In an effort to assist devastated nations with reconstruction in the wake of the recent tsunami, as well as other natural disasters such as hurricanes, we have established a planning site at recotourism.org. Recotourism stands for reconstructive tourism - vacationing in a developing country and spending part of your vacation time building homes, infrastructure, and otherwise assisting local people with developing new ways of supporting themselves.

The need for this kind of work is dire. Many coastal nations in the tropics, which are the most likely to be hit by hurricanes, tsunamis, monsoons, and other destructive forces of nature, have economies that are heavily dependent on tourism and agriculture. A single storm can wipe out crops that take decades to reach fruitfulness (such as nutmeg in Grenada), as well as most tourist attractions.

Your help with planning this initiative is needed. Visit recotourism.org to share your insights.