Resources > Publications

Dos and Don'ts of Travel Giving

Travelers' desire to help, interact, and learn from those they meet during their holiday is clearly positive. However, there are sometimes unintended consequences from these good intentions. Misguided contributions can perpetuate cycles of dependency, cause corruption, burden communities with unwanted or inappropriate donations, and require recipients to spend time and resources to handle ‘gifts’ they didn’t request or cannot use.

As part of our Travelers’ Philanthropy program, the Center for Responsible Travel asked a dozen experienced tour operators and tourism organizations who are engaged in supporting local community projects how they respond to some of the most frequently asked questions and suggestions from travelers about ‘giving’ while on holiday. Though they sometimes expressed differing views, overall they agree that when, how, and what to contribute needs to be decided by the host community, not the tourist or the tourism company.

Convenient format: Travel Giving Dos and Don'ts Bookmark (PDF)
Travel Giving Dos and Don'ts (PDF)
Travel Giving Dos and Don'ts (Extended Version) (PDF)
Additional Resources (PDF)

These reports contain a summary of the experts' responses. They are intended to highlight some of the complexities behind donation and help build a more enlightened traveling public. They are also intended to assist tourism businesses in crafting appropriate ways to harness the goodwill and generosity of their guests while meeting genuine needs in the host communities.

Travelers' Philanthropy Conference Proceedings
Available from: CREST, by CD-ROM ($15)

Abstract: In April 2004, CREST (then CESD) hosted a major conference on Travelers' Philanthropy at Stanford University, in California. This conference brought together nearly 80 tour operators, UN officials, academics, foundation representatives, and NGOs to discuss how to best harness tourists' interest in giving back to the often impoverished communities that they visit. Through a combination of "time, talent, and treasure," participants learned, there are many ways to work constructively with host communities. However, poorly planned projects can result in unintended negative consequences. This packet of conference proceedings includes a CD-ROM of powerpoint presentations, bios for conference presenters, a directory of existing philanthropic activities, and more.

To purchase, please contact Laura Driscoll at lrd@stanford.edu

Travelers' Philanthropy White Paper
Available in PDF

Travelers' Philanthropy: Helping Communities Build Economic Assets and Sustain Environmental and Cultural Resources in an Era of Rapid Globalization (PDF)