About VWB
Voluntourists Without Borders (VWB) is a non profit initiative established by Track of the Tiger T.R.D. (Tourism Resources Development) as a vehicle to provide volunteer funding and hands on support for communities and schools, under its unique approach to Community Based Ecotourism (CBET) development.
We at Track of the Tiger T.R.D. are convinced that the solution to establishing viability for CBET lies in establishing a private sector driven pilot project that is successful in delivering: financial, social and environmental benefits on a scale that will force governments and the private sector to reconsider ecotourism and biodiversity conservation over the non sustainable, but purportedly more profitable (short term) options of forest encroachment for agriculture, mining, logging and exploitation of the forest product.
The Track of the Tiger T.R.D model can be implemented where a rural community (or other entity) wants to develop a potential ecotourist attraction, and that the potential attraction meets the market criteria laid down by Track of the Tiger in terms of: market appeal, access, revenue generating potential, can provide a platform for environmental education, and biodiversity protection.
Track of the Tiger T.R.D. and the village community enter an agreement under which the company is awarded a fixed term concession (10 years) to identify, design, develop and operate the tourist attraction profitably.
The village community benefits from:
- Trail entrance revenue fees – which are (currently) used by the community to:
- To cover the cost of school transport (discontinued by the local government due to lack of funds.)
- To cover the cost of transport to and from the local hospital (30 km’s) for the elderly of the village.
- To cover the cost of religious ceremonies, cremations etc., for those who cannot afford them.
- Employment and training for local community forest guides.
- English language, ecotourism and interpretive nature trail training for the village children in the local schools (and in on site workshops) aimed at developing their capacity to manage and work on the community ecotourism attraction by the end of the 10 year concession period.
- Assistance in the development of a range of agroforestry products that can have value added to them at a local level, and will provide an alternative ‘ non tourism related’ revenue stream for the community.
To quote Shane K Beary the company founder: “If we do not practice corporate social responsibility, and work with the rural villagers and ethnic minority groups to protect the environment, then before too long the attractions will no longer exist, and we, along with the rest of the tourist industry will be out of business”.
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