This is a wonderful project. I particularly liked the idea of a "social ecosystem," and was interested in your emphasis on routes, which reminded me of another project I'd seen called "Green Routes," in the state of Minnesota, USA, as well as the Mapguide projects that the National Geographic Society's Center for Sustainable Destinations works on. I think using sustainable tourism routes is a great way to bring travelers into the country-side and get them involved in your project.
One question - I was recently in S. Africa and thought I heard that as much as (forgive me if I'm wrong - I mention this from memory) as much as 80% of S. African tourists are domestic (ie are South African themselves). Do you find they also avail themselves of your travel routes? Do you do anything in particular to reach out to that part of the market?
Thank you for your kind and encouraging remarks. Much appreciated.
You are correct about domestic (and regional) travel being by far the dominant market here and yes, we promote the routes locally as strongly as possible. This is done primarily through the editorial coverage they attract. What we do is publicity rich and this helps a great deal, for as an NGO we have limited funding for marketing.
I just uploaded a submission for our project on tourism that is accessible to people with disabilities. In our market routes have been used ingeniously in several places probably because "path of travel" calculations are second nature to anyone with a mobility impairment but also because they make economic sense. They form a "package" that is easily marketed and monitored for quality. One of the most far-thinking inclusive routes projects I have visited is in Tasmania with the Devil's Playground network.
Let's see how we can get synergy between our work on Inclusive Tourism and Inclusive Destination Development and your routes initiative.
Hello Noel,
Could you give us some specific numbers to represent the impact that you are having? How many travelers come through your program? How many site visits do you have on your website each month/each year? What other measures have you used to gauge your impact?
What is the infrastructure of your program. For example, how closely do you work with the route operators that are on the ground?
On average our routes have 33.5 participant businesses, few of which have the capacity to measure how much business derives specifically from being part of the Open Africa network. Where there are indicator points that enable throughput measurements, the figures vary so much as to make the extraction of robust universal statistics impossible. Thus whilst we have the advantage of being able to track the health of routes individually, which we do on a diagnosis matrix that alerts us to identifying problem areas, it is going to take time for reliable impact assessments to be made. This is one of the hurdles in dealing with development at the grass-roots level and we will overcome it, but first we have to get operators accustomed to the disciplines and benefits of monitoring and evaluation.
Until now measuring website hits has also been a problem in that we could only track hits on the main site and not on an individual route basis. This handicap will be overcome by July this year however, when each route will have its own URL. Meanwhile in terms of gauging impacts we are restricted to anecdotal reports from the field, which are gathered by our Route Networking (aftercare) function. An interesting experience in this regard is that progression almost never takes place on a constantly ascending plane. Periods of high dynamism and good leadership are inevitably followed by lapses into inertia for a variety of reasons that we have had to learn to deal with.
Our program is systematised, so follows an easily replicable pattern, which is undertaken by a team based in Cape Town. This team comprises an operations manager to whom three route developers and one networker report. These five individuals are almost constantly in the field, while the administrative office has a finance and admin manager together with a bookkeeper, a sales and marketing manager and assistant, and a webmaster. A great deal of travel is involved and, with the highest possible level of interaction with route participants being crucially important, we rely heavily on IT and other forms of communication. SMS messaging is playing an increasingly important role too.
I'm really impressed by your organization and the way in which you are bringing together multiple businesses. Just two questions:
I looked up your website and was really impressed by its design and content. Have you pursued ways to use your website to generate revenue, for example, through advertising? How do you publicize your website to travelers?
We are presently going through a major repurposing exercise regarding our website aimed at upgrading it to full Web 2.0 compliance. This will bring the whole range of Facebook, YouTube, Linkedin, Wikis, conversational and viral marketing plus more into play, bringing about what could almost be called a revolution in our marketing approach and strategies. Scheduled to be completed by the end of June, I will be better able to answer your first question once all this is working.
Regarding advertising, we are in two minds about this. On the one hand we would love to create a revenue stream this way but on the other are heavily committed to avoid anything that will detract from the authenticity and thus credibility of the site. The jury is still out on this one. Do you have a view on this?
