Booking.com Study Confirms BeachCorps Solution to More Sustainable Travel

For years now, BeachCorps has known we’ve had a great idea: link great vacations to great causes.  No one else is doing exactly that.  A few great nonprofits like Habitat for Humanity give their supporters opportunities to vacation and volunteer abroad, and a few volunteer vacation companies try to combine a great vacation with meaningful volunteer work.  But nobody else is creating a platform that will let you choose the perfect lodging for you and your group and also a great, independent nonprofit cause that wasn’t created to please a tourist. 

A Booking.com study on sustainable travel released last month to honor Earth Day confirms that the BeachCorps model resolves all the top global obstacles to traveling more sustainably.  The study identified five obstacles: high cost; lack of information; lack of time; unappealing destinations; lack of luxury and comfort. 

(Photo: Booking.com Sustainable Travel Study)

Hallelujah Booking.com!  We knew we were on the right track but now we’re even MORE sure.  The BeachCorps model truly does resolve ALL these pain points.

Cost: A typical 8-day volunteer vacation in the Dominican Republic with a reputable volunteer vacation firm will cost about $2200-$3000, including 5 days of volunteering.  Since great 7-day all-inclusive packages (airfare, transfers, hotel, all food and drink) with firms like Apple Vacations are available from about $1000-$1700 depending on the season, your volunteer vacation with $500 for three days of volunteering will generally cost less with BeachCorps (about $1500-$2200 total).  If you compare volunteer vacations in far off places in Africa and Asia, the cost savings are even greater.

Lack of Information/Certification: Many travelers say that they don’t know how to choose a hotel that promotes sustainability and also aren’t sure how to make sure their volunteering has a real sustainability impact.  BeachCorps solves both problems.  First, we have developed our list of “Sustainability Pledge” hotels that give you a discount off your BeachCorps fee.  Most of these hotels have complied with sustainability programs like Green Globe or Travel Life that consider how a hotel’s business practices affect all aspects of sustainability: the local economy (such as jobs and income for locals); social issues like health and education; a country’s traditional culture; and the local and global environment.  Other hotels on our Sustainability Pledge list have also shown an extraordinary commitment to sustainability and are part of our “race to the top” strategy where we will gradually narrow our list down to the most sustainable lodging.  In addition, we allow the option of directing more of your lodging funds to locally owned and managed apartments and houses with rental management companies that are actively giving back in their communities.

The other way we give you the information you need to ensure sustainability is by only working with established nonprofit causes that are committed to sustainability and capable of showing results over time.  We will give you a basic report on the project you worked during your stay as well as a follow up report annually showing you the results that your nonprofit has achieved over time, including evidence of important changes in communities such as promoting local empowerment and a greater appreciation for sustainability. 

Time: Most people have limited time for vacation and need some of the time to just decompress and relax.  But to have a real impact you need to support a cause that isn’t just a one-off, short-term project.  BeachCorps allows you to fold meaningful impact into your regular vacation so that in 4-7 days you can both relax and be part of a sustained volunteer project that is delivering long-term results.

Unappealing Destinations: Other volunteer vacations require you to volunteer in areas that are thoroughly unappealing; dangerous, ugly, or boring and devoid of a vibrant local culture.  BeachCorps chose beach vacations as the platform for our new model because beach vacations are the MOST popular dream vacation out of all the possibilities.  Furthermore, we picked the Dominican Republic to start our new model because Dominicans are uniquely friendly to tourists and there are numerous local communities close to the tourist zones that are safe and welcoming.  We often incorporate cultural events and fun local activities from baseball to zip-lining into our projects because they are a great way to support a great cause.

Luxury/Comfort: Other volunteer vacations require staying in lodging that is at best mediocre and lack many of the amenities and entertainment options of a larger hotel. BeachCorps lets you pick the lodging that’s right for you and your budget.  Even our individual lodging run by pro-sustainability managers often allows you great options for food and entertainment right outside your door.  Many volunteer vacations seem to pick the worst lodging on purpose under the false perception that by “slumming it” you are somehow making it easier for the poor.  In reality, all you are doing is relieving your guilt from not helping to make a real impact.

(Photo: Westin Punta Cana)

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