Social enterprise with international impact: the case for Fair Trade certification of volunteer tourism

Abstract

Social enterprise and fair trade are seen increasingly as redefining capitalist relationships through revaluing social impact and ownership in enterprise activities. One of the dilemmas in such activities is the tension between operating a viable and commercially-sustainable enterprise and maximising social and developmental impacts. This article explores this tension through an engagement with the phenomena of volunteer travel and pro-poor tourism in the developing world. It argues for a fair trade labelling system for organisations involved in volunteer travel.

Keywords:

• social enterprise
• fair trade
• voluntourism
• volunteer travel

Notes

1. http://www.myplatform2.com/

2. You're better off backpacking – VSO warns about perils of ‘voluntourism’: downloaded from http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2007/aug/14/students.charitablegiving

3. I-to-I is an example of a profit-making company working in this sector; it was sold to First Choice Holidays for around £20 million in 2007 (see www.i-to-i.org.uk).

4. Frontier is an example of a not-for profit organisation offering projects (see www.frontier.ac.uk).

5. You're better off backpacking – VSO warns about perils of ‘voluntourism’: downloaded from http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2007/aug/14/students.charitablegiving.

6. DITCH (UN)WORTHY CAUSES, VSO ADVISES GAP YEAR STUDENTS: downloaded from http://www.vso.org.uk/news/pressreleases/ditch-unworthy-causes.asp

7. Gap-year students wasting time on projects: downloaded from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/08/14/ngrad114.xml

8. Responsible for 20,910 British volunteer placements in 2006, suggesting a 50% overall increase from 2005.

9. See http://www.village-to-village.org.uk