Village Ways: a social enterprise

micro tourism at the heart of rural villages – with international reach

Binsar:• The depopulation of beautiful, remote villages• A need to reinforce the local economy• A marketable product and route to market

THE BEGINNING

Tourism alongside existing income stream

Enterprise created by the communities for the communities

• Formation of Village Committees.• Enterprises created , owned and run

by the communities

Local resourcesLocal skillsTraditional Architecture

Training provided in guiding, housekeeping, health and safety

Local employment, training and capacity building• Guides, cooks, porters, housekeepers• Rotation system for looking after guests• Local taxi drivers used

Gender equality

Female guides, committee members, regional co-ordinators

• Guests’ meals prepared using local produce• Crops, vegetables, buffalo milk, spices

Now working in Ethiopia, Nepal and India

• 24 Village Tourism Enterprises

Exporting skills and maintaining standards• Established VTEs assist with training• Meetings between Regional Coordinators

We seek productive partnerships with funding bodies to create village tourism enterprisesUpAsac in UttarakhandAWC in Ethiopia

Guided by Founders’ CharterPrinciples monitored by Advisory Council

Village Ways works with villages where the following criteria are met:

There is responsible tourism potential and a market can be identified for it.

An additional income stream is required in the village communities to enhance livelihoods and reduce poverty.

Each village community is enthusiastic and able to engage in genuine partnership with Village Ways to achieve mutually agreed objectives and is able to take responsibility at community level in an inclusive and equitable way.

Village Ways agrees fair fees with the VTE for the provision of agreed services of a defined standard and pays promptly: fees which ensure the commercial viability of all partners.

The wider community must benefit to some significant degree from the VTE, not just those who are directly engaged in hosting guests.

Village Ways Charitable Trust

The Trust works to:

Develop skills for handicrafts and food production

Product ideas and route to market.

Women health

promote environmental awareness and conservation. Alternate technology.

Secure funding for infrastructure and capacity-building for VTEs.

Independent Monitoring

• Positive Impacts seen/ observed

• Monitoring the impacts of the projects through a survey model

• Results are encouraging

Tailored holiday product, targeted marketing and flexible pricing for domestic tourists

Increasing awareness of responsible tourism among domestic tourists

Women-only groups to encourage solo women travellers

Sell direct and through partner travel companies who are sensitive to our ethos

• Inntravel in UK

• La Balaguere in France

Best for Local Economy 2013

Grass Roots

• As we move forward we are hoping to develop associate partnerships with other like-minded organisations to foster village life

Thank you