Noel,
I actually find myself agreeing that advertisements might detract from the authenticity and credibility, especially given potential conflicts of interest and acknowledgment of donors on your website. However, I've been wondering whether instead of having random advertisements on the website, what if donors or sponsors could secure specific spaces on the website (say a banner on the right side) through levels of donation or sponsorship. While some donors might be satisfied with having their organization listed on a specific donor page, others might appreciate the opportunity to secure a more prominent web space. Not sure if this would take away from credibility but it could add to the authenticity of the social mission of the organization. I hope this makes sense, and I have to disclaim that my background is not in fundraising or advertising or websites, but I thought I'd share the idea anyway.
And good luck with the website revampment! Can't wait to see the new look.
Best,
Keren
Reynolds Ashoka Ambassador
New York University School of Law
J.D. Candidate 2010
Apologies for previously misspelling your name. What you suggest certainly does make sense and, pending decisions in this regard, we shall add your thoughts to our file on the subject for future consideration.
On May 28, 2008, the judges reviewed the entries for the Changemakers “Geotourism Challenge” and would like to pass on this feedback for your entry. Thank you for applying and for your hard work in the field. We are excited to archive your entry to serve as a leading solution for the worldwide community of sustainable tourism innovators. We wish you continued luck with your sustainable, innovative, and socially impactful initiatives.
All the best, The Changemakers Team
“It is really exciting to see that 66 routes have already been developed in six other countries—this is exactly the kind of social impact that we’re looking for.”
“The concept of networking and linking like-minded individuals is very innovative. Organizations such as these have a difficult time being financially self sustainable, and we hope that this organization has a long term plan for financing, as this will distinguish it from many other projects.”
-Changemakers Geotourism Judges: National Geographic Society, Past President the Ford Foundation, whl.travel - World Hotel Link, ICICI Foundation for Inclusive Growth.
Comments
This is a wonderful project. I particularly liked the idea of a "social ecosystem," and was interested in your emphasis on routes, which reminded me of another project I'd seen called "Green Routes," in the state of Minnesota, USA, as well as the Mapguide projects that the National Geographic Society's Center for Sustainable Destinations works on. I think using sustainable tourism routes is a great way to bring travelers into the country-side and get them involved in your project.
One question - I was recently in S. Africa and thought I heard that as much as (forgive me if I'm wrong - I mention this from memory) as much as 80% of S. African tourists are domestic (ie are South African themselves). Do you find they also avail themselves of your travel routes? Do you do anything in particular to reach out to that part of the market?
Great initiative - I'm adding it to my favorites!
Thank you for your kind and encouraging remarks. Much appreciated.
You are correct about domestic (and regional) travel being by far the dominant market here and yes, we promote the routes locally as strongly as possible. This is done primarily through the editorial coverage they attract. What we do is publicity rich and this helps a great deal, for as an NGO we have limited funding for marketing.
I just uploaded a submission for our project on tourism that is accessible to people with disabilities. In our market routes have been used ingeniously in several places probably because "path of travel" calculations are second nature to anyone with a mobility impairment but also because they make economic sense. They form a "package" that is easily marketed and monitored for quality. One of the most far-thinking inclusive routes projects I have visited is in Tasmania with the Devil's Playground network.
Let's see how we can get synergy between our work on Inclusive Tourism and Inclusive Destination Development and your routes initiative.
Hello Noel,
Could you give us some specific numbers to represent the impact that you are having? How many travelers come through your program? How many site visits do you have on your website each month/each year? What other measures have you used to gauge your impact?
What is the infrastructure of your program. For example, how closely do you work with the route operators that are on the ground?
Thank you
Dana Frasz
Ashoka's Changemakers
Hi Dana
On average our routes have 33.5 participant businesses, few of which have the capacity to measure how much business derives specifically from being part of the Open Africa network. Where there are indicator points that enable throughput measurements, the figures vary so much as to make the extraction of robust universal statistics impossible. Thus whilst we have the advantage of being able to track the health of routes individually, which we do on a diagnosis matrix that alerts us to identifying problem areas, it is going to take time for reliable impact assessments to be made. This is one of the hurdles in dealing with development at the grass-roots level and we will overcome it, but first we have to get operators accustomed to the disciplines and benefits of monitoring and evaluation.
