The 2008/2009 brochure is now available, offering a wide range of tours to 15 countries, including Cuba, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, South Africa, Chile and India. One of the latest additions is a tour to Costa Rica and Nicaragua in February 2009 with visits to four producer groups, including two coffee co-operatives.
Recently-retired teacher Alison Atkinson has been interested in Traidcraft since its inception but says her understanding of fair trade has developed in depth through the Meet the People Tours.
Alison enjoyed her first tour, to South Africa, so much that she has now been to Northern Thailand, Cuba, Chile and Peru.
"Ethical tourism is important to me too and the combination of that and my fair trade interest makes the trips especially valuable,” she said.
"Although we do visit many of the world’s beautiful places as tourists do, we 'visit as guests rather than as customers with rights'. We have opportunities to meet the 'ordinary people who are fair trade producers and even sometimes actually stay with them, and visit places far off the tourist trail."
The small-scale groups of travellers – maximum 14 - also add to the experience, as Alison explained. "We travel as a group who have a shared interest in fair trade and justice. That often seems to mean that there is a sense of community, friendship and mutual caring within the group."
For more information visit www.traidcraft-tours.com or call 0191 265 1110 for the latest brochure.
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Notes to editors:
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Traidcraft is the UK’s leading fair trade organisation and has been fighting poverty through trade since 1979.
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Traidcraft Meet the People Tours are managed and organised by Saddle Skedaddle, which has more than 10 years' experience of specialist travel. They work with local partners in each country who help develop the itineraries and provide tour guides.
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For more information or high-resolution images of producers or travellers contact Fiona Thomson on 0191 497 6462 or email media@traidcraft.co.uk.
