The Psychology of Giving

Abstract:  So-called "ecotourism" is an ideological form of tourism that intends to make a positive difference in the protection and sustainability of some of the world's most fragile places. An important aspect of ecotourism is "travelers' philanthropy," wherein visitors are motivated through their love of a place to contribute money to support local conservation issues. Travelers' philanthropy (unlike other forms of "fund raising") stems entirely from a bond between a person and a place (i.e., people want to help take care of places they truly care about). Toward this end, an enlightened New York-based eco-travel company (Lindblad Expeditions) initiated the Galapagos Conservation Fund (GCF) in 1997 as a mechanism for its own passengers to participate financially in the protection of the famous archipelago. The GCF grew by about $1,600 per week in its first year. However, feeling that even more could be generated, owner Sven Lindblad asked Sam for help in designing a communication campaign that would increase the amount by at least 30% (to about $2,100 per week). Relying on research that was based on a well substantiated theory of human behavior, Sam designed a communication campaign that produced a 272% increase in passenger donations (to $6,700 per week). Because of this success, the GCF today has paid for the successful eradication of introduced goats and pigs on one of the Galapagos' most threatened islands and has funded a number of other high priority conservation and education initiatives. The GCF case study shows the valuable role that substantiated theory and good research can play in protecting the world's special places. Since 1998, Sam has designed other campaigns for Lindblad expeditions in Baja California, Mexico and in Alaska.