Voluntourism

Voluntourism, or volunteer tourism, is a form of short-term service, often taken as a vacation, in which people pay to work as volunteers. The word is a portmanteau combing the words volunteer and tourism. Volunteer tourists—or voluntourists, as the participants of voluntourism are called—work in various charitable institutions, including orphanages, schools, and churches. Voluntourists may be involved in any number of activities, including construction, working with orphans, teaching, or providing medical care. As of 2024, there were hundreds of groups dedicated to matching tourists with various organizations in need of assistance.

Voluntourism has grown quickly in the twenty-first century. In 2008, more than 1.6 million volunteers took part in voluntourism; by 2016, that number had grown to 10 million, and hovered around there. As a result, it has been the subject of increasing scrutiny due to the potential for abuse or unintended outcomes. However, while voluntourism has seen growing pains due to its quick growth, it has also helped to provide much-needed services to domestic and global charities.

Background

Voluntourism was born from the individual desires of people seeking to make a positive impact on the world. While the term usually has associations with foreign destinations—and in particular, developing nations—it is not necessarily limited to international charity work. In its most basic form, voluntourism can involve a single afternoon with a regional charity. In this sense, it differs from simple volunteering in that voluntourism requires some form of travel in which voluntary service is the primary objective. Additionally, voluntourists typically engage in some form of traditional tourist activity, such as a safari or a visit to archaeological sites, as part of their trip.

The average profile of a voluntourist is a female who is between twenty and twenty-five years old who spends between one and two weeks on site, but people of all ages take part in voluntourism. People may spend anywhere between an afternoon to a year or more working for a nongovernmental organization (NGO) in a foreign country as part of a voluntourist program. Most voluntourists are typically from first world nations in Europe and North America who are sent to third world countries. This has led to some accusations that voluntourism is a form of modern-day colonialism.

Voluntourist organizations promote such vacations as combining peoples' altruistic desire to help others with the chance to gain perspective about foreign cultures. Voluntourists typically see areas of the world that are outside traditional tourist locations. Some programs even place their voluntourists with host families who are benefitting from the efforts of voluntourists. As such, it can be very emotionally and psychologically rewarding to see firsthand how their efforts are helping people.

Most voluntourists are motivated to participate in such projects out of a genuine desire to help people in trouble. Whenever a large-scale disaster such as the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, the 2010 Haiti earthquake, and the 2015 Nepal earthquake occur, images of people in intense suffering are broadcast around the world. Each of these disasters killed thousands to hundreds of thousands of people and destroyed the infrastructures of large areas, thereby requiring extensive efforts to restore the homes, livelihoods, and communities of affected people. Such tragedies motivate people to offer whatever help they can. Voluntourist organizations typically allow such volunteers to reach affected areas quickly and work in a preestablished framework to help restore damaged communities.

Topic Today

Although voluntourism can offer many benefits to its participants, it has also come under increasing criticism. As the voluntourism industry has grown, there have been few checks of the groups running voluntourist trips, resulting in questions about their motives and management. Critics suggest that poor organization has led to many problems. For instance, voluntourist groups may send their volunteers to worksites without properly assessing their abilities. Additionally, with the average placement only lasting one or two weeks, the length of time needed to train volunteers on site may offset their usefulness in such a short window. Proper onsite management is important as well. Volunteers must be placed in locations where their efforts will be welcomed. Further, they must be trained to recognize and honor local cultural morals.

Poor planning may also limit the effectiveness of the voluntourists' efforts. For instance, without a long-term plan, the organizations may build structures such as schools and utilities that have no people trained to staff them, leaving empty buildings that have no positive impact on the community. Similarly, in times of disaster, voluntourists can potentially be impediments to the restoration of damaged communities. They may not be well trained in the jobs they are doing, potentially delaying issues or leading to later issues, particularly in such arenas as construction. These voluntourists may also crowd out locals who might otherwise have been paid to do the work that volunteers are doing for free. Critics have also argued that in some third world countries, resident populations avoid paying for health care, knowing that medical voluntourists will reappear every few months. In the interim, their communities become susceptible to epidemics. Despite the good intentions of voluntourists, the leaders of some NGOs suggest that donations of cash or materials such as construction supplies or food may be better utilized.

