Development Partners
We are experts in the development of Village Tourism Enterprises in remote rural communities, and have worked in collaboration with funding bodies who wish to support responsible tourism initiatives. Capital funding to assist in the construction of our Village Tourism Enterprises is an important factor in assessing the viability of projects.
In India, Village Ways formed an innovative partnership with UPASaC, a government-sponsored social venture capital agency, which is working to improve entrepreneurship and livelihoods in poor hill villages. Village Ways and UPASaC each sponsored a house and shared the cost of training villagers in the Saryu and Pindar valleys. Subsequently, UPASaC transferred other guesthouses in the area, which they had developed with communities, to Village Ways. They also supported training of villagers and renovated a guesthouse in the Binsar area for operation by Village Ways.
In Ethiopia, Village Ways worked in partnership with Tesfa, an Ethiopian NGO, from 2009 to 2012 to raise standards and develop projects in the Highlands of Ethiopia.
Further organisations, with which we have worked, are listed below. We are always interested in discussing ideas with funding and development agencies, so please contact us.
International Centre for Responsible Tourism
The is a community of responsible tourism practitioners in business, government, NGOs, conservation and heritage. The work of the ICRT focuses on the principles of the Cape Town Declaration on Responsible Tourism in Destinations, it works in originating markets and destinations around the world, to harness tourism to make “better places for people to live in and for people to visit.” The ICRT works with governments, tour operators and accommodation providers to realise the aspirations of the Responsible Tourism Movement in which the ICRT has played a major part since 1997.
Manchester Metropolitan University, UK
The Centre for Responsible Tourism at the MMU offers a cutting-edge postgraduate studies in Responsible Tourism, designed for professionals wanting to make a difference in tourism - it enables students to learn with, and from, current leaders. The research focus is on responsible business, destination management, human rights and labour conditions, local economic development and poverty reduction through tourism. Harold Goodwin, Professor of Responsible Tourism, acts as Chair for the Village Ways Advisory Council. Students at the Centre analyse the results of our impact studies on communities in each Village Tourism Enterprise.
Environmental and Conservation Organisations
Corbett National Park, N India
Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary, N India
Wayanad Park, S India
Global Parks, international
Conservation Capital, Kenya
Tusheti National Park, Georgia
Appropriate Technology Organisations
SOWTECH, UK
Practical Action, UK
Centre for Alternative Technology, UK
Development/Donor/Funding Agencies
African Wildlife Foundation, USA
International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD)/UPASaC, India
African Wildlife Capital, Kenya
World Bank, Georgia
Technical Specialists
Centre for Global Equality, Cambridge, UK, who have helped with recruiting language trainers and suitable new technologies.
ATREE (Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and Environment), India, for training in Kerala, India
CAZRI (Central Arid Zone Research Institute), India, for training in Hacra, India
Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Sirsi (information and training).
SNV Kathmandu, Nepal, for training in household management
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), first aid training, India
Government Agencies
Madhya Pradesh (MP) Forest Department, India
MP Ecotourism Development Board, Madhya Pradesh, India
Indian Institute for Forest Management (IIFM)
Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board (UTDB), India
Uttarakhand Forestry Department, India