Until now measuring website hits has also been a problem in that we could only track hits on the main site and not on an individual route basis. This handicap will be overcome by July this year however, when each route will have its own URL. Meanwhile in terms of gauging impacts we are restricted to anecdotal reports from the field, which are gathered by our Route Networking (aftercare) function. An interesting experience in this regard is that progression almost never takes place on a constantly ascending plane. Periods of high dynamism and good leadership are inevitably followed by lapses into inertia for a variety of reasons that we have had to learn to deal with.
Our program is systematised, so follows an easily replicable pattern, which is undertaken by a team based in Cape Town. This team comprises an operations manager to whom three route developers and one networker report. These five individuals are almost constantly in the field, while the administrative office has a finance and admin manager together with a bookkeeper, a sales and marketing manager and assistant, and a webmaster. A great deal of travel is involved and, with the highest possible level of interaction with route participants being crucially important, we rely heavily on IT and other forms of communication. SMS messaging is playing an increasingly important role too.
I'm really impressed by your organization and the way in which you are bringing together multiple businesses. Just two questions:
I looked up your website and was really impressed by its design and content. Have you pursued ways to use your website to generate revenue, for example, through advertising? How do you publicize your website to travelers?
Sincerely,
Keren G. Raz
Ashoka Ambassador
We are presently going through a major repurposing exercise regarding our website aimed at upgrading it to full Web 2.0 compliance. This will bring the whole range of Facebook, YouTube, Linkedin, Wikis, conversational and viral marketing plus more into play, bringing about what could almost be called a revolution in our marketing approach and strategies. Scheduled to be completed by the end of June, I will be better able to answer your first question once all this is working.
Regarding advertising, we are in two minds about this. On the one hand we would love to create a revenue stream this way but on the other are heavily committed to avoid anything that will detract from the authenticity and thus credibility of the site. The jury is still out on this one. Do you have a view on this?
Best wishes - Noel
Noel,
I actually find myself agreeing that advertisements might detract from the authenticity and credibility, especially given potential conflicts of interest and acknowledgment of donors on your website. However, I've been wondering whether instead of having random advertisements on the website, what if donors or sponsors could secure specific spaces on the website (say a banner on the right side) through levels of donation or sponsorship. While some donors might be satisfied with having their organization listed on a specific donor page, others might appreciate the opportunity to secure a more prominent web space. Not sure if this would take away from credibility but it could add to the authenticity of the social mission of the organization. I hope this makes sense, and I have to disclaim that my background is not in fundraising or advertising or websites, but I thought I'd share the idea anyway.
And good luck with the website revampment! Can't wait to see the new look.
Best,
Keren
Reynolds Ashoka Ambassador
New York University School of Law
J.D. Candidate 2010
Dear Keren
Apologies for previously misspelling your name. What you suggest certainly does make sense and, pending decisions in this regard, we shall add your thoughts to our file on the subject for future consideration.
Regards
Noel
On May 28, 2008, the judges reviewed the entries for the Changemakers “Geotourism Challenge” and would like to pass on this feedback for your entry. Thank you for applying and for your hard work in the field. We are excited to archive your entry to serve as a leading solution for the worldwide community of sustainable tourism innovators. We wish you continued luck with your sustainable, innovative, and socially impactful initiatives.
All the best, The Changemakers Team
“It is really exciting to see that 66 routes have already been developed in six other countries—this is exactly the kind of social impact that we’re looking for.”
“The concept of networking and linking like-minded individuals is very innovative. Organizations such as these have a difficult time being financially self sustainable, and we hope that this organization has a long term plan for financing, as this will distinguish it from many other projects.”
-Changemakers Geotourism Judges: National Geographic Society, Past President the Ford Foundation, whl.travel - World Hotel Link, ICICI Foundation for Inclusive Growth.
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