The Pilot Project

Introduction.

The operating model.

The activities

Ecotourism.

Outdoor education.

Corporate team building and retreats.

Adventure challenge racing.

Scientific studies and research.

Improving biodiversity.

Augmenting NTFP’s and agroforestry.

Developing capacity.

The Beneficiaries.

The habitat.

The village community.

The individual villagers.

The volunteer.

The voluntourist

The lodge owner.

The JV development - partnering tour operator.

The scientific study and research community.

The tourism industry

The placement agency.

The tour operator.

Local and national government,

Work in progress and outstanding.

Environmental.

Developmental

Introduction.
Track of the Tiger T.R.D. (Tourism Development Resources), through its non-profit arm – VWB (Voluntourists Without Borders) has entered an agreement with the villagers of Ban Mae Lai (represented by their village council), to assist in the development of their community forest into a viable and sustainable ecotourism product – to be known as

The Pang Soong Nature Trails. The brief includes developing the product to world class standard, whilst developing the capacity of the villagers and their offspring to operate that product as a business within a 10 year timeframe. In addition, it covers helping them to establish agro-forestry and NTFP ‘cottage industries’ as both alternative and secondary revenue streams. The unique attraction of the area, is a potential network of jungle trails running along and looping away from the Mae Lai stream, a stunning watercourse that drops from approximately 1.500 masl to 1.000 masl, and over some 17 waterfalls, along a 4km stretch finishing at Pang Soong Lodge, Outdoor Education & Research Centre. 

The main trail, hard surfaced and upgraded in terms to allow access to both schoolchildren and more mature, perhaps less agile guests has a 60-80cm wide pathway, steps and railing, bamboo and wooden bridges. These upgrades were made possible by a generous grant from the

PATA Foundation.

The operating model.

 Track of the Tiger’s T.R.D.’s role – as the private sector tourism development partner - is to provide custom to the product, during construction and once it is in operational. The company expects to do this by designing and selling programmes that use (and pay entrance and guide fees) the Pang Soong Nature Trails, for its ecotourism, educational, corporate team building, and adventure racing markets. The company also provides administrational and logistical support to the non-profit area, VWB – Voluntourists Without Borders Initiative on a cost only, or free of charge.

Voluntourists Without Borders (VWB’s) role - is to enlist the funding and hands-on assistance of the voluntourist and volunteer markets - to work alongside the villagers - to develop the needed trail infrastructure, the capacity of the villagers to operate it a sustainable manner, and the capacity of the local schools to equip students for a role in their own ecotourism industry.

The Pang Soong lodge Outdoor Education & Research Centre’s role  – is a private sector business that will function as a base for volunteers, Track of the Tiger’s clients, and as a training centre for the villagers engaged in tourism.

The volunteer’s and voluntourist’s role – is to provide hands on help, (both skilled and unskilled) as well as funding for equipment, supplies and ‘daily wages’ for a village co-worker in order that he or she may work on the nature trails development project as opposed to working as contract tea farmers. The standard to which each activity is developed, will to a large extent dictate how successful the ‘Pang Soong Nature Trails’ become – as a showcase for Volunteer/Private Sector/Village Community built ecotourism. 

The activities Ecotourism – An excellent range of guide assisted nature trails owned by the local village community, and developed with the assistance of the VWB Initiative.
More detail

Outdoor education – Field study trips with lesson plans covering a wide range of subjects and activities for international schools, universities and special interest groups.
More detail

Corporate team building & retreats – Creative, innovative and enjoyable programmes that improve communication, planning and team working skills enhancing overall performance in the workplace.
More detail

Adventure challenge racing – Low impact, small group and individual time trials across jungle based challenge courses.
More detail 

Scientific studies and research – A research centre and field study area for environmental, ecological, ecotourism & social based studies.
More detail

Improving Biodiversity – By increasing the forest cover along the trails using the innovative ‘framework species method’. Although the forest is close to pristine, we believe (and studies prove), that we can restore it to its original state very quickly (within 5-7 years) and close to its full inventory of biodiversity in terms of flora and fauna.
More detail

Augmenting NTFP’s & Agroforestry – Research indicates, that the managed planting of indigenous plants and harvesting of NTFP’s (non timber forest products) by rural villagers who live in or near the forest is far more lucrative, less destructive, and less physically demanding than the slash and burn methods traditionally used to grow cash crops.
More detail

Developing Capacity – Wherever you look the world seems beset with problems, generally of our own making. Unrelenting poverty, the growing disparity between the rich and the poor, and the lack of opportunity are forcing the rural masses to migrate to the cities – like moths to the flame – in a futile search for a better life. We at VWB believe, like many others do, that the best solution to the problem lies in taking preventative action (not through relief & handouts) but by providing the rural poor with the opportunity and assistance to ‘develop their capacity’ - and thus to take charge of their own future.
More detail

The Beneficiaries

 

The Beneficiaries of an ecotourism development project as implemented by the VWB Initiative are many, and the impact has a positive effect at a local, national, regional and international level.

