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Competition Comments
Entry:Hill Tribe Eco Tour
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The Geotourism Challenge: Celebrating Places - Changing Lives
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A good project for who would like to learn about hill tribe way of living
If any one is looking for an organization that is working for the Hill Tribe people of Thailand and encouraging volunteerism, look no further.
We have known and worked with them for 4 years and watched them grow. We have partnered with them to build buildings that were needed and helped with scholorships for needy students.
We wish them well in this competition.
Roscoe and Jan Turner
Roscoe's Thai Projects
This is an interesting program to enable both hill tribes and visitors to understand the differences. Moreover, to support the hile tribes people for an honest way of living by sharing their way of living and culture.
This is a project worthy of acclaim and recognition. I live in Thailand and have personally witnesed the disintegration of the values and culture of the hilltribe people. They often travel with their children to tourist sites to beg throughout the night because they are desperate and have no hope for the future. A grant of the nature described would help restore their pride, self-esteem and encourage their industrious nature.
This project has been very successful in promoting and strengthening Hill Tribe cultures. It has helped villages receive an extra income and this income has been distributed fairly amongst the whole village and it is done in a sustainable way and in a way that promotes local culture and knowledge. Added to that it has increased awareness to people from many corners of the Earth and helped develop the spirit of volunteering and caring for others in many many visitors.
Good luck in the competition
How do you distribute and communicate your product? I am thinking, can this survive long term without outside intervention?
The product is listed on a number of websites (free). Some volunteer tour companies use Mirror Foundation to send their volunteers to. As do some schools.
Added to that, as pretty much everyone leaves here as a very happy and impressed customer, word of mouth very quickly spreads the information and we know find ourselves listed in various guide books.
Without spending on advertising, the number of interested people in touring in this area and through this project is steadily increasing.
The Foundation does not distribute or communicate our product through traditional sources. We do not use retail outlets, sales force, direct mail or telemarketing. Most of communication and distribution are through the internet and word-of-mouth.
We offer no objection to outside intervention. However, in terms of locally, we would like the Hilltribe to have greater control of the services they offer. That is we would like the Hilltribe to set up mechanisms to promote their product and get a fair price for services offered. At the moment, local tour companies pay the Hilltribe a fraction of the fee earned for these services.
The product is listed on a number of websites (free). Some volunteer tour companies use Mirror Foundation to send their volunteers to. As do some schools.
Added to that, as pretty much everyone leaves here as a very happy and impressed customer, word of mouth very quickly spreads the information and we now find ourselves listed in various guide books.
Without spending on advertising, the number of interested people in touring in this area and through this project is steadily increasing.
Hello Barry,
How long do visitors usually stay?
You mention the importance of the Hill Tribe learning to arrange home-stays without the assistance of intermediaries. Have you thought of a system that you could implement to make this easier for the Hill Tribe? Are you planning to incorporate some kind of training in this regard?
Thanks
Dana Frasz
Changemakers
Also, it should be noted that quite a number of local Hill Tribe people have already received training from Mirror to work as tour guides. This training is continuing. They also receive training in Japanese and English language.
So definitely at the moment the local people are gaining skills and ability to run their own tourism projects.
Hello Dana,
Visitors stay on average 3 days. In relation to arranging home-stays without intermediaries, we have a plan to train individuals in communities in computer/internet and business administration especially as it relates to managing the tour. The villages, once a website is developed, would be in change of website content including virtual tours of the villages. The training received would enable them to receive requests directly and manage the activity themselves. The plan requires computer and internet connection in all the villages that have home-stays. We are in the process of seeking funds to implement this plan.
Barry