Voluntourism is a fast growing sector in the travel industry. It is a combination of travel and volunteering. You get to meet new people, experience a different way of life and possibly have a life-changing experience. Simply put, it is a fantastic way to deeply immerse yourself into a foreign culture. These incredible experiences can even be a great opportunity for family vacations or solo travel vacations.
Timing
The most important point to realize is that you do not have to take up your full vacation time allotment. It can be for hours, days, weeks or months. It can leave you with plenty of opportunity to explore on your own. You also don’t have to go to the end of the earth to do this. There are plenty of domestic options as well. By giving yourself enough time, you can avoid the most common travel mishaps on your next vacation.
Where To Volunteer?
In most of the areas with the most need, they will not be popular tourism destinations. That being said, you should not expect to find volunteer opportunities in French Polynesia Tahiti, or the Bora Bora islands. However, this is a great thing. You may be able to spend time in an area that is not overrun with tourists and overcrowding. Really getting a chance to spend time with the locals in a village or small town somewhere can be a memory of a lifetime. By spending time like this you may go back home very much appreciating the life you have a little bit more.
Types Of Volunteering
Depending on your skills, experiences, and preferences, there are dozens of different volunteering travel opportunities to experience. If you are looking for a fun, rewarding, and unique experience, consider event volunteering. Here, you can lend a hand at charity concerts, fairs, and festivals. Of course, there are a number of opportunities volunteering in teaching, environmental, health, and animal causes.
Selecting Volunteer Opportunities
So how do you go about selecting the right volunteer trip? Are there certain causes that are near and dear to your heart like animals? schools? environmental? medical and diseases? Is there a specific country you have always dreamed of visiting? India? Africa? South America? Do you have budgetary concerns? Are you open to something completely out of your comfort zone?
If you have a skill you can share or teach, that can help guide you into the opportunity you can do, like teaching music, english, or carpentry. In other cases they may just need a helping hand on a project.
Take Some Time To Unplug
Voluntourism is a great opportunity to disconnect from the world for a while. If you are lucky you may not have cell phone service where you are! Maybe you will spend more time connecting with other people and having conversations. Totally unplug! Maybe it can get you out of your routine at home. Having a project that may involve walking or building something can get you back into prime physical shape again.
Build Your Resume
By volunteering for an international project, students can build their resume for a future job or for a college application. You may even make valuable business connections that can help you in the future. It is very desirable to show your willingness to expand your horizons and understand better how the world works.
Speak With Your Employer
Check and see if your employer allows paid time off to volunteer for an organization elsewhere. Many do allow it.
Ask Yourself Some Key Questions
When you are selecting an organization to work with, ask them some basic questions:
- What is a typical day like for your volunteers?
- Are there past or current volunteers that I can talk to about the project?
- What does my placement or program fee go towards?
- What language skills do I need to have with the project?
- What should I wear during work? During time off?
- Are there any safety concerns of living and working in the area?
Work With A Reputable Global Volunteer Travel Organization
GVI, or Global Vision International, is a great company for volunteering opportunities abroad. Currently, the program runs dozens of programs in over 20 locations, stretching across 13 countries around the world.
Travel With a Challenge is a web-based magazine that addresses the older traveler( ages 45-80) who wants alternative vacationing. It offers travel options that offer ecological, cultural and volunteer options.
Discover Corps is another great volunteer option to consider. This program collaborates with a number of community based organizations. Here, they create hands-on projects that have a direct impact on the people, wildlife, and community you are serving.
Using AirBnb Social Impact Experiences you can work with nonprofits to create transformational interactions for notable causes. With these opportunities, you can create a unique volunteering experience that supports your cause.
Children’s Global Alliance is open to any teenager in the world. It offers large-scale volunteer experiences for students ages 12-18. It also offers international service-learning trips and a leadership development program for students from the U.S. to work in other countries with the objective to create global minded future leaders.
GoEco is one of the best eco-tourism volunteer companies out there right now. GoEco supports over 150 volunteer opportunities helping environmental initiatives, wildlife, and local communities.
Pre-Departure Planning For Voluntourism
Pre-departure preparations will vary depending on the destination of your volunteer travel opportunities. Of course, if you are traveling abroad, you will likely need to obtain a passport and visa at least six weeks prior to departure. Then, depending on your destination, and the nature of your programs, you may have to seek vaccinations and health recommendations. For example, for voluntourism opportunities in South Africa, you may be required to produce proof of a yellow fever vaccine. Follow these precautionary measures, you can better prepare for post COVID travel and volunteering.
Ethics Of Voluntourism
Before you book your tickets, it is important to clearly understand the ethics of voluntourism. While the idea of volunteering generally sounds like a good thing, which will always yield a positive impact, this is not always the case. Therefore, it is important to ensure that the work you will be doing is ethical. Many organizations seek to bring Western ideas and volunteers into countries where they end up doing more harm then good. To avoid this, look of volunteer travel organizations that have received support from the local population. All volunteer organizations should be committed to trying to work with the communities that they serve. To learn about more value travel trends impacting tourism today, be sure to check out our latest guide.
Make Your Experience Rewarding
As you prepare for your voluntourism travel adventure, be sure that you make your experience rewarding. First, ensure that you clearly understand everything about your project. This way, you can guarantee that you fully support and show passion for the cause. To make your volunteer tourism experience even more rewarding, make certain that you embrace the culture, discover the country, appreciate the opportunity, and have open expectations. This way, you can truly relax and enjoy the power of slow travel vacations.
It is also a way for you to make the world a better place to live in, creating memories along the way. You may even make some lifelong friends while doing it.
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