The document outlines the challenges, opportunities, and solutions in the tourism industry, particularly focusing on the negative impacts of tourism and the rise of socially responsible travel. It introduces the OSD platform as a revolutionary approach to travel that aims to create a sustainable ecosystem, benefiting local economies and communities by sourcing locally and partnering with NGOs. The document emphasizes the growing consumer demand for socially responsible brands and presents innovative solutions to evolve travel practices for positive impact.

1. Only Six Degrees | May 2013
ONLY SIX DEGREES

2. Only Six Degrees | May 2013
Only Six Degrees
•Challenge
•Opportunity
•Solution
•Idea
•OSD Platform
•OSD Ecosystem
•OSD Standard
•OSD Theory of Change

3. Only Six Degrees | May 2013
Challenge
1. Adverse Effects of Tourism
2. Niche Travel Segments Exclude Most Travelers
3. Lack of Authority for “Sustainable Travel” Resulting in Abuses

4. Only Six Degrees | May 2013
Challenge
1. Adverse Effects of Tourism
• One of World’s Largest Industries - $6.5 Trillion and more than a
billion international Travelers in 2012
• Negative Environmental Consequences – Pollution and Resource
degradation
• Missed Opportunity to Deliver Socio- Economic Benefits
In most all-inclusive package tours, about 80% of travelers’ expenditures
go to the airlines, hotels, and other international companies
(headquartered in travelers’ home countries) and not to local
businesses or workers. (UNEP)
Only $5 of every $100 spent on tourism stay within a developing
country’s economy

5. Only Six Degrees | May 2013
1. Adverse Effects of Tourism
1. Niche Travel Segments (Voluntourism or Philanthrotourism)
Exclude Most Travelers
• Time commitments too long for average traveler
• Limited destination choices
• Lack of balance between work and leisure
Challenge

6. Only Six Degrees | May 2013
1. Adverse Effects of Tourism
2. Niche Travel Segments Exclude Most Travelers (Voluntourism or Philanthrotourism)
1. Abuses Resulting from Lack of Authority for “Sustainable Travel”
• Rise of fraudulent causes
• Example – Fake Orphanages in Cambodia
Challenge

7. Only Six Degrees | May 2013
Opportunity
Fast Growing Demand for Socially Responsible Brands

8. Only Six Degrees | May 2013
Opportunity
Fast Growing Demand for Socially Responsible Brands
• 83 % of Americans wish brands would support causes
• 41 % have bought a product because it was associated with a
cause. That figure has doubled since 1993.
• 94 % said that given price and quality was the same, they were
likely to switch brands to one the represented a cause.
• Ex: Warby Parker and Tom’s Shoes

9. Only Six Degrees | May 2013
Opportunity
Fast Growing Demand for Socially Responsible Brands
• 83 % of Americans wish brands would support causes
• 41 % have bought a product because it was associated with a
cause. That figure has doubled since 1993.
• 94 % said that given price and quality was the same, they
were likely to switch brands to one the represented a cause.
• Ex: Warby Parker and Tom’s Shoes
It is Time to Apply This Concept to Travel

10. Only Six Degrees | May 2013
Solution
In order to change international travel into an agent of positive
transformation, the sector requires systemic change.
OSD has developed an exciting, empowering, innovative plan to
immediately improve the reality on the ground while learning
and sharing the practices that will lead to positive Impact Travel.

11. Only Six Degrees | May 2013
Idea
• OSD redefines the tourism industry, by generating an ecosystem that
harnesses the potential for travel to bring positive impact and
sustainability
• OSD trips are fun and rewarding travel experiences, competitively
priced even with the built-in charitable tax-deductible donation
• OSD becomes the authority through a platform of commercially viable
and scalable impact travel with a system engineered to monitor,
assess and generate an evolution of ‘best practices’- learning what
works for travelers, NGOs, and local communities

12. Only Six Degrees | May 2013
OSD Platform
• A market place to browse and purchase OSD trips

13. Only Six Degrees | May 2013
OSD Platform
• A market place for browse and purchases OSD trips
• A forum of discovery and dialogue between travelers and NGOs

14. Only Six Degrees | May 2013
OSD Platform
• A market place for browse and purchases OSD trips
• A forum of discovery and dialogue between travelers and NGOs
• A place to share and learn about rewarding and effective travel experiences

15. Only Six Degrees | May 2013
OSD Platform
• A market place for browse and purchases OSD trips
• A forum of discovery and dialogue between travelers and NGOs
• A place to share and learn about rewarding and effective travel
experiences
• An advocacy network for causes through which returning travelers
can continue support

16. Only Six Degrees | May 2013
OSD Platform
• A market place for browse and purchases OSD trips
• A forum of discovery and dialogue between travelers and NGOs
• A place to share and learn about rewarding and effective travel
experiences
• An advocacy network for causes through which returning travelers
can continue support
Content generated by travelers during trip – photos, tweets, Facebook
posts, blog entries – are collected as insight of traveler experience used
for the continuous improvement and evolution of the OSD standard

17. Only Six Degrees | May 2013
Partner NGOs
• Profiles their work and engagements with OSD travelers
Only Six Degrees
• Showcases travel packages (high level outgoing TO)
Casual Browser
• Comes to OSD because of interest, word of mouth, or search for travel options
• Casual Browser becomes Prospective Traveler
Prospective Traveler
• Learns about Destination - History, Art and Culture, Social needs and challenges
• Engages with OSD community (staff/past travelers/NGOs) to determine best choice for
their trip
• Buys package on web platform or Donates to partner NGO
The OSD Ecosystem
DURING
BEFORE AFTER

