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Deutsche Welle Radio - 10th March 2010

Tourism seeks a more positive role in sustainable development

One of the growing trends in the tourism sector is corporate social responsibility, in which companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations. Deutsche Welle takes a closer look at this trend, and how it could affect development in Africa.

Radio Interview with TravelWorks.

El País, Internacional, 1. April 2008 - von ITZIAR REYERO

Aprender español entre indígenas
Una agencia de viajes alemana organiza clases en la selva venezolana

Una agencia de viajes alemana ofrece la posibilidad de combinar ocho semanas de aventuras en la selva y playas de Venezuela con 100 horas de clases de español en compañía de algunas de las tribus aborígenes del país. Travelling Classroom Venezuela forma parte de la oferta de Travelworks, una agencia especializada en viajes de intercambio y voluntariado, que propone un original programa de dos meses en el país suramericano, que conjuga el aprendizaje de la lengua con buenas dosis de adrenalina.

Para aprender debidamente un idioma, nada mejor que salir al exterior e imbuirse de lleno en la cultura y en las tradiciones de cada pueblo, como recuerdan las compañías que planifican cursos en el extranjero. Pero con su propuesta, la agencia Travelworks pretende ir más allá y, huyendo de las ortodoxas clases en una academia, organiza para sus alumnos un viaje a las entrañas de Venezuela, en donde los estudiantes podrán vivir el país de una forma más intensa.

El punto de llegada es la exótica Playa Colorada, corazón del Parque Natural de Mochima, en la costa caribeña del país: un lugar donde la densa gramática del castellano resulta mucho más llevadera. Las horas de español se completan con clases de historia y cultura del nuevo continente, así como cursos de salsa y merengue, que se verán aderezados con otros de cocina de los platos típicos de la zona.

Además, entre clase y clase se organizan excursiones a cataratas e islas semidesiertas en las que, sin embargo, normalmente es posible encontrarse con un lugareño para practicar lo aprendido. Un viaje de diez días en kayak por el delta del río Orinoco, subidas a la cima del Roraima y excursiones por la jungla venezolana son algunas de las emociones fuertes que se contemplan para motivar a los alumnos.

A ello se suma un safari en todoterreno por la región más montañosa del país, la visita a plantaciones de café y un encuentro con las tradicionales formas de vida de los warao, uno de los pueblos indígenas del Estado de Monagas. Como condición sine qua non para poder integrar este exigente grupo es necesario atestar que se está en forma y ser mayor de edad, aunque no es necesario tener conocimientos previos de español.

Según recuerdan los organizadores en su página web, es imprescindible también inscribirse con varios meses de antelación al inicio del programa, que se desarrolla en mayo, julio, agosto, octubre y diciembre. Su precio, 2.450 euros, no incluye el billete de ida y vuelta a Barcelona (Venezuela), y tampoco posibles vacunas o entradas a los parques naturales.

Aunque es dudoso que entre tantas aventuras pueda encontrarse algún momento tranquilo para hacer los deberes, todo aquel que quiera aprender español en Venezuela con esta agencia podrá sustituir el uniforme de colegial por la indumentaria de explorador.

To the article: www.elpais.com

Süddeutsche Zeitung, Travel, 14/15 June 2006, No. 135, Page V2/5 - Hans Gasser

Adventure “light” – travelling and working abroad: special organiser serves the growing number of rucksack tourists.

"Courgettes are a back-handed vegetable, which prick and cut the skin so badly that at you daren't go on the beach in a bikini, because it looks so awful and because it burns and really hurts.” She had imagined “easy-going” as being somewhat simpler, the young lady concerned, (.) reporting on the internet on her experiences as harvest helper in Australia. However, ultimately she is realistic enough, in spite of prickly courgettes, “skin-irritating” mango milk and “dull conveyor belt work” as a banana packer to give the following advice to her numerous successors: “Hey, you want to earn money... and swiftly. Cities that you only go to work in often have little else to offer, and once you’ve spent the whole day lounging in front of the TV in the hostel once, you really wish that you could have earned money during that time so that you don't have to spend longer than necessary in the city.”

What sounds like torture is in fact the self-selected dream of many twenty-year olds who go to Australia, New Zealand or Canada after their A-levels and before their studies for a year. The entry ticket to this dream is called a working holiday Visa. It costs around 100 Euros; can be applied for online and makes it possible to travel for 12 months through a country, taking on any job available in order to fill up the travel piggy bank once more. People of up to 30 years of age can apply for a Visa for Australia and New Zealand. In Canada, where the Visa has only existed for 2 years, and for which every European country only receives a contingent of 1000 per year, you can do jobs and travel for one year until the age of 35.

“Australia is the most popular country by far,” says Marc Lankamp, “followed by New Zealand and Canada.” [.] Approximately 10,000 Australian work and travel Visas were made out for Germans in total. TravelWorks is a commercial provider which promises to aid teenagers in their start abroad via an all-inclusive package. For around 1600 Euros, you receive a flight, collection from the airport, three nights in a hostel, a one-day workshop on the demands of your new life, as well as a bank card and the possibility of turning to the local office should difficulties arise. TravelWorks functions like a travel agency. On some flights to Sydney during the peak season in September, 40 to 50 working travellers are on board, says Lankamp. Participant lists are handed out so that the pioneers can get to know each other in the plane and exchange their hopes and fears. “Hardly anyone comes back who hasn’t really gained something from their holiday,” says Lankamp.

Jan Büscher is an exception to the standard TravelWorks traveller. The 23 year-old travelled to Australia via TravelWorks last year for seven months. As he is a hotel clerk, he was always able to work as a waiter in cafés or restaurants, and didn’t have to do “fruit-picking” jobs. This is the job it is easiest to get, as, because of the country’s size, harvest helpers are required for some region every month. For Jan, who had no time due to completion of his training, it was important that someone sorted out the formalities, insurances, bank accounts and flights. Although it was at first pleasant to meet others with the same interests in the plane – “you share the same fate and don’t feel so alone” – he bought an old car soon after arrival and set off alone. “It was only important to me that someone was there in case something happened.” In spite of this support, he felt extremely free: from skiing in the Snowy Mountains to the obligatory trip in the outback to diving on the Great Barrier Reef; he did it all: “Now I can say I’ve had my adventure.”