Flight Centre has acquired Canadian online ‘voluntourism’ community GoVoluntouring.
The collaboration takes advantage of Flight Centre’s bricks and mortar retail selling strength and air expertise combined with GoVoluntouring’s existing platform of world recognised volunteer and humanitarian organisations, a statement said.
The investment into GoVoluntouring for an undisclosed sum “reinforces the company’s industry-leading commitment to social and environmental stewardship”.
The two companies have begun developing an integrated site to improve the user interface while embedding greater tools of connectivity, as well as steps towards increasing accessibility and transparency.
Flight Centre Canada president Greg Dixon said: “With an increased demand for volunteer-based travel worldwide, we see a responsibility to proactively contribute to this emerging sector.
“GoVoluntouring has worked extremely hard in developing a valuable resource that is currently being used by thousands of people worldwide.”
GoVoluntouring founder and chief executive Aaron Smith said: “As a social enterprise, our objective was to transform one million travellers into one million volunteers.
“The sheer breadth of distribution will make Flight Centre’s GoVoluntouring a massive change agent. I’m excited for the future of voluntourism, and thrilled to be a part of Flight Centre’s commitment to growing this sector responsibly.”
Smith will remain as a ‘business leader’, based at of Flight Centre’s Vancouver office.