The Tourist Save The World program, as a societal upgrade system by enabling visiting tourists was initiated first in Holland in 2011, evolving from its predecessor “Belgians save the world“. As more groups participated we gradually understood the potential to implement “transformative tourism” systems on a European level to craft jobs for idealistic youth: The Transformative Tourism for Europe initiative (TT-EU).

The Transformative Tourism EU Partnership wants to create, define, and implement Transformative Tours in Europe, and use it to create jobs for purpose-driven youngsters, enabling tourists Europe-wide to use their vacation tours and time as an opportunity to do good & to invest their abilities guided by young idealistic tourguides who, with their self-designed tours, invite their participants to upgrade the area they visit. It is a European evolution of the Tourist Save The World program, by the Terra Tours department of the Terra Futura foundation.

We are strifing to do so, starting in 2014-2016 in a 3 year collaborative program involving partners who have proven their merits and just cause, and craft city-based programs to benefit locals, partners, participants, local ngo&governments by jobcreation, curriculum creation and establishing a cooperative network. We have been crafting an shortlist of a dream alliance of likeminded partners, and visiting partners ever since to pave the way forward, and we welcome the call of more “extremely useful partners” to get involved in the program. Our shortlist of partners & fellows consists of: [table]

Education	Tourism Start-up	Networks	Core coordinating Organisation	City Marketing
– NHTV- Innoguide (Vlaanderen.be)	– Like-a-local (Traveller Tours)- Good & Green Guides, – Via – Via	– Hospitality Club	– Terra Tours (of the Terra Futura Foundation)	– Amsterdam Marketing- VisitBerlin.de
To research and develop curriculum of the 4th strand of tourism	To craft a online marketplace & p2p moodlebased learninghub for idealistic tourguides to offer their services	To bring forth the offer of good deed tourism as an agent, job-opportunity and service to young idealists	To move forward with fierce ambition for strengthening good from within amidst shared European Values	To streamline marketing of good deed tourism, and support focus in which local issues can be tackled by the tours

[/table]

TT-EU is summarized as;

• a curriculum with innoguide-centred modules. It will be the fourth defined strand of tourguiding, next to the “Intercultural”, “Experiential” and “Sustainable” tourguidance types.
• a learning system, via peer-to-peer systems, online coaching, job-training, skills-development and a yearly conference.
• a job-creating opportunity for idealistic European youngsters, who want to use their abilities to support their local environment and communities
• an EU centred cooperation between like-minded complementary partners of the non-profit, education, and profit-sector based on European values.
• a problem-solving mechanism for real local issues and problems.

The developments around the Tourist Save The World initiative by the Terra Tours department of the Terra Futura Foundation of Holland has gradually led to a concrete vision for extending the reach of this very specific “good deed tourism” program to our fellow european nations. As we started out, we noted that elements from this innovative type of tourism is yet undocumented and unstructured. A international mission to establish and research its workings and content could lead to a educational program worthwhile for universities to reseach, for jobless youngsters to learn from, and for participating cities to be used as a local upgrade system and problem solving mechanism. Every area has its problems, and we should not rely on governments alone to solve them for us. Whether its the public advocating against touristification, loneliness and social separation, underfunding of upkeep for decaying cultural landmarks, tourist can play a crucial role in solving many issues. And, if its done in the right way, a growing group of tourist is also very willing to do so, if the option to do so is available. To move forward with fierce ambition for the greater good, the Terra Tours department is requesting and recruiting partners in Europe to set up a programme that serves all shareholders. In basics we will aim to:

– establish academic content concerning Transformative Tourism
– create curriculum, so trainers can teach tourguides the workings of transformative tours
– coach youngsters in the participating nations who are aspiring to learn the skills and knowledge needed for the profession
– boost and support jobcreation by these youngsters via their own guided tours, and (independent) social enterprises.
– create a social community of peers, a digital platform to promote tourguides and their tours, and a interpersonal learning system to support both.

The program will start when we’ve established the funding for the 3 year program. We are building up towards European funding, preferably via the Horizon 2020 programme, the life long learning program or the Youth in Action program, all seem to apply to the TT-EU partnership and its aims.