responsible travel research
Intrepid, in association with Victoria University and the government body Aus Industry, completed a two year research project to assess the impacts of our trips to sensitive rural communities titled "Small Tour Group Impacts on Developing Communities". The comparative report on five village communities (in Thailand, Vietnam and Borneo) demonstrates that Intrepid trips are providing mixed outcomes for local people in these communities.
Some of these outcomes include:
- Renewal or support for traditional practices, such as arts and crafts, through local initiatives like craft markets.
- Empowerment of women due to employment and leadership opportunities created by Intrepid's visits.
- Increased knowledge and awareness of other cultures amongst local people due to direct and meaningful interactions between local people and Intrepid groups.
- Support of household livelihood strategies through financial benefits gained by activities associated with Intrepid's visits.
- Direct employment opportunities for some members of the community through activities such as traditional massage, guiding, portering and cooking.
As part of its commitment to providing leadership on sustainable tourism practices, Intrepid has decided to make this report available to the general public. This report was completed in 2002, but we believe the issues and the recommendations remain current and relevant to remote community based tourism.
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