IGS Ecotourism (Tourism) Internships

am grateful for my IGS mentor for being the best mentor I could think of. He always checks up on me and explains me the tasks thoroughly before letting me dive into the action. was assigned to do social media strategies to reach out to possible clients. also connected with local hostels for possible partnerships. Now, I have a great list of hostels which I could use when I bring my friends here next time.

This internship is a great way to explore my passion while learning the business side of things. I have always identified myself as a “wanderlust”. Here, we are reminded to do responsible travelling to natural areas, in an effort to conserve the environment and sustain the well-being of the local people. We did a lot of marketing trips and seminars. It would be particularly helpful since I plan to take up Marketing in college.

I was assigned in Cancun, Mexico, and promoted whale shark tours and accompanied clients. I learned the importance of building environmental and cultural awareness and respect; and providing positive experiences for visitors. I will never forget them. Not to mention that my fellow interns are just so wonderful! One of them was training for the beauty pageant Miss Earth, which is an international environmental-themed competition. She said that is a great way to know more about environmental conservation. Well, I am sure it is. Good luck to her..

As a traveller, this eco-tourism field is the most interesting for me. It was my first time in Sydney, Australia, and I was assigned to a high-end wine gallery, as an assistant guide on daily tours. The chief guide also gave me an opportunity to do away from his shadow and to lead some tours. IGS, you rock!

My mom and I are thrilled to know that I was accepted in this internship program. She was the one who gave me an idea about IGS, which she learned from her colleague. I was deployed to a leading kayak tour company in Thailand. We are toured in the John Gray's Hong in Phang Nga Bay where we discovered the caves and lagoons through sea kayaking excursion. We paddled our way around Koh Phanak and Hong Island, made flower ‘Krathong’, and watched the sunset from the boat. It was a magical experience.

For my international internship, IGS set me up in Cancun, Mexico to work for an eco-tourism company and to assist on weekends with a sea turtle rescue foundation. My employers and co-workers were some of the friendliest I’ve had the pleasure to meet. For the first three weeks of my internship, I worked at the marina seeing tourists off on the whale shark tour. My last week, I helped edit tour descriptions and did writing for the blog. I was happy to have the opportunity to see both sides: the administration and the actual tours. My other project was with the Palace Foundation. I helped relocate sea turtle nests to a protected area with biologists. Because of excellent housing plans by IGS, I was placed in an apartment with one of my fellow interns. I would not trade in this experience for anything. I’ve had a truly life-changing adventure that opened the door for more international adventures in the future. I did not realize how much fun I would have and how close I would get to my newfound friends in Mexico. While my tan will fade, my memories leave a permanent and positive imprint on my life.