Weave into Andean artistry

Enjoy a cultural adventure in South India

Peek into Prague’s storied past

Get lost in the magical mangroves of Bahía Málaga in Colombia

Walk the wild wonders of the Amazon cloud forest

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Who would not want to have the opportunity to venture into such enchanting destinations, and experience unique local life, away from tourist trap? Click visit.org and within seconds you will be transported to colorful corners of the world.

 Image: visit.org

Essentially, visit.org is a technology platform, an online marketplace, for curated, immersive and impactful travel experiences offered by nonprofits around the globe.

Its mission is to enhance the mission of great social organizations, called org, and increase public knowledge of and engagement with society's needs by facilitating mutually-beneficial, in-person encounters between people and communities around the world.

On our recent trip to New York City we had a remarkable meeting with visit.org to learn about the social impact business from Violaine Pierre, the Co-founder and Chief Orgs Officer; Kelly Toy, writer and editor; and Solomon Billinkoff, creative Youtube channel producer. The team arranged for a short interview and video on the works of Omar Niode Foundation, that hopefully will be posted on its social media.

Rowan Lucey, a member of visit.org business development team whom we have communicated with to express our interest in joining visit.org activities, initiated the meeting after learning that we will be in the city.

The Omar Niode Foundation has a blog page that covers local and international food and culture travels. One of our activities is to organize events to encourage people to visit Gorontalo, on the island of Sulawesi, a relatively untouched paradise with great aquatic life, unique diving spots, hilly sceneries, some interesting history, and great food. We figure that the more people go there for food travel the more income will be generated for micro and small businesses in the area, considered as one of the poorest provinces in Indonesia.

 Image: Bappeda Provinsi Gorontalo

 Image: Donald Wahani

Visit.org summarizes the impact of its activities as enhancing the missions of great orgs, public education, and economic development. Currently there are hundreds of tours across more than 30 countries listed on visit.org with descriptions that make you want to visit the destinations right away.

The company envisioned its engagement with 20,000 organizations within 5 years. It is a doable goal considering what visit.org has to offer to those who are involved in this good cause.

In the Weave into Andean artistry tour, for example, travelers visit Ollantaytambo communities in Peru and learn from artisans about their ancient weaving and culinary traditions. Guests have a chance to master the basics of weaving and create a beautiful pulsera (bracelet) and cook an authentic and delicious Pachamanca, a traditional Peruvian meal made from meat marinated in spices and Andean produce, all cooked in underground earth oven.

Awamaki, a local non-profit organization, makes sure the tour revenue helps provide women in remote and marginalized communities with a comprehensive education, workplace training, and market access.

Michal Alter and Violaine Pierre who started visit.org in January 2015 saw the challenge in the travel industry where the supply side and the demand side are unaware of each other. Globally, there are 400 million adventure travelers and 200 million millenial travelers who seek experiences off the beaten track and want to do something local and meaningful. Meanwhile, there are over 50,000 community-based organizations that can offer unique, engaging visit experiences but have no funding, visibility, technical support and centralized market place.

 Image: wework.com

As a start-up company visit.org occupies a trendy space in Columbia Startup Lab, a co-working facility located at WeWork in Soho, New York, where media and advertising giants, digital innovators and tech startups have their offices.

We met the visit.org team in the cozy building that provides subsidized space for Columbia alumni entrepreneurs such as visit.org Founder and CEO Michal Alter who holds a Master of Public Administration from Columbia University.

The way the company works is described on its website. Social impact organizations register online at visit.org. The company then works closely with the organization to design an itinerary unique to the organization’s history, mission, expertise, and surroundings. Visit.org will create a stunning profile page for the organization and a marketing team will promote it both online and offline.

There are at least 12 items based on community tourism that have to be featured in the visits, including involvement and consent of local communities, environmentally sustainable activities, and reinvestment of proceeds back into the community through projects or a shared profit model.

Users will then able to search for visit opportunities based on location, time, and issue area, and can sign up for tours as individuals or in groups. Tour durations range from a couple of hours to a couple of days. Visit.org channel tour proceeds directly to the hosting organization for investment in future projects and community programming.

The founders’ networks, educational, professional and travel experiences supported by highly educated, young and enthusiastic team from all over the world with social concern and travel passion make visit.org an all-round entity. Those who work for visit.org gain experience in travel and technology marketing, writing, and operations of a startup while making a positive impact on communities around the world.

Visit.org, as Michal Alter explained to Immersion Travel Magazine,  serves a wide range of travelers: students; young families with children; professionals from the nonprofit and public sectors who want to see how similar issues are tackled in other corners of the world; corporations who use it as an educational program for employees; and high net worth individuals who are interested in social impact and also want to learn more about local culture and environment.

Philosophy buffs, for example, would be thrilled to take a tour on Amble through old and new in Athens. Visitors will gain an understanding of daily life in the city, where past and present still mingle by walking along the city in the steps of philosophers, conquerors, rebels, and ordinary people, following ancient and modern routes. The guide from Urban Athens Collective, a social enterprise, understands that tour revenue will support the provision of meals for the homeless in Athens as well as an archaeological excavation on Anthikythera Island that aims to empower the local community.

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Amble through old and new in Athens

Delve into French fashion with Migrantour Paris

Trek through the long and winding roads of gorgeous Kyrgyzstan

Embark on a philosophical journey through the streets of Greece

Explore the mysterious ruins of a Cambodian temple

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Text: Amanda Niode. Images: Karida Niode, unless otherwise noted