Virtual Sustainable Tourism Internship Program

About Solimar:

Solimar International is a sustainable tourism consulting and marketing firm with a team of creative and experienced professionals who share a common vision of how tourism can stimulate economic growth while conserving natural resources and cultural heritage. Our tourism consulting and marketing services focus on delivering innovative tourism assessments, destination development strategies, and tourism marketing for our clients, which include international development organizations, tourism authorities, national and local governments, NGOs, preservation agencies, tourism & private sector enterprises and local communities.

Solimar loves building future leaders of sustainable tourism development! Our Virtual Internship program is designed to help current students and recent graduates gain real-world experience in the sustainable tourism industry through hands-on engagement while joining our global sustainable tourism internship program.

Being an intern at Solimar means meeting people from all over the world, working with them on challenging but rewarding projects, contributing to using sustainable tourism as a tool for making people’s lives better, and learning within a friendly environment. Solimar’s team is supportive, full of kindness and always willing to teach and help. I got to work on destinations that are not even on Google Maps, and contribute to developing tourism in under-the-radar destinations. I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity! – Kim Sucré, France

Position Summary:

We are currently looking for passionate storytellers and sustainable travel lovers to join our virtual travel writing and sustainable tourism internship cohort. This unique ~12-week internship is a chance to gain real-world exposure in the world of sustainable tourism marketing, through assisting with our projects’ marketing + communications needs.

As a member of the Solimar team, you will work closely with some of the leading names and minds in the sustainable tourism industry. Many of our previous writing interns have finished our program and received full-time employment in the tourism industry, both at our company, prominent tour operators, travel publications, travel start-ups, and more.

The position is part-time (15-20 hours per week) and remote with flexible hours. Many of our previous interns have been able to combine the work with studies or other employment; we can support you in applying for class credit for the internship period. While the internship is mostly geared towards marketing and communications, in some cases, interns also support research that is foundational to our destination development support–from helping to create National Tourism Master Plans to Climate Adaptation Strategies for the Tourism Sector. If you are interested in doing a research placement project to work on a Solimar project in support of your Undergraduate, Masters, or PhD Dissertation, check out the opportunities we offer for Student Research Placements.

What you will be doing in Solimar’s Sustainable Tourism Internship Program:

1. Content Development

Research of destinations and experiences remotely
Develop inspirational travel ideas
Support immediate content needs in response to current events

2. Copywriting and Editing

Writing stories and blogs for the Solimar website
Write at least two client articles per month
Writing questions and conducting interviews with people in destinations
Assist with press releases and announcements of new project developments

3. Social Media Curation

Working within the established destination content plan
Implement social strategies across social platforms
Develop new ideas and methods around engaging with followers
Weekly postings to social media platforms
Photo Sourcing
Create content for social media stories

4. SEO + Reporting

Learn how to use WordPress to upload content to the backend of the website
Assist in the management of website SEO
Learn how to monitor the value we provide to our clients over time and report on them

5. Other tasks assigned by the team leader

As a dynamic, ever-changing company, our needs are always changing. Though your primary role will be related to content, you might be asked to complete a variety of other diverse tasks.

Projects That You May Work On

While your internship will be supporting the content writing and research needs for these projects virtually, we also offer in-person opportunities to support these projects through our Destination Development Corps (in-person, field-based experience supporting our DMOs on the ground with full management and oversight from Solimar staff) or Student Research Placements (virtual or in-person projects that you customize with Solimar staff to support your research and our project needs).

Qualifications and General Requirements

A passion for sustainable tourism development
Interest in marketing and communications
Excellent command of written English, including impeccable grammar and spelling
Highly driven, thorough, enthusiastic, and willing to jump into any task
Comfortable working remotely with digital tools and be a diligent, proactive communicator
Strong interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills
Attention to detail

Timeframe and Time Commitments

Internships are designed around the academic year, and we offer three sessions a year:

Fall Session: Mid-September – Mid-December
Spring Session: Early January – Mid-May
Summer Session: May – late August

This position is part-time with flexible scheduling, but we ask each for a commitment of 15-20 hours per week. Breaks are given during exam weeks and holidays.

Compensation

The internship is unpaid, but we provide learning opportunities and support with career planning and networking in the sustainable tourism development industry.

This is an excellent opportunity to build experience in tourism marketing and sustainable development while working in a team-based atmosphere. If you have excellent writing skills and an interest in sustainable tourism, this internship will be a great experience for you.

How to Apply

We are currently seeking talented applicants for our virtual Fall 2023 internship cohort. If you believe you would be a valuable addition to our team, please complete the application form below. Upon submission, we will get back to you with a decision within two weeks. Please email any questions to [email protected].

If you want to join the Fall 2023 internship cohort beginning in August, please fill out this application.

My internship experience with Solimar International was a true delight – a game-changer in terms of professional growth and expanding my career opportunities. The Solimar team genuinely cares about your professional development, and provides effective support. The exposure to the sustainable tourism development industry through Solimar International is unmatched, and it is clear from the start that the team is experienced, forward thinking, and passionate. I highly recommend Solimar to any client seeking consulting services, and for any professional seeking career advancement. Thank you Solimar! – Thomas Kalchik, Founder of Casa Galu in Capurganá, Colombia

WE DEVELOP, MANAGE, AND MARKET SUSTAINABLE TOURISM DESTINATIONS