I believe in Himachal, tourism is a commercial activity that can bring about widespread good. Communities can benefit from tourism without having to migrate away from home. Locals can stay in their own village while retaining their authentic, unique culture and ecology. Locals and tourists are both interested in environmental good and both can play a role. But presently, it is not really happening; there is no real system or guidance to facilitate the same. The current model of mass tourism is too unplanned, centralised, and non-contextual,l and hence does more harm than good if we compute the environmental and social costs. I believe that as a designer, I can be an enabler for change. I can help by creating contextual spaces and harmonious systems/services. This was the design problem for my master’s thesis. I tried to come up with a model of tourism that creates harmonious interactions between the local community, guests, and the environment. I am looking for a team of creators, marketeers, social scientists, and environmental innovators.

This volunteering opportunity calls upon young creative minds from different domains. I am looking for a team that could contribute to the process of identifying target audiences for conscious and responsible tourism offerings. Thereafter, the team would also help me in creating tailored experiences and marketing content that would appeal to our targeted audiences. Volunteers can expect to learn problem-solving, design thinking, and the user-centred design process during their time here. The team of volunteers will be accommodated in our in-house dorm. Hence, the team would be called “shepherds” who would metaphorically bring the astray sheep back on the path. Three times meals and an easy non-hectic work schedule is to be expected for all shepherds.