photo: Ion David

Solidarity Tourism

Turismo Solidário na Chapada dos Veadeiros

Solidarity Tourism is a new segment on the rise worldwide. Its main goal is to conciliate tourism and volunteering initiatives to fight social unevenness by creating a hybrid experience that, in most cases, goes beyond the participant’s imagination and expectations.

Central idea here is to develop actions to gather people and companies willing to closely know the reality of families and communities inserted in this touristic region, collaborating with social and human development throughout the area.

photo: Ion David

Solidarity Tourism is defined as the integration of volunteer service for a specific destination (people and environment) with the traditional elements of Tourism (Culture, leisure, history, geography).
It has four pillars:

1. Active participation
2. Relatively spontaneous
3. Not motivated by financial gains.
4. Focuses on common good.

Visitors may offer different kinds of help according to their own capabilities (service or donations). In return, they receive contact with Nature and learn about the community’s costumes and their humble lifestyle.

Travessia Ecotourism develops solidarity tourism projects at the Chapada dos Veadeiros since 2005, having executed countless school renovations in remote areas.

We suggest what place can be helped, refurbished or even constructed, and elaborates a full technical and financial scopes. Once approved, we start negotiations with local City Councils in order to have logistic support.

photo: Ion David

Projects are initiated before the group’s arrival and final stages are done by the volunteers.

Besides suggesting and executing the projects, Travessia also organizes the whole logistics for arrivals, and sets high quality camping sites with washrooms, kitchen, and shacks. integration spaces and even a bar. Each year the structure is left for the community as support for the Ecotourism in the area.

As a contribution, Travessia does not charge any administrative tax over these project executions. We organize the volunteering work of a multidisciplinary team: architects, engineers, construction people, and even are able to get City Hall and store’s support.

Each year, we identify the most representative cultural manifestations of each community and organize presentations and workshops showing the cousine, dance, music and other celebrations, making each project a true cultural experience.

It is crystal clear how the quality of life earnings of those affected communities rise. As volunteers bring a betterment in community life, local administrations wake up for people’s true needs and start to participate more effectively in those initiatives with logistics and better equipment.

Even though these volunteering groups financially support these projects and participate, they also bring donations, such as school and hygiene materials, clothing, and toys.

Solidarity Tourism is an excellent integration tool between groups and communities, where both have the opportunity to learn and teach.