Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/29859
It’s a reflection of their overall social responsibility and some- thing the general public, management, employees and even some investors see as valuable. When combined with incen- tive travel, community service can actually increase a compa- ny’s bottom line. Opportunities for combining incentive travel and communi- ty service are endless. A quick Internet search revealed numerous incentive travel packages to Ghana that combined sightseeing and relaxation with a few days at an orphanage teaching basic survival skills, growing crops, and providing medical services. In Indonesia, we found a program where volunteers can teach English to a group of eager children at an impoverished school or work at a foundation for physically disabled children. We also found an animal welfare project in Indonesia in des- perate need of assistance. The Indonesian trip combined community service with days spent white-water rafting, hiking, mountain biking, spa treat- ments and days soaking up the sun on local beaches. Singing superstar Madonna doesn’t have to be the only one making a difference in Malawi. In addition to sailing on Lake Malawi or enjoying a luxurious resort how about volun- teering with AIDS sufferers or orphaned children. If a particular corporation or group doesn’t like these they can start a community service oriented incentive travel pack- age of their own. Why does incentive travel always have to take place at some exotic locale away from our shores? We have tropical settings, luxurious resorts with golf and spa treatments and all the other trappings of the good life right here in the United States. The beauty of combining i n c e n t i v e travel with d o m e s t i c c ommu n i t y services is that the con- sumer can experi- ence it. Nothing says I’m a good corpo- rate citizen to a consumer better than firsthand knowledge. One of the top destinations for travel of any kind, incentive or otherwise should be the state of Virginia. Think about that state and its proximity to Washington DC, which as readers of this publication already know attracts a tremendous amount of corporate and group travel, especially in the African-American community. The Hampton Roads area in southeast Virginia, which includes Norfolk and Virginia Beach, is one of the state’s most popular destinations. The combination of history, the scenic beauty of the Virginia mountains, the cosmo- Black Meetings & Tourism March/April 2011: www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 37