Voluntourism is a form of purposeful travel. It combines volunteer work with travel, tourism, and community development efforts. Variously referred to as volunteer vacations and voluntouring, it's one of the hottest travel trends today.

Indeed, each year thousands of tourists travel abroad to engage in good works normally associated with nonprofit organizations and NGOs (non-governmental organizations).

Volunteer work and alternative travel have been around for a long time. Often associated with young, inexperienced, and liberal people with few resources and skills - stereotypical backpackers in search of alternative travel experiences - today such volunteer work and travel appeal to a very different class of travelers.

Many of today's voluntourists are over 50 years old. They tend to be disproportionately experienced, skilled, conservative, and affluent travelers who are seeking greater purpose in their lives. They want to share their life skills with others who are less fortunate and in need of greater opportunities.

More and more nonprofit organizations and tour groups are focusing on voluntourism and what we call legacy travel. These organizations sponsor two- to six-week purpose-driven trips to assist people in developing countries. These are working vacations with a nonprofit emphasis.

Participants in such travel, who are often upscale travelers with a wealth of life experiences, may pay $5,000 to $10,000 for a four-week tour that involves volunteering for three weeks and then spending the final week sightseeing, shopping, great restaurants, and five-star resorts and spas.

The type of volunteer work they do includes such activities as:

• working in an orphanage
• building homes
• teaching children
• mentoring
• helping refugees
• rescuing animals
• preserving the environment
• joining an archaeological or restoration tour

Other groups participate in legacy travel. Such travel is designed for people who want to leave a legacy behind without actually getting their hands dirty by doing physical labor.

Disproportionately wealthy, these people travel to places where they have a wonderful time meeting local people, learning about local needs, getting involved in projects with a purpose, and deciding to make financial contributions, such as providing building, equipment, and program support to schools, orphanages, or hospitals.

Their financial commitments may be substantial and long-term, especially if they decide to “sponsor” programs and facilities. They are especially interested in promoting sustainable development efforts.

Voluntourism and legacy travel are growing phenomena with both nonprofit organizations and tour groups. The demographics and economics favor a great deal of growth in such travel.

In fact, voluntourism and legacy travel respond to growing trends among retirees who want to:

• travel
• be engaged
• meet new people with other walks of life
• learn more about other countries and cultures
• have a purpose and do good
• share their life skills with people in need
• leave a legacy behind

If you love to both travel and do good works, you should seriously consider getting involved in this increasingly popular form of tourism and travel.

For more information on voluntourism and legacy travel, consult several of the following books as well as our special voluntourism and alternative travel kit, which list various groups and tours involved in voluntourism around the world:

• Green Volunteers: The World Guide to Voluntary Work in Nature
• How to Live Your Dream of Volunteering Overseas
• International Voluntary Work
• Jobs for Travel Lovers: Opportunities at Home and Abroad
• Volunteer: A Traveler's Guide to Making a Difference Around the World
• Volunteer Vacations: Short-Term Adventures That Will Benefit You and Others
• World Volunteers: The World Guide to Humanitarian and Development Volunteering
• Your Gap Year

Voluntourism and Alternative Travel Kit

The following websites also will introduce you to the growing world of voluntourism:

Explorations in Travel
GiveSpot.com
Global Community Service Foundation
Global Volunteers
GlobeAware
Go Differently
GoNOMAD
i-to-I
Idealist.org
International Volunteer Programs Association (IVPA)
ResponsibleTravel.com
Sustainable Travel International
TransitionsAbroad
Volunteer Match
VolunTourism
World Volunteer Web

If you are interested in participating in some very special soft travel adventures involving voluntourism and sharing life skills in Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Burma (Myanmar), or Bhutan, we highly recommend the following travel company, which specializes in special interest and customized tours:

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