 

Here below are the 10 principal beneficiaries. 

 

1.The habitat – The forest is allowed to return to its former glory, support its full range of biodiversity, store rainwater, function as a carbon sink, and allow man to benefit from its natural product in a sustainable way.
If we reach the projects stated goals and objectives, other forest areas will benefit from similar initiatives started by other private sector / community JV projects that are based on the VWB Initiative model.

2.The village community – Will in the short term benefit from trail entrance fees paid by visiting tourists, revenues earned by forest tour guides, initial funding, training and hands on labour provided by foreign volunteers, and wages paid by the volunteers to offset the villagers lost income whilst working on the development of the nature trails.

In the medium to long term (within 10 years) the community will benefit from a well developed ecotourism product, as well as a thriving NTFP driven cottage industry, both run by village children who have had access to volunteer provided basic and vocational education.

The 4 Thai schools involved in the project will benefit from the English language teaching assistance provided by those attending the VWB Initiative programmes.

3. The individual villagers – Will be able to ensure themselves and their children of a viable

if not lucrative living, whilst celebrating their traditional culture and community based way of life with dignity.

They would have been given the opportunity of learning new ways to add value to the forest product, how to market that product, and how to benefit from a role in both sustainable ecotourism, and non tourist related occupations.

4. The volunteer – Will be able to make a direct hands-on, as well as a financial contribution to subject specific areas of an initiative that has tangible environmental and social development goals, whilst interacting daily with their hosts - who will alternatively play the roles of teacher and student.

Whilst doing so, they will, depending on their career objectives, have the opportunity to contribute to scientific study and research projects that validate the need for environmental protection, and support the argument for sustainable ecotourism.

Alternatively, they will have the opportunity to be involved in well planned development projects such as teaching English and other subjects to school children, community forest guides, and vocational skills to villagers - on a programme where the students and villagers taught - will actually be able to use those skills to escape their poverty.

 5. The voluntourist – Will by nature of their short tenure with us, play more of a supporting role on a range of tasks, whilst making a hands-on and financial contribution to the project, learning about the culture at a grassroots level, and enjoying a high level of interaction with their local hosts in an environment of mutual respect. However, the time and funding they contribute will help move the project towards it stated goals in incremental steps, and they will benefit from the experience, in many cases, to a far greater degree than they imagined they would do.

 6.The Lodge owner – Will benefit from earning revenues at fair trade rates for: accommodation, meals and support services. He will also provide paid training opportunities for local village trainees wishing to learn the workings of the ‘hospitality industry’ either to pursue a career, a seasonal occupation, or ultimately as a stakeholder on a community owned/operated Eco-lodge.

 
7. The private sector tourism development partner – (Track of the Tiger T.R.D.) Will expect just to cover its costs (logistics management, support personnel, marketing) on the development phase / volunteer component of the project, and then profit by charging  fair trade rates when selling ‘eco-tours, educational programmes, corporate team building programmes, and adventure race’ programmes to its target markets.

8. The scientific study & research community – Will benefit from having an easily accessible site where research, with good basic facilities, where research or training can be carried out on botany, ecology, hydrology, social anthropology, sustainable tourism, ecotourism etc., whilst simultaneously contributing to the scientific body of knowledge, and the socio-economic development of the community.

 

 9. The tour industry:

 

a. The placement agency – Will benefit from fees paid the volunteer. Those fees will go to cover the agency’s operating costs – salaries, marketing, admin overheads etc.  The placement agency does however have a responsibility to ensure that the projects selected are reputable, a good match for their volunteers, and that the volunteers are of the right type needed for the VWB Initiative.

 

b. The tour operator - Will benefit from the guests pre and post ‘volunteer / volutourist’ programme expenditure, and from commissions derived from selling short term ‘voluntourist’ programmes to his or her clients. They do however have a responsibility to ensure that the projects selected are reputable, a good match for their clients, and that as far as they can determine (given the recruitment channels used), that the volunteers are of the right type needed for the VWB Initiative.

10. Local and national government- Volunteering and voluntourism is fast becoming the preferred
way for many visitors to experience the grassroots culture of a foreign country. It provides the visitor

with far greater insight into, and more meaningful experience of the host culture, in an environment

of mutual respect, than do the sanitized programmes normally promoted by tour operators and

DTO’s (Destination Tourism Organisations). Volunteers and voluntourists are indeed ‘high quality
tourists’.

Local and national government will reap direct benefit from the boost to revenues that volunteering
and volutourism – and its pre and post activity holiday expenditure bring.

Volunteer and voluntourism programmes are development tools for: ecotourism development, forest
protection, rural development, as well as basic and vocational education, and the indirect benefits that
accrue to the nation - are far reaching.

Work - in progress and outstanding.

 

Environmental – Work related to the conservation of wildlife and/or to the preservation / conservation of the ecosystem.

 

Note* Where specific progress reports have been updated, that date will be given in the column on the far right, and a link provided to the relevant report.

Developmental – Work related to capacity building and education.