Community Based Tourism is tourism that maximises the benefits to the local community - akin to 'Fair Trade' markings on food and drinks.
On these trips, all your accommodation is locally owned and run, we use local restaurants that source your food locally, public transport is used where practicable, and of course as on all our trips you have a local guide.
Tourism is embraced by these communities as a source of sustainable employment and income.
A brilliant example of this is our trip in the Sunderbans, India, where former tiger poachers are now tiger conservationists as a result of the superior (and safer) income the villagers receive through tourism.
Whilst all of our trips contain an element of community based tourism, those that use only locally owned and run accommodation are particularly strongly focused on community based tourism, and are listed here (and specially marked on each trip):
Hanoi and Hilltribes - Vietnam
Islands and Volcanoes - Vanuatu
Townships and Tents - South Africa
View an introduction to what Hands Up Holidays is all about.
A mini-documentary about a Hands Up Holiday in Fiji
Watch a TV news clip about the launch of Hands Up Holidays