Voluntary Ecotourism

WWOOF-World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms
is a global placement program for volunteers who are genuinely interested in learning about organic farming. Both hosts and volunteers pay a small fee for the sake of maintaining this system of contacts. There is no monetary compensation for these workers, however they do receive free accommodations on the farm of their choice. Typical work days will last 5 to 6 hours. In exchange for this free labor, WWOOFers get to learn about organic and ecologically sound growing methods. They interact among each other and experience living in a rural setting in a different country. An example could be harvesting coffee beans in Thailand. If you happen to stumble upon a nice, hospitable host family, you could very well become acquainted with the locals and going to the farmers’ market every weekend.

Every aspect of this program intrigues me in so many ways. I’m basically ready to buy myself a plane ticket once I can prove to my parents and myself the legitimacy of this program. I’ll admit I just couldn’t resist the urge to use school time to research on matters related to personal pleasure. But, the other reason I chose this topic to explore is the ample opportunities I see in eco-tourism. This is a delightful blend of two things we as Americans openly endorse, the evergreen obsession with traveling, and the new hot topic that’s gaining more momentum as we speak, GO GREEN. According to the International Ecotourism Society, the definition of ecotourism is, "Responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people." I think WWOOFing definitely qualifies. It’s such a proactive way to seek out alternative venues of preserving the earth.

WWOOF has websites and forums but it doesn’t make enough revenue to conduct mainstream marketing or advertising. Mostly it relies on buzz marketing, word of mouth. I first heard this term from a friend and thought to myself woof? Like a dog? But since then I’ve done my best to spread this epic idea of a get-away that encompasses much much more than just being a photo-snapping tourist. Granted that it might be necessary to set aside time for that kind of touring when you’re not working up a sweat harvesting coffee beans. I have, however, encountered many skeptics while preaching WWOOF. One friend right away mentions the risk of being sold into slavery or god forbid, prostitution. Another friend jokes about picturing me with a community of hippies or communists on a farm. Conflicted, I turn to Google Almighty and look into WWOOFER forums.One forum entry claims that “WWOOFing is a marvellous concept. And you're not working for free, you're working for lodgings and a very rewarding cultural experience (the stuff money can't buy!)” Here’s the link to the forum (http://www.travelpod.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=13084). You could also read about one volunteer feeding pigs three times a day. Now that’s what I call reassuring! No sarcasm intended. Both of my parents came from villages in China. My dad was the first college graduate in his village where everyone had the same last name.So I have for a while secretly wondered about living on a farm and the simple pleasures of it.

Now that I've proved my personal interest in this topic, I want to dwell more on the customer experience involved and the marketing opportunities stemmed from it.There are WWOOF hosts in 99 countries around the globe, but there is no single compiled list of contacts or one set of standards across the board. Each country to its own in this case. Choosing the right country and the right host would make a world of difference to the WWOOFING experience. Most blogs and forums are saying great things, like "ideal for eco-conscious travelers who want to reduce their environmental impact, but not miss out on new cultures, destinations, and foods." However, as a potential consumer of this product, I need to see more evidence.There are books that you can buy from their website to familiarize yourself with the concept. They do have a Facebook page, even a movie trailer about their very own WWOOF documentary in the making with video submissions from worldwide WWOOFERS (http://wwoofthemovie.com/wordpress/). I'm not sure on the release date but I think this is a great marketing technique.

My current thoughts are:
-How can WWOOF better organize and coordinate among its many international components?
-Can WWOOF make more revenue and maybe donate to related causes?
-How can WWOOF market itself even better to push this ecotourism movement?
-Who is WWOOF working with? Partner organizations?
-How can WWOOF better prepare its volunteers and become more accessible?
-Do WWOOFers see this as a cheap get-away or do they continue practice ecologically feasible farming when they go home?
-What expectations do they have when they go into this and what lessons do they take away with them?
Overall, how can this experience and the publicity of it be enhanced so that more people like me will dare to try.