Volunteer Abroad Profile: The International Ecotourism Society (TIES)

GO: First off, tell us a little about TIES and why it was founded!

Ayako Ezaki, TIES: TIES was founded in 1990 to address growing concerns about the social and environmental impact of tourism activities in the world’s biologically diverse and culturally rich regions. [TIES also addresses] the opportunity that many conservation organizations, tourism businesses and destinations started discovering back in the 80s and 90s: to use tourism and its economic benefits as a tool to preserve the world’s natural and cultural heritage. You can read more about the founding of TIES and early days of TIES and ecotourism in the “Ecotourism Then and Now” series by TIES founder Megan Epler Wood.

TIES is a non-profit membership organization that supports and is supported by members from around the world. Our members are in over 120 countries, and represent a wide range of industry segments and professional fields: from associations and academic institutions to accommodations, operators, destinations, NGOs, and of course, travelers.

Are your travels eco-friendly?

GO: How did you originally get involved with TIES?

Ayako: I started working with TIES in 2005 as a project coordinator focusing on TIES’ communications and outreach initiatives in the Asia Pacific region. My current roles as Director of Communications include member communications, social media, marketing and content development for our events, and leading our blog and newsletter teams.

GO: Can you talk a little about the workshops you offer? What subjects do they cover?

Ayako: TIES workshop programs utilize ‘modules’ that we’ve developed through our past training and education programs (some of the key topic areas include: marketing and communications, product development, and sustainable tourism business management), but are developed based on the specific needs and priorities identified through our partnerships with destination organizations and local NGO partners. Some workshops have a broad focus on sustainability-related topics that are relevant to local and regional tourism stakeholders, while others have more specific approaches to identifying the target audience (e.g. operators working in protected areas, destination planners and managers).

GO: What is the TIES Travel Ambassador Program?

Ayako: We started the Travel Ambassador Program with the goal of working with some of our active supporters as our “spokespeople” in different areas around the world. [The goal is] to spread the word about the importance of ecotourism, and to encourage more travelers to travel responsibly. Our Ambassadors both help reach out to travelers through their networks (online and off-line) and help highlight stories on inspiring ecotourism initiatives through TIES’ network. This is part of our efforts to make ecotourism “more accessible” to travelers.

TIES' Ecotourism and Sustainable Travel Conference (ESTC) 2011

GO: I see you have several membership options - what are some of the benefits of joining?

Ayako: We have different membership options for (1) Organizations, (2) Professionals, and (3) Travelers.

Any organization (non-profit, for-profit, government and NGO) directly or indirectly engaged in ecotourism can join TIES as an Organization member. Each organization member receives a unique profile on TIES’ website (which is similar to a “Page” on Facebook), as well as having access to other networking and marketing benefits. For instance, organization members have the opportunity to publish press releases through the TIES site (ecotourism.org), receive discounts for their employees, and member discounts to attend TIES events.

The Professional-level membership is for those who are working in the field of ecotourism, for example, consultants, architects, journalists, researchers and conservation experts. Professional member benefits include access to TIES tools and resources online, as well as member discounts to conferences and workshops. Students receive a discounted rate to join as a Professional member.

The Traveler membership option is free and available to anyone. Traveler members receive regular updates from TIES team with tips and advice on how to travel responsibly and support ecotourism.

GO: What is your favorite part about working with TIES?

Ayako: Without a doubt, my most favorite part about working with TIES is meeting and connecting with people from around the world who are making a positive difference through ecotourism.