participants before they depart. These packs provide information and advice
that we feel is necessary to their travels including our Travellers’ Principles.
Our participants are not only briefed by us. Many of our programmes include an in-country
induction that allows our travellers to learn about and understand local cultures,
traditions and sensitivities. Project co-ordinators also promote opportunities for
participants to interact with local communities at a grass roots level so that they
can have a better understanding of local lifestyles.
What have we achieved?
Of course, just saying we’re responsible isn’t enough – we need to ensure that where
possible we monitor all the impacts that can arise from volunteering/work abroad
programmes, and measure all the benefits gained from the work that we do. This is
not always straightforward. Our activities are multifaceted because we deal with
real people not commodities. However, it is important that we endeavour to check
on progress and seek out feedback when possible.
As our programme range grows in breadth, depth and scope, so does our ability to
inspire our participants and partners. Here are just two of the countries where
our efforts have had a hand in implementing positive change:
When WAVA met Uganda:
Since the end of 2008 WAVA has been partnering with an organisation in Uganda. The
funding we receive from our participants has been directly responsible for the building
of a new volunteer house located conveniently nearby the project orphanage – an
orphanage set up for children who have been directly or indirectly affected by the
HIV and Aids virus. Our volunteers were fundamental in bringing about a complete
turnaround in the demeanour of these children and creating a child friendly atmosphere
that has enhanced the overall look and feel of the orphanage and has proven to be
outstandingly beneficial for the children.
When WAVA met Nepal:
WAVA has been sending volunteers to Nepal since 2007 and in that time the fees from
our programmes there have been directly used to establish a number of worthwhile
endeavours: In Chitwan for example, the contribution from WAVA volunteers was exclusively
involved in the creation of the local fish farm, which produces fish for the community.
In Kathmandu, our volunteers continually play a valuable role in teaching English
skills to local children and child Tibetan monks.
The environmental impacts of WAVA volunteers in Nepal have also been essential in
helping the local community with their efforts to collect the elephant dung needed
to make a range of paper-based products throughout Chitwan – a steady yet vital
source of income.
One of the most significant impacts of our volunteers in Nepal has been the fact
that their money is being used to construct a ‘Skills School’ where we will eventually
be sending more of our volunteers to help in the building work.
We are able to exist because of our ability to finely articulate the needs of our
participants (you), our partners, and the projects we support.
Only by guaranteeing the satisfaction of these three parties can we achieve our
goals as a business and above all, our goal to be a responsible organisation that
seamlessly matches your needs with the needs of responsible projects around the
world.
The following statement will provide you with the principles that you need to fully
engage with your overseas project, community and/or host family and prepare you
for whatever encounters may lie ahead.
What you can expect from us...
Matching your needs to quality projects:
Our team of travel advisors are able to guide you when deciding which of our projects
best match the experience you are looking for. For certain programmes your skills
will also be expertly assessed to ensure that you are able to make the most out
of your time at a project, and employ your abilities and life experiences to the
fullest.
We offer four types of programmes to our participants:
- Community volunteering abroad
- Conservation volunteering abroad
- Internships abroad
- Work abroad
No matter which category your chosen programme falls into, we make every effort
to ensure that it will provide you with worthwhile experiences and meet all of the
specifications outlined in the programme description.
Meaningful and responsible projects:
We are enthusiastic about our ability to provide you with enjoyable programmes that
offer meaningful travel experiences – it is for this reason that we make every effort
to ensure that we carefully select projects that are in line with our responsible
travel principles. This means that we will endeavour to only send you to projects
that respect the environment, do not undermine local communities, and that interact
with the local economy by sourcing goods and services from the community.
Honest information and advice:
We always try to provide our participants with the most up-to-date information about
the programme they will be visiting. To the best of our ability we will strive to
maintain and strengthen the communication channels between ourselves and our overseas
partners – ensuring our ability to provide you with accurate and honest facts about
your living conditions, project duties, responsibilities and any local/environmental
concerns that may affect your stay at the project. We are always available to offer
help and advice you before you depart for your destination and we also provide you
with our emergency phone number so that you can contact us at anytime (24 hours
a day) whilst at your project.
Ensuring your safety & well being:
Your happiness is our top priority, so we make every effort to ensure that our partners
provide you with adequate living and working conditions. There is always the small
chance that you might be placed in an environment that does not perfectly align
with your expectations. Please let us know if this is ever the case – it is important
to us to know that the conditions offered to our participants fall within acceptable
limits and live up to any assured standards.
Acceptance of all participants:
WAVA operates an Equal Opportunities policy in its selection of participants and
is firm in its commitment to not discriminate on the basis of your race, age, sex,
sexual orientation, religion, physical features, or any other aspect of your person
that should not have an impact on the quality of your work at the project or your
ability to carry it out. We are strongly opposed to working with partners who employ
any such discriminatory practices.
What we expect from you...
Immerse yourself in the experience... sensibly!
