PRO-Social Activities

At Adventure Travel Pro we are extremely passionate about prosocial behaviour and activities.

We love to do as much as we can to support the environment, local communities and the underprivileged through: 

• Volunteering 
• Philanthropy 
• Eco-conscious travel
• & Sustainability 

Whether travelling overseas or locally within Australia, I always like to feel like I’m making a positive difference, even if only small. 

That’s why, from here on, we’re going to aspire to adopt the 1:1:1 Model.

I was introduced to this strategy at a Salesforce conference, and ultimately it’s about donating:

• 1% of your people/time
• 1% of your product
• 1% of your profit

to philanthropic activities and to those in need.

Pledge 1% invites all entrepreneurs and their companies to commit important resources (product, time and profit) to support integrating philanthropy into their business and to leverage technology, people and resources to improve communities globally.

I couldn’t think of anything I’d rather do more… extremely heart warming.

So what exactly do we mean by “Prosocial” activities, volunteering and philanthropy?

I’ll share a bit more context about these below.

Prosocial behaviors are those intended to help other people.

These acts are typically characterised by a concern for people’s rights, feelings and welfare and usually involve feelings of empathy and concern for others.

Usual examples include:

• Volunteer work
• Donating money
• Going out of your way to help others
• Alturism (where a person takes on a cost to help another person with no expectation or possibility of receiving a benefit in return).

In addition to the “feel good” vibes one gets from helping others, there are a few other scientifically proven benefits of prosocial behaviour and volunteering.

Some of top benefits include:

• Improved mood
• Feeling more socially supported
• Reduced stress
• Reduced feelings of loneliness and depression
• A greater sense of connection
• Helps to build friendships
• It’s a positive way to get physically active

Volunteering is typically an act that involves:

• Unpaid work
• Providing a service for the benefit of others
• Contributing towards something that helps a community thrive

The opportunities with volunteer work are truly endless and they can give you such a better understanding of the places / cultures you visit as well as incredible joy.

I always enjoy volunteering when I travel as giving back feels good!

In the modern world, philanthropy refers to generosity in all its forms and usually has a focus on helping people over the long-term.

It is often defined as giving a gift – whether it be your time, talent or some form of treasure (eg. clothing or money) to help make life better for other people.

Common philanthropic acts include providing monetary donations towards causes you believe in and continuously promoting the welfare of others.

Here are some of the many charities and volunteer organisations I’ve supported over the years:

At Adventure Travel Pro, we are also passionate about supporting sustainability and environment conservation.

In general, sustainability relates to fulfilling the needs of current generations without compromising the needs of future generations, and ensuring a balance between economic growth, environmental care and social well-being.

When booking trips overseas, I’m always conscious and do my best to book tours and activities with companies who are environmentally conscious or have at least SOME initiatives to contribute towards sustainability.

It could be as simple as:

• Using recyclable packaging/materials on their tours (eg. Cardboard boxes over plastic bags, metal straws rather than plastic straws)
• Offsetting emissions by planting trees
• Having a focus on animal and environmental conservation
• Hiring the services of people within local communities
• Supporting small local businesses and co-op’s.
• The list goes on..

However, do keep in mind that for many businesses, especially small businesses, sustainability is still a pretty new concept.

Personally, I feel that we have a long way to go in the tourism sector, but there are many great things are being done by companies all over the world in this space.

If you’d like to make the world a better place for future generations, this is something you may like to consider when you travel.