There are also criticisms that the motives of both some voluntourists and the companies that sponsor them are not driven by altruism. Some travel companies have been accused of using voluntourist packages for their own profit, rather than out of any regard for the people they are meant to be helping. In some extreme cases, orphanages may hold on to children whose parents are still alive and able to care for them because their continued presence in the orphanage helps to finance these organizations. On the other hand, some critics of voluntourism charge that many voluntourists themselves are merely job hunters driven by a desire to pad their own resumes and make themselves look more attractive to potential employers.

Such programs, however, may have a positive lasting impact on volunteers. The experiences they gain on location helping others may alter their perceptions. It can broaden their cultural point of view, provide a special form of work experience, and promote increased charitable giving over time. Studies have also shown that volunteers often have reduced levels of depression compared to their peers. In addition, these volunteers may bring key abilities and new approaches to projects that can prove inherently valuable. When run by properly managed voluntourist organizations, such opportunities can also have a tremendous positive effect on a local populace. In particular, doctors and other medical staff can help alter people's lives in a long-lasting way. Voluntourists can also often bring much-needed tourism income to local economies.

Bibliography

Angermann, Marlene. “Voluntourism: An Industry That Does More Harm Than Good?” Utopia, 26 Sept. 2022, utopia.org/guide/voluntourism-an-industry-that-does-more-harm-than-good/. Accessed 25 Dec. 2024.

Clemmons, David. "Home." VolunTourism, www.voluntourism.org. Accessed 25 Dec. 2024.

Coghlan, Alexandra, and Steve Noakes, "Towards an Understanding of the Drivers of Commercialisation in the Volunteer Tourism Sector." Tourism Recreation Research, vol. 37, no. 2, 2012, pp. 123–31.

Freidus, Andrea Lee. "Unanticipated Outcomes of Voluntourism among Malawi's Orphans." Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 16 Dec. 2016, pp. 1–16.

Hartman, Eric, et al. "Fair Trade Learning: Ethical Standards for Community-Engaged International Volunteer Tourism." Tourism and Hospitality Research, vol. 14, nos. 1–2, 2014, pp. 108–16.

Jenkin, Matthew. "Does Voluntourism Do More Harm than Good?" The Guardian, 21 May 2015, www.theguardian.com/voluntary-sector-network/2015/may/21/western-volunteers-more-harm-than-good. Accessed 25 Dec. 2024.

Kahn, Carrie. "As 'Voluntourism' Explodes in Popularity, Who's It Helping Most?" NPR, 31 July 2014, www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2014/07/31/336600290/as-volunteerism-explodes-in-popularity-whos-it-helping-most. Accessed 25 Dec. 2024.

Kushner, Jacob. "The Voluntourist's Dilemma." New York Times, 22 Mar. 2016, www.nytimes.com/2016/03/22/magazine/the-voluntourists-dilemma.html?‗r=0. Accessed 25 Dec. 2024.

Milne, Simon, et al. Voluntourism Best Practices: Promoting Inclusive Community-Based Sustainable Tourism Initiatives. Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Secretariat, 2018.

Mohamud, Ossob. "Beware the 'Voluntourists' Doing Good." Guardian, 13 Feb. 2013, www.theguardian.com/world/2013/feb/13/beware-voluntourists-doing-good. Accessed 25 Dec. 2024.

Rosenberg, Tina. "The Business of Voluntourism: Do Western Do-Gooders Actually Do Harm?" The Guardian, 13 Sept. 2018, www.theguardian.com/news/2018/sep/13/the-business-of-voluntourism-do-western-do-gooders-actually-do-harm. Accessed 25 Dec. 2024.

Zakaria, Rafia. "The White Tourist's Burden." Al Jazeera, 21 Apr. 2014, america.aljazeera.com/opinions/2014/4/volunter-tourismwhitevoluntouristsafricaaidsorphans.html. Accessed 25 Dec. 2024.