voluntary sector tourism definition

What Is Voluntourism? Does It Help or Harm Communities?

Are tourists' good intentions misplaced or actually effective?

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Voluntourism is a type of tourism in which travelers participate in volunteer work, usually for a charity or a non-profit. While the term sometimes applies to domestic travel, a majority of voluntourism takes place abroad. Most often, voluntourists travel for the specific purpose of volunteering in an organized way for specific causes, but others simply include volunteer aspects to a traditional vacation experience.

According to Save the Children, a charity that provides humanitarian aid for children worldwide, about 1.6 million people volunteer overseas each year. Voluntourism is considered the fastest-growing travel trend, and tourists sometimes pay up to $2,000 per week to be a part of it. All in all, the industry itself is worth an estimated $2.6 billion per year.

Many voluntourism programs positively impact their communities and help fulfill a need that will continue to benefit the destination long after the volunteers have left. However, it's becoming clear that some of these organizations could be taking advantage of both their participants and their causes for the sake of financial gain.

How to Be a Responsible Volunteer Tourist

• Before committing to an organization, reach out to past volunteers to hear their experience or read reviews.
• If you have a special skill or expertise in a specific field, look for organizations that train and empower local staff. That way, you are making a lifelong impact for an entire community rather than a temporary one.
• Research the organization's credentials.
• Avoid organizations that encourage handling of animals when it is not veterinary, research, or conservation-related.
• Highlight projects that are run or managed by the local community.
• Seek out projects that are genuinely needed in the destinations where you want to volunteer. Ask yourself if the volunteer work provides a "band-aid" fix or a long-term solution to a local issue.

Voluntourism Definition

In brief, voluntourism is a joining of "volunteering" and "tourism." Many volunteers travel to areas where there’s the most need, whether it's for time, money, medical services, or training. Most companies will set a volunteer up with lodging (oftentimes a homestay with a local family), meals, and even help organize flight itineraries and information on visa requirements or travelers insurance.

Voluntourism seems like the perfect combination of traveling and giving back, but it must be done right in order to have a positive effect. Good intentions only get you so far, it’s all about keeping an open mind and doing the research to ensure that those good intentions produce sustainably beneficial results.

Types of Voluntourism

There are hundreds of voluntourism programs out there offering legitimate ways to contribute to poverty alleviation, environmental issues, social justice, and more.

One of the most popular forms of voluntourism, which can consist of teaching English or creating educational resources in poor communities. 

Child Care 

Working in orphanages, for example, or interacting with children to enhance their well-being and development. Also working with disadvantaged youth and refugees seeking temporary asylum.

Health Care

Those in the medical field can travel to underserved communities administering vaccines or educating about diseases and how to prevent them.

Conservation

Projects can consist of both animal conservation and environmental conservation, where volunteers work at an animal sanctuary or conduct research in the field, for example, by tracking native species. Participants may also work on reforestation projects or trail maintenance to help support local ecosystems.

Community Support

Building homes, schools, libraries, or other types of infrastructure. This can also include women empowerment or working to reduce social inequalities within a specific community.

Pros and Cons

It’s safe to say that most of those who sign up to volunteer abroad do so with the best intentions; in most cases, it is the specific organization or the nature of the volunteer work that presents issues. But it begs the question, can altruism in tourism get in the way of actual impact? And if so, how can you tell if a voluntourism program is helping rather than hurting?

The media has exposed cases of orphanages in Nepal full of children who aren’t truly orphans or travelers who discover volunteer programs that exploit natural disasters for financial gain. Back in 2018, journalist Tina Rosenberg wrote a piece for the Guardian about a company in Guatemala that scouts mountain villages for sick infants , calling on volunteers to collect them instead of taking them directly to the hospital, which could purposely delay critical care.

There are even cases where travelers themselves volunteer for the wrong reasons, as demonstrated in the video below created by Radi-Aid , a Norwegian project that seeks to challenge perceptions around issues of poverty and development.

