Andaman

27-09-2010

“We saw the excitement and the joy in the faces of the villagers and projects of being recognized and acclaimed by the BBC - it's always fun to hear the words BBC being explained to older villagers and see the joy one receives as they realize the esteem that is associated with this nomination.” - Karen Spackman, Volunteer Coordinator at Andaman Discoveries

The monsoon season had just began in Thailand when our Producer/Director, Maximillian Jacobson-Gonzalez, visited the Andaman Discoveries eco-tourism project. But despite the sheets of rain lashing down on the filming process the whole village rose to the occasion – Karen Spackman, Volunteer Coordinator, continues that “the accreditation reinforced the belief that what we are doing is worth while and that people are interested in our villages and projects and what we do.”

And although she admits that the actual process of being filmed was a bit scary – her nerves making her even forget her name once in front of the camera – she also believes fighting through the shyness has bought real benefits, adding “we know that guests want to experience an authentic and worthwhile experience and having the BBC nomination behind us helps to convey this message.”

Things have been busy this year – with 130 students gaining full scholarships in the communities where Andaman Discoveries offer holiday goers the chance to volunteer on projects to help the local community. Their educational outreach was also extended with new long-tern volunteering projects at the Southern Thailand Orphanage and Burmese Learning Centre as well as a raft of training initiatives to promote the local handicrafts industry.

Now the project is becoming even more established, and was this year awards the Best Green Tour Operator by the Tourism Authority of Thailand. The company has been working with the local North Andaman Community Tourism Network to help other villages learn how tourism can be used as a tool for development.

Posted by Oliver Lamb