It’s not every day that you get a chance to break away from your everyday life and
travel to a country full of unique cultures, customs, traditions, sights, smells
and experiences. The list is endless. So it’s only logical that you will want to
fully engross yourself in the experience and sample all the delights that your host
country has to offer. This is exactly what we want you to do. However, doing so
is not always as straightforward as you might think. No two countries are ever the
same – their rules, conventions and customs can differ dramatically from one border
to the next, so you need to be aware of these differences when visiting your host
country. Below are just some facts that you should keep in mind when travelling:
- Not everyone keeps to time. What we mean by this is that often in some cultures,
little value is placed on ‘time’ as a concept. Not all cultures strive for accuracy
in their timekeeping, so don’t think you are being disrespected when you find yourself
waiting around for someone to show up at a prearranged time, or when your train
arrives two hours later than its scheduled time. This is just the way of life in
many countries, so be prepared for the inconvenience – then get used to it.
- Be discreet with your personal items. Cameras, jewellery, iPods and flashy
mobile phones are just some of the many Western objects that may not be widely available
in less wealthy societies. Publicly displaying these items (no matter how innocent
your intentions) can often create social tension or even be considered a lack of
respect.
- Do your homework. Take a little time before you travel to do a bit of research
about your project and the country you will be visiting. You will be glad you did
because as soon as you land you will be able to make the best of your travel experience
and avoid uncomfortable situations. It is very important that you are aware of the
country’s social rules, languages, religions, cultures and general laws – some behaviours
that are considered acceptable in Western countries, may not be accepted or even
be legal in other parts of the world.
- Also remember that just because you don’t agree with something, that doesn’t
make it wrong in that culture. For instance, smacking children with a cane is
seen as an everyday occurrence in many countries. This may be unpleasant to witness,
but think twice before you intervene.
- Observing good behaviour and taking responsibility for your actions will
guarantee that your experience is fruitful. Have a sense of humour too –
smiles are universal, so just be friendly and patient with everyone you meet. Stay
committed and respectful towards the project and immerse yourself in the
community, make time to chat with the locals, then learn from them and truly maximize
your experience.
- Finally, be careful with your photo taking! It is perfectly understandable
that you will want to document your travels by taking photos of your experience.
But you need to be conscious of the fact that whilst the pictures may be fantastic
for you, they are also capturing other people’s lives and are thus liable to invade
somebody else’s privacy. You really need to be respectful of this, and always ask
permission before taking a photo of someone and their possessions. Furthermore,
don’t pay to take photos – this practice is often thought to incite a begging
mentality in less rich communities. If you want to thank someone for allowing you
to take their picture, simply offer to send them a copy.
Be realistic:
- Your trip is not going to change the world. Yes you should approach your
project with a positive mentality and work hard to achieve any goals and responsibilities
that are given to you. But remember, change takes time, so be patient. We believe
that everyone can do something, otherwise we would not be proposing programmes of
this type, but keep in mind that some programmes are created to help the most needy,
not to save them. Your impact at the project will contribute to the bigger picture,
so by taking part in a responsible travel experience like this one, you are already
doing that little bit more.
Respect the environment:
- Reduce. Re-use. Recycle. We are not asking you to conduct a campaign for
environmental action. You can do a lot by trying to make the place you are visiting
a bit better than the way you found it. Basic suggestions that can help to reduce
the impact of your trip on the environment include:
- Avoiding plastic utensils
- Making sure the rubbish you produce isn’t dumped – carry your own rubbish bag and
dispose of it only in proper rubbish bins.
- Refilling your bottle of water whenever you have the chance, instead of buying new
ones.
- Reducing the use of shampoos and soaps.
- Using shared or public transportation.
Be curious:
- Trying new dishes is one of the best ways to experience different cultures,
so don’t be scared of sampling what at first may seem unusual. Also, if you buy
your food supplies or choose to eat in small, locally owned restaurants you will
be contributing to the equal distribution of wealth in the community and maintaining
local businesses.
Don’t feel obligated to give donations:
"Give a man a fish, you have fed him for a day" ...
Many participants feel that donating money is just as important, if not more so,
than actually taking part in a project. You do not need to feel this way – the fact
that you are taking part in an activity abroad already shows a strong commitment
on your part to helping the project. Donating money or goods can be a particularly
sensitive issue and whilst the motivation behind giving donations is based on good
intentions, the downside is that it can be viewed as being patronising, or even
worse, as encouraging a culture of begging. The saying “Give a man a fish and you’ll
feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you’ll feed him for a lifetime” is
apt in these situations – given that by working at a project, you’re in a position
to do an awful lot of teaching that in the long run can benefit the project and
its inhabitants in far greater ways than actual money or goods ever will.
If you would, however, like to do a bit more and make an extra donation to your
project, please consider the following tips:
- Donate via reputable aid agencies.
- Buy the goods you want to donate locally. By doing this you are contributing to
the development of the local economy, and bringing wealth to the community.
- Donations should be discussed with our local partner beforehand. They know exactly
how to make the donation more useful.