Pro: Experiencing New Cultures

Traveling helps us gain a new perspective on the world that can translate into other positives in our lives, and staying outside the typical tourist route can enhance that experience. Spending more time within a local community, for instance, will certainly provide a much more authentic experience than sitting in a resort sipping cocktails. The Center for Responsible Travel reported in 2019 that people who travel regularly are 35 times more likely to donate to nonprofits than non-travelers over their lifetimes.

Much like sustainable tourism as a whole, the legitimacy or success of a voluntourism program depends highly on how it is managed. When done the right way, it can help communities grow and truly provide benefits to a specific cause. But it’s up to the individual volunteer, too, who has the added responsibility of staying informed and setting their destinations up for success.

Pro: Some Organizations Are Honest and Effective

Voluntourism can absolutely be an effective tool for achieving positive changes in global communities that need help, but it sometimes comes down to the volunteers themselves to do the work in sorting out the good from the bad.

Ken Budd, author of the award-winning memoir The Voluntourist , argues that not all volunteer programs are created equal , and countless organizations around the world create lasting results. The writer’s experience speaks for itself (he’s volunteered in at least six countries), such as teaching English in a Costa Rican elementary school that relied on volunteers when they couldn't afford teachers, or a climate change program in Ecuador where scientists could run more research projects thanks to volunteer labor.

Con: Dishonesty Among Volunteer Companies

Perhaps one of the worst products of dishonest voluntourism comes from orphanage scams. Since they may receive additional funding with each child or rely on volunteer donations, there is an incentive to recruit more children into their system.

According to an investigation by Lumos, an NGO that fights against the institutionalization of children, total funding for orphanages in Haiti ranged upwards of $100 million per year; that’s enough to send 770,000 Haitian children to school or pay the Haitian child protection agency’s annual budget over 130 times.

The study also found that, of the 30,000 children living in the country's orphanages, an estimated 80% had at least one living parent. Lumos suggested diverting orphanage funds into programs that support families and enable them to appropriately care for their children — instead of promoting the orphanage business.

In a similar scenario, a 2015 study by UNICEF found that 79% of teenage children in Cambodian orphanages had at least one living parent.

Con: Tourists Could Take Work From Locals

A reporter for the New York Times wrote in 2016 about their experience with a group of missionaries building a school in Haiti :

“Watching those missionaries make concrete blocks that day in Port-au-Prince, I couldn’t help wondering if their good intentions were misplaced. These people knew nothing about how to construct a building. Collectively they had spent thousands of dollars to fly here to do a job that Haitian bricklayers could have done far more quickly. Imagine how many classrooms might have been built if they had donated that money rather than spending it to fly down themselves. Perhaps those Haitian masons could have found weeks of employment with a decent wage. Instead, at least for several days, they were out of a job.”

If an organization can get free labor from an unskilled volunteer, they’re not spending money hiring locals to do the same work for a fee. In a poverty-stricken economy where residents are already struggling to find jobs, funds that go towards digging a well or building a school will have more of an impact if they stay within the local economy.

Taking work from locals can also result in inferior products or prevent developing communities from self-establishment. Not to mention, volunteers who are untrained in whatever service they are providing can sometimes actually end up hindering progress. Pippa Biddle, who writes about her experiences with the global volunteer economy , has recounted building libraries in Tanzania and watching more skilled local workers come in each night to fix mistakes.

How to Identify a Legitimate Voluntourism Opportunity

• Reputable voluntourism organizations usually provide training or use specific criteria to select volunteers.
• Qualifications are required for certain roles, such as background checks if you plan to work with children or medical field experience for medical volunteer positions.
• The organization provides guidance on travel insurance, flight information, visas, and other travel requirements.
• The work doesn’t involve jobs that can take employment opportunities from residents, but instead finds ways to include or benefit them.

" The Truth About Volunteerism ." Save the Children .

" The Case for Responsible Travel: Trends and Statistics 2019 ." Center for Responsible Travel .