18. Only Six Degrees | May 2013
Partner NGO
• Posts documentation of engagement with OSD
• Contributes promotional material (photo, video) through OSD web platform
Only Six Degrees
• Analyzes feedback and tracks success of past trips through engagement,
advocacy, and fundraising
Travelers
• Participates in top of the line trip
• Share and posts video and pictures of the trip through OSD web platform
• Engages 10-15% with Partner NGO in destination
through activity to be co-designed by NGO and OSD
DURING
BEFORE AFTER
The OSD Ecosystem

19. Only Six Degrees | May 2013
Partner NGOs
• Contributes promotional material (photo, video) through OSD web platform
Only Six Degrees
• Collects feedback from Traveler, DMC, and NGO
• Based on M&E travel packages are refined and redefined (not public)
Traveler
• Advocates for the NGO they engaged with while on their trip
• Engages with other travelers, prospective travelers, and NGO staff on OSD web platform
DURING
BEFORE AFTER
The OSD Ecosystem

20. Only Six Degrees | May 2013
OSD Standard
1. Whenever possible sourcing local provisions (destination management
companies (DMC), travel, tour, porters, food etc.) to ensure more travel dollars
stay in destination communities and countries
Drawing from existing knowledge of how travel can do good, OSD begins
to create a new ecosystem of travel that pledges to do more and
documents progress on those commitments

21. Only Six Degrees | May 2013
OSD Standard
1. Whenever possible sourcing local provisions (destination management
companies (DMC), travel, tour, porters, food etc) to ensure more travel dollars
stay in destination communities and countries
2. Assess the needs and capacity, as well as commitment and ethics of local
NGOs to identify best partners for OSD
Drawing from existing knowledge of how travel can do good, OSD begins
to create a new ecosystem of travel that pledges to do more and
documents progress on those commitments

22. Only Six Degrees | May 2013
OSD Standard
1. Whenever possible sourcing local provisions (destination management
companies (DMC), travel, tour, porters, food etc) to ensure more travel dollars
stay in destination communities and countries
2. Assess the needs, capacity, as well as commitment and ethics of local NGOs
to identify best partners for OSD
3. Co-design trips with partner NGOs to ensure quality and accountability of trips
to meet needs of local populations
Drawing from existing knowledge of how travel can do good, OSD begins
to create a new ecosystem of travel that pledges to do more and
documents progress on those commitments

23. Only Six Degrees | May 2013
OSD Standard
1. Whenever possible sourcing local provisions (destination management
companies (DMC), travel, tour, porters, food etc) to ensure more travel dollars
stay in destination communities and countries
2. Assess the needs, capacity, as well as commitment and ethics of local NGOs
to identify best partners for OSD
3. Co-design trips with partner NGOs to ensure quality and accountability of trips
to meet needs of local populations
Drawing from existing knowledge of how travel can do good, OSD begins
to create a new ecosystem of travel that pledges to do more and
documents progress on those commitments

24. Only Six Degrees | May 2013
OSD Standard
1. Whenever possible sourcing local provisions (destination management
companies (DMC), travel, tour, porters, food etc) to ensure more travel dollars
stay in destination communities and countries
2. Assess the needs, capacity, as well as commitment and ethics of local NGOs
to identify best partners for OSD
3. Co-design trips with partner NGOs to ensure quality and accountability of trips
to meet needs of local populations
1. Set conservation principles
Drawing from existing knowledge of how travel can do good, OSD begins
to create a new ecosystem of travel that pledges to do more and
documents progress on those commitments

25. Only Six Degrees | May 2013
Create a Platform for
Commercially viable and
scalable Impact Travel
Create a Platform for
Commercially viable and
scalable Impact Travel
PilotPilot
Partnerships With:
NGOs
DMCs
Existing Environment
Standards
OSD Theory of Change

26. Only Six Degrees | May 2013
Create a Platform for
Commercially viable and
scalable Impact Travel
Create a Platform for
Commercially viable and
scalable Impact Travel
Scale Operation
Evolve Practice
Audit, Share and
Incorporate Standard
Scale Operation
Evolve Practice
Audit, Share and
Incorporate Standard
PilotPilot ScaleScale
Partnerships With:
NGOs
DMCs
Existing Environment
Standards
OSD Theory of Change

27. Only Six Degrees | May 2013
Create a Platform for
Commercially viable and
scalable Impact Travel
Create a Platform for
Commercially viable and
scalable Impact Travel
Scale Operation
Evolve Practice
Audit, Share and
Incorporate Standard
Scale Operation
Evolve Practice
Audit, Share and
Incorporate Standard
New Channels
of Distribution
Expand operations
New Channels
of Distribution
Expand operations
PilotPilot ScaleScale GrowGrow
Partnerships With:
NGOs
DMCs
Existing Environment
Standards
OSD Theory of Change

28. Only Six Degrees | May 2013
Create a Platform for
Commercially viable and
scalable Impact Travel
Create a Platform for
Commercially viable and
scalable Impact Travel
Scale Operation
Evolve Practice
Audit, Share and
Incorporate Standard
Scale Operation
Evolve Practice
Audit, Share and
Incorporate Standard
New Channels
of Distribution
Expand operations
New Channels
of Distribution
Expand operations
Industry adapts to OSD
Standard
OSD becomes a
certifying body
Industry adapts to OSD
Standard
OSD becomes a
certifying body
PilotPilot ScaleScale GrowGrow Achieve ChangeAchieve Change
Partnerships With:
NGOs
DMCs
Existing Environment
Standards
OSD Theory of Change