Social Entrepreneur Corps - Community Based Tourism

Community Based Tourism is an area where Social Entrepreneur Corps has created three seperate social innovations in order to best support and serve our local constituents.

Certified Homestay (CH) is a Social Entrepreneur Corps social innovation. The mission of CH is to create a positive economic impact in communities in Guatemala, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Peru, The Dominican Republic and S. Africa through increased homestay opportunities and to provide travelers with a unique cultural experience. Local families have theopportunity to generate new income while learning about other people and cultures. Travelers experience local culture while supporting community development.

Typical beneficiaries:

Local and international travelers, volunteers, Spanish students, local families, local organizations

Recent Examples:

Guatemala:

Beneficiary: Soluciones Comunitarias families, Antigua and Nebaj

Impact Achieved: Interns stayed for 30 days with families in rural areas outside Antigua and in the northern highlands of Nebaj, generating over $22,000 for 52 families

Ecuador:

Beneficiary: Fundación NeoJuventud families, Palmar

Impact Achieved: Interns stayed for seven days with families in the rural community of Palmar, generating over $2000 for nine families

Nicaragua:

Beneficiary: Pueblo Hotel families, Ometepe Island

Impact Achieved: Interns stayed for three days with families on the island of Ometepe, generating over $500 for 14 families

South Africa:

Beneficiary: Bo-Kaap Cultural and Heritage Gateway families, Cape Town

Impact Achieved: Interns stayed for 17 days with families in Bo-Kaap, generating over $4300 for 10 families

To learn more about the impact interns had through Certified Homestay in 2011, download the 'Social Entrepreneur Corps Impact Report' here

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Grassroots Explorer (GRE) is a Social Entrepreneur Corps social innovation. Grassroots Explorer is a web-based database of tourism organizations, cooperatives and businesses. Many of the organizations and tourism business that we work with lack exposure; in an effort to create exposure and economic opportunities GRE posts profiles of tourism organizations and businesses online. International travelers can access the profiles that include information on how to contact and visit organizations as well as products and services they offer.

Typical beneficiaries:
Small tourism businesses, associations and cooperatives, homestay families, and international travelers and volunteers

Recent Examples:

Guatemala:

Beneficiary: Associación Lema, Solola (local artisan association)

Impact Achieved: Interns met with Lema to collect information on products and services offered and posted an online profile that outlines their social impact and informs visitors of how to contact them and make a visit.

Ecuador:

Beneficiary: Neo Juventud, Palmar (local youth organization)

Impact Achieved: Interns worked with Neo Juventud to develop an online profile that promotes community tourism services such as mangrove tours and provides increased exposure for Neo Juventud’s website through a link on GRE.

Nicaragua:

Beneficiary: Associación ADETUR, Matagalpa (local tourism association)

Impact Achieved: Interns interviewed representatives of local artisans, painters, and guides to create profiles of their work. They then wrote short articles on the history, challenges, successes and current service and product offerings of ADETUR members.