" Funding Haitian Orphanages at the Cost of Children's Rights ." LUMOS .

https://lumos.contentfiles.net/media/assets/file/Funding_Haiti_Orphanages_Executive_Summary_Digital_Version.pdf

" A Statistical Profile of Child Protection in Cambodia ." UNICEF .

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Volunteer Travel: The Pitfalls, the Potential, and How to Get It Right

By Claire Bennett, Co-Founder of Learning Service

What follows is a condensed version of sections of the book Learning Service: The Essential Guide to Volunteering Abroad , by Claire Bennett, Joseph Collins, Zahara Heckscher and Daniela Papi-Thornton. For a more detailed advice on how to find an ethical volunteer program, get hold of the book!

The Context

Volunteer travel has rapidly moved into the mainstream over the past few decades. It is presented as an increasingly accessible way of responding to the complex emotions that arise from being confronted by global issues such as poverty and environmental destruction. The new generation of travelers is looking for ways to “make a difference” and to change the situations of the countries they travel in, rather than just explore, but unlike just donating money, it is seen as a way to participate in these processes and take action. Furthermore, it is seen as a way to have a travel experience that is active and immersive, working alongside local people.

The idea of international volunteering is certainly not new. Historically its roots lie in missionary movements and even colonial expansion that started centuries ago, but the diversity of forms it takes now – from a few hours in an otherwise luxury travel itinerary, to years spent in an unpaid office job in a non-profit – has not been seen before. We are also faced with an extraordinary growth that is not showing any signs of slowing down. Although definitive numbers are hard to come by (there is no fixed definition of what qualifies as volunteer travel) the general upward trend over the last couple of decades is undisputed.

• Benjamin J Lough in his study of overseas volunteering in the US in the years 2004-12 estimates that an average of 900,000 Americans volunteer abroad every year.[1]
• Researcher Jason Hickel in his 2013 research paper found that in the UK “the number of participants [in “gap year” development projects] is now as high as 2.5 million each year, or 34 per cent of the country’s total population between 16 and 24 years old.”[2]
• In 2008 it was estimated that the value of volunteer tourists was approximately $2 billion and there was an average of 1.6 million voluntourists a year.[3]
• World Youth Student & Educational Travel Confederation in 2015 notes that “Millennials are more generous with their time, money, and donations than any other generation, according to a recent study on travel and philanthropy. New data shows that 81% volunteered, 78% donated cash and 83% gave in-kind during their most meaningful trip from the last two years.”[4]

This growth has been accompanied by some other trends, briefly explored here.

Volunteer Travel as a Required or Incentivized Practice

Increasing numbers of schools are encouraging students to undertake international service. Harvard supports every student they admit to take a gap year before matriculation and Princeton sponsors service-based “bridge-year” programs abroad for its students. The reasons cited for this support are rarely about the impact on the communities overseas, but about the impact on the future life of the student. A 2011 study at Middlebury College conducted by its former dean of admissions Robert Clagett showed how students who had taken a year off academically outperformed those who didn’t.[5]

International service is also encouraged by companies through their Corporate Social Responsibility policy. The committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy’s 2013 report ‘Giving in Numbers’ surveyed 240 companies including 60 of the largest 100 companies in the Fortune 500 list, and found that 47% have a formal international volunteer program.[6]

The Influence of the Internet

Before the use of the internet was widespread, volunteer sending organizations were essential for potential volunteers to be able to identify and organize a placement abroad. Now any overseas organization wanting to host volunteers can advertise placements and directly liaise with volunteers through the internet. Similarly, without needing to invest much time in researching, volunteers have the whole range of options at their fingertips.

With so many options, however, it is difficult to tell which organizations are better than others. The internet makes it easier for volunteer sending agencies to skip out the steps that are necessary to ensure the placement is ethical – or even exists! If an organization advertises a volunteer placement opportunity on their website a sending organization or aggregate website can just take that posting and put it on their site, without ever even speaking with someone at that organization let alone visiting them.