Our relationship with each other...
We help you find fulfilling travel experiences that will hopefully enrich your life,
and in return we are able to learn from your experiences and use the knowledge gained
to provide even more valuable experiences to other participants. We love receiving
feedback from our participants, and so would really appreciate it if you told us
about your experience – what you saw, what you ate, what you loved, and even what
you hated… anything big or small, we want to know! It helps us enlighten all the
other travellers that will come after you.
We strive to establish strong, long-lasting working relationships with our partners
around the world, and actively recognize our responsibility to select programmes
that endeavour to provide meaningful travel experiences for our participants.
What you can expect from us...
Vetted travellers
We make every effort to provide our partners with competent participants, and we’re
receptive to our partners’ need for us to screen participants based on personal
characteristics that they feel may unduly affect the quality of work carried out
at their projects. WAVA, however, operates a firm equal opportunities policy that
prohibits any unfair discrimination of our travellers based on their race, religion,
sex, age, physical/mental disability, sexual orientation, or any other facet that
we feel should not have an effect on quality of their work or their ability to carry
it out.
Respectful & professional travellers
We encourage all our participants to fully engage with their programme, and comply
with any regulations deemed necessary to its operations – these include respecting
the local community, its customs and traditions, as well as acting in an ethical
and responsible manner (see our responsible travel principles). Regrettably however,
we cannot guarantee that all participants will live up to our expectations of them
and satisfactorily meet our partners’ standards. We will nonetheless constantly
strive to improve our selection process and produce travellers that behave with
the utmost professionalism.
Enlightened travellers
We often find that some of our less experienced and/or younger travellers come to
us with misguided notions of what their time abroad will entail and what they expect
to achieve during their stay – some travellers are overwhelmed with sights of poverty,
while others believe they can single-handedly transform adverse situations. Whilst
we commend travellers who want to make a lasting impact on their host country, we
are very mindful of our responsibility to ensure that all our travellers are aware
of the reality of their travelling experience. We therefore endeavour to educate
and ‘de-mystify’ our participants – laying bare all the facts of each programme
and its host country, and realigning expectations so that our travellers can truly
enjoy their experience. By managing his or her ideals we’re able to demonstrate
that even the smallest level of involvement can influence a project, even if it
is one grain at a time.
What we expect from you...
Sharing any news
Communicating effectively is key to WAVA’s successful working partnerships, so it
is important that communication channels between us and our partners remain as open
as possible – ensuring we address any obstacles and satisfy any needs well in advance
of start dates. We will endeavour to keep our partners informed of any issues that
may have an effect on their operations. In return we trust our partners to inform
us of any particulars which may affect the participants stay at the programme –
changes in itinerary due to local disturbances, threats of civil unrest, resource
closures, hazardous weather conditions and circumstances that render the programme
unsatisfactory to the welfare of participant.
Knowing your goals (short/long term)
We like to provide all our travellers with a complete portrait of their journey
– this includes not only the tasks that they will be doing whilst out there, but
also knowing what will happen once they have returned home. It is important to us
and our travellers to know the goals behind every project and how these goals will
eventually be reached, we therefore ask all our partners to update us on their short-term
and long-term goals. Many of our travellers really appreciate this information as
it shows a clear-cut commitment from you to the project – this level of transparency
will ultimately foster (encourage) further commitment from our travellers to your
projects.
Satisfactory working conditions
We aim to ensure that the working environment of our partners’ programmes is safe
and respectful to the needs and dignity of the local community and surrounding area.
We have a responsibility to prepare our participants for what to expect from their
time there – we therefore rely on our partners to provide accurate details of the
areas in which the participant will be working and living, the local facilities
available and the structure of a typical day.
Ensuring participants’ well-being
We have a primary responsibility to protect our participants from physical and mental
harm and whilst we advise them to take full responsibility for their own safety,
we welcome a commitment from our partners to ensure that the participants are well
served and well protected. We appreciate however, that it is not our partners’ responsibility
to provide a level of care that is clearly beyond their remit.
Our relationship with each other...
Mutually beneficial partnerships
A willingness to learn and refresh knowledge is vital to the continuing success
of our enterprise. By working together all three parties are able to satisfy each
other’s needs – the partners are provided with competent enthusiastic travellers,
the travellers experience satisfying projects, and the WAVA team are able to facilitate
the entire process, learning from both parties and ensuring the continual strengthening
of each relationship.
We are committed to acting with integrity when dealing with our partners, and when
problems arise we shall endeavour to communicate any concerns that we have with
you. In saying this, when necessary, we reserve the right to pull out from any partnerships
that we feel are not in accordance with WAVA’s goals.
We are proud of our collaboration with our overseas partners, and are fuelled by
your capacity to enrich the lives of our participants. Your programmes will inevitably
provide travellers with a sense of satisfaction and value for their time and money,
thus ensuring that they come back for more.
We hope you enjoy the experience as much as we do.
The WAVA team