An Increase in Fee-Charging Volunteer Placements

International volunteer programs that originated in the 50s and 60s, like the Peace Corps, VSO, and AVI, don’t charge volunteers for placing them abroad. In fact, these programs pay the volunteers a small local living wage, blurring the lines between volunteer placement and a traditional job, with stipends often equivalent to local wages – especially the remote areas that these volunteers are often posted in. Increasing demand in the last few decades has diversified this process to the point where you can find programs with the only “qualification” required being enough money on your credit card.

The growth of programs where the traveler is the one paying the fee completely shifts the power dynamics of volunteer travel. Whereas in theory demand should be driven by the needs of the community being “served,” the introduction of fee-paying programs has resulted in many companies treating the volunteer travelers themselves as the client, putting their needs above all others. When travelers pay for their experience, some of them feel they have the right to make more demands about what type of experience they receive. While the blatant commoditization can seem distasteful, viewing them as purely “volunteer vacations” may be a more honest way to refer to these one-click volunteer opportunities.

The Rise of Short Term Volunteering and “Voluntourism”

In the past, volunteer placements were generally managed by non-profit organizations. Many of these groups already knew the communities they were working in and had long-term projects and strategic goals. The difference today is that many entities offering volunteer experiences are not experts in community development, but travel agents or even cruise liners. Though their intentions might be pure, their lack of experience, relationships, and strategic planning in the realm of development work can lead to poorly planned – and often detrimental – volunteer offerings.

Alternatively, independent travelers may feel compelled to volunteer after seeing an advertisement pinned to a guesthouse noticeboard or being handed a leaflet in a bar. Some of these experiences may only require a few hours of time. Those who choose to volunteer in these incidental ways find it hard to do significant research about the opportunity being offered or the context of their work. These volunteers are therefore much more vulnerable to falling into a pitfall and supporting a project that is ineffective, exploitative or corrupt.

Increased Attention to Ethics

As international volunteering has become more commonplace and mass-produced, it has rightfully come under increased scrutiny. Exposés of the problems in the sector and the damage caused has led to speculation on how it can be done right. With rising awareness comes a more educated and critical volunteer base, and providers striving to meet that demand by providing experiences that are both responsible and meaningful, with a proven impact. Across the world there have been efforts made to create ethical standards for volunteering, such as Comhlámh in Ireland or The International Forum for Volunteering in Development.[7]

The Potential Harms of Volunteer Travel

It is a hard truth to swallow: volunteers do not always do good. Positive intentions do not always result in beneficial outcomes. This claim may be shocking, and we certainly do not blame individual volunteers for the many structural problems we explore here. However, when repeated thousands of times, the small mistakes and oversights made by individual volunteers – such as a lack of willingness to do adequate research or prepare properly – create problems of considerable magnitude.

Wasting Organizational Resources

Volunteers are not free resources. Even if they are not paid, the costs of training, supervising, supporting, protecting, entertaining, and following up on a volunteer’s visit can often amount to more than what the volunteer has “donated” in cash or time. Local hosts frequently complain about ill-prepared short-term volunteers, as they can require the same amount of support and training as long-term volunteers, but they don’t have as much time to make that investment worthwhile. Even highly skilled volunteers often require extensive staff time and other resources, such as translators, assistants, or supervisors, for them to be able to use their skills effectively in a new context overseas. Not surprisingly, volunteers who are underprepared often take more in time and resources than they add in value.

Under-qualified and Mismatched Volunteers

Volunteers can cause serious problems when they go abroad to perform a role that they are not qualified to do at home. Often the volunteer placement organization is responsible for the mismatch. A large number of organizations advertise placements without requiring volunteers to have any qualifications or experience—often for roles such as teaching or project management, which are specialist skills that in the volunteers’ home countries require formal training.

This is not to say that only highly skilled people should volunteer. Even the youngest and most inexperienced volunteer may have something to offer in the right placement, with the right support, and with the right framing of the goals and outcomes. The issue is not the skill level; it’s the match between the job and the skill, and the level of authority and autonomy often given to these mismatched volunteers. A mismatch between skill and responsibility levels can risk causing significant harm—for instance, if a medical student is expected to provide care beyond his/her/their expertise.

Disruptions to Local Power Dynamics

Most volunteers begin their placement without understanding the power structures of the community in which they volunteer—or the shifts they can cause as outsiders. Volunteers who jump into action before they learn about these complex relationships risk upsetting local power dynamics in ways that can be problematic. For example, a volunteer hears about a community need from the volunteer coordinator and leaps in to help, but later it emerges that the person being helped was a relative of the coordinator.

Volunteers often want to act quickly and independently, before they have understood complex local realities, and their best efforts can end up making things worse. Effective volunteer engagement in social justice work, in particular, takes a lot of patience and learning. There may well be local individuals and groups already working to challenge injustices; jumping in too soon could disrupt their sensitive work. Volunteers can learn over time whether and how to support them in their mission, which may require ongoing solidarity long after volunteers have returned home.

Reinforcing Cultural Stereotypes

Offering help automatically creates a relationship: giver and receiver. This unequal relationship can be imbued with the sense that the “helpers” – the volunteers – have superiority over the people being “volunteered for.” Volunteers often arrive with their own set of assumptions about Western cultural, linguistic, and technological superiority, sometimes labeling local ways of getting things done as illogical or deficient, and in need of change.

Furthermore, due to the long legacy of colonialism some local people may buy into the attitude that “West is Best.” Volunteer placement organizations frequently reinforce these assumptions through images on their websites of Western volunteers at the chalkboard teaching English to smiling local children, which resembles all-too-closely the myth of the “white savior.” The result of perpetuating these harmful stereotypes is either local people feeling disempowered or dependent, or angry and disengaged – neither of which lead to successful volunteer outcomes

Fostering Inefficiency and Dependency

Organizations sometimes rely on a steady stream of short-term foreign volunteers to fill important roles – such as schools where the only English teachers are volunteers, and nonprofits where all donor relations are done by volunteers. In many instances, when there are no volunteers, no one fills that role. This can foster an unsustainable dependency on external support. A void is created when the volunteers leave, which can put the organization and intended beneficiaries in a precarious position or make long-term planning impossible.

In many instances, local people could probably do the job more effectively than volunteers, but the abundance and perceived status of foreign volunteers leads to a reluctance to hire local people. Skilled labor (such as teaching or housebuilding) can be devalued if there is a supply of outsiders willing to do it for free.

“Band-Aid” Approaches Instead of Addressing Root Causes

An organization may take on volunteers to do superfluous tasks chosen simply because they appeal to volunteers, are easily accomplishable, or have a “feel-good factor.” During our research for the Learning Service book, many volunteers reported that the work they were asked to do seemed designed to fit the restrictions of a short-term visit rather than to provide lasting benefit. As well as wasting time, this can actually steer local organizations’ staff and other resources away from addressing root causes. For example, increasing literacy rates is a goal that involves changes in human behavior and education systems, which usually requires long-term efforts and resources. An organization working on root causes of illiteracy through advocacy for free primary education might feel pressure to add a project that volunteers can easily work on, such as building a library. That “solution” may look impressive, but it is not necessarily a contribution to the long-term goals. Where do the books come from? In what language are the books? Who are the teachers and librarians? Who will use the library? Who will maintain it? Will staff resources be taken away from advocacy efforts? If the answers are unclear, then the volunteers may be engaged in “band-aid” tasks.

Harm to Children

The damaging effect that some forms of volunteering can have on children is one of our biggest concerns about volunteer travel and is probably the ugliest and most saddening distortion of good intentions possible. Many volunteer positions involve working with children that are extremely vulnerable – in slums, on the streets, or in orphanages, which in Western society would require specialist skills. However, the vast majority of placements with children do not require qualifications or prior experience, and often involve a job description of “care-giving” or “providing love”. By doing this, volunteers may inadvertently exacerbate trauma or attachment issues in children.

Furthermore, there is evidence that as the demand from volunteers to work with children grows, it is incentivizing the practice of separating children from their families in a process now termed “orphanage trafficking”.[8] Orphanages are attractive places for volunteers as there are more opportunities to interact with the children than in other settings. But it is estimated that 80-90% of children in orphanages have at least one living parent, and were often brought to institutions for reasons such as poverty or disability. These issues can be more compassionately and sustainably solved by offering support to families instead of separating them. But when there is a demand for volunteering with vulnerable children, a place where they are housed together can become almost a tourist attraction.[9]

When children’s homes are run as businesses, there is a profit incentive to exploit children rather than protect them. Some orphanages offer a dance show to entice tourists to donate, some even send the children out into clubs and bars in the tourist centers, late at night, to beg. Keeping the children underfed and the facilities poor ensures a steady stream of donations from tourists and volunteers.[10]

Finally, allowing tourists and short-term volunteers to visit and play with children risks exposing children to dangerous individuals. In low-income countries, few organizations have the capacity to conduct background checks, or enforce rules regarding photography. Although most foreign volunteers have no intention of harming children, when they participate in programs without proper screening, they reinforce a system that is wide open to abuse.

Harm to the Volunteer

Poorly planned volunteer experiences can also have damaging effects on the volunteers themselves and their potential to be drivers of positive change in the future. We believe this leads to what we call “the three overloads”: Poverty overload , where volunteers feel paralyzed by the poverty they are confronting; Failure overload , where volunteers are unable to meet the expectations of themselves or other to make a difference; and Savior overload , where volunteers are so convinced that they must be doing goodthat they are blind to evidence that they might not be. All these overloads can mean that volunteers disengage from the issues they are facing and not have the opportunity to learn or contribute in a way that would make the experience meaningful.

Learning Service: A Potential Solution

Highlighting the negative impacts of volunteer travel is not a way to write off the practice but is instead a call to action. Global volunteering can be a powerful expression of solidarity and a manifestation of hope in the world, and it can also contribute positively to community development. However, these benefits are not automatic, and volunteer placements need to be set up and framed intentionally and mindfully. In our years of research into this topic, we found one key factor in avoiding the pitfalls and ensuring effectiveness – putting learning at the heart of volunteering. We call this approach learning service.

Learning service is an approach to international volunteering where:

• Learning is embraced as a primary purpose of a trip abroad, rather than a byproduct. Learning comes first and continues throughout the experience: before, during, and after volunteering overseas.
• Service consists of humble and thoughtful action, designed to “do no harm.” This service includes the work volunteers do overseas, the unofficial daily interactions they have with people while abroad, and the long-term actions that are inspired by their experience.
• Learning and service interact in an ongoing cycle, with each depending on the other. This loop is fueled by self-reflection – taking the time between activities to think critically about motivations, accomplishments, and challenges – and applying learning to future action.

Learning service is an inversion of the term service learning that is sometimes used in educational settings to describe volunteering. Service learning was coined to acknowledge the learning goals that are part of many volunteer projects. However, in this framing, “learning” appears to be secondary. With “learning service,” we have flipped the term to put learning front and center: it is the emphasis of the approach and a key to mitigating the negative impacts of international service and enhancing the positive ones. Learning should be a primary goal and activity in all stages of the process – from deciding whether you want to volunteer, to researching your options, to the way you engage overseas, to how you live your life in the future.

The Positive Potential of Volunteering Done Right

Two-way skill sharing.

When a volunteer is qualified and experienced in a certain field and commits enough time to transfer knowledge effectively, they can use their time abroad to contribute needed skills and build the capacity of others.[11] It is a reality for many countries that there are not enough trained healthcare professionals, skilled teacher trainers, or other specialists. When the needs of a host organization are well matched with the skills of a volunteer, volunteers can strengthen systems by supporting and mentoring local staff. Volunteers can also offer fresh ideas, inspiration and a new viewpoint.

Furthermore, the skill sharing can go both ways. The most effective volunteers learn skills and gain important perspectives from their hosts, and they often reflect that what they learned far outweighed what they were able to share. The beauty of viewing your learning experience as lasting well beyond your time abroad is that you can apply those experiences and skills once you return home.

Cultural Exchange

The best volunteering placements create a platform for exchange and look very different from unequal donor-recipient relationships.[12] Through their experiences abroad, volunteers often recognize the limitations in their current knowledge and perspective, and by embracing a new culture, view their own culture in a new light. These interactions often have the same impact on their hosts, both expanding their perspectives on what is “right” or “wrong” and forming new opinions about the other’s culture, replacing stereotypes and generalizations that might have shaped their prior views.

Host communities benefit not only from the work that volunteers do but also from the sense of solidarity it can bring. In researching for the Learning Service book, host organizations repeatedly mentioned the creation of strong bonds between people from diverse backgrounds as one of the most highly valued aspects of hosting foreign volunteers. The fact that volunteers care enough to show up and offer support to their cause is recognized as a benefit by activists and communities overseas—people who are often overstretched, tired, and in need of a motivation boost.

Moreover, international support can bring with it money, influence, and political leverage.[13] As such, an opportunity to maximize the potential of your time abroad is by balancing the doing of the volunteer work with your being with the community and finding ways to have a positive impact through both.

Contributing Vital Resources

Volunteers often bring with them access to money and resources. This may be through a fee paid directly to the organization to offset the costs of hosting them. Even when no money changes hands, organizations get financial benefits from volunteers who fundraise, talk to donors and connect them to opportunities. Furthermore, international volunteers can indirectly help the economy of their host country by spending money locally, which suggests that organizations think about the impact of volunteering in a broader sense than the volunteers themselves.[14]

Creating Educated Advocates

Through an experience volunteering overseas, you can connect to and learn deeply about global issues in a way that could affect the rest of your life. Learning through working abroad can lead to insights and inspiration that no amount of reading could teach you. You create life experiences rather than read textbook definitions of concepts like “poverty,” helping you move from a vague term in the media to the nuanced realities of daily living in your host community. Likewise, no amount of academic discourse on grassroots empowerment can teach you as much as meeting strong community leaders and experiencing the impacts of their work.

The vast majority of returned volunteers felt that their time overseas had an impact on their life, and many could point to specific changes they have made as a result. Furthermore, many of activists, development workers, educators, and social entrepreneurs have been deeply influenced by experiences overseas, feeling that once their eyes were opened to an issue facing the world there was no going back. Host organizations also recognize that international volunteers become advocates upon returning home.[15]

Another important role that returned volunteers play is to connect others to these global issues. Returned volunteers can bring seemingly remote issues to life for their friends and families and those who have not been able to travel abroad or experience those issues themselves. By sharing their learning, they can inspire others to take positive actions for change.

Questions to Ask Before Volunteering Abroad

Central to learning service is the idea of getting into a learning mindset . This requires being able to ask a lot of questions, both to yourself and about the potential project you will get involved with. Here are some ideas of questions you can ask to get you started.

Questions to Ask Yourself

What are your motivations? It is important to be honest with yourself about your motivations to ensure you will have an experience that meets your goals and those of the organization that hosts you. Have you been attracted to the idea of volunteering because you think it will look good on your résumé, or be an interesting anecdote at parties? Are you drawn to it from a desire for adventure, or glossy pictures of elephant trekking in exotic locations? Although it is of course great to feel excited about the opportunity to volunteer, you still need to be ready for the level of commitment and day to day hard work required for successful volunteering. On the other hand, if you feel mainly motivated by the thought of doing some good in the world, remember to be realistic about the amount that you can contribute with the time and the skills that you have. Even if you plan to volunteer for many months, no problems will be completely resolved and no people will be ‘saved’ by your presence alone. At best, you will make only a small contribution to bigger changes that will be led by local professionals.

What are your core skills? The most effective volunteers offer skills in an area in which they have some expertise. There is a need for accountants, computer technicians, and nurses everywhere in the world! Even if you don’t feel that you are an expert in anything, there will always be skills that you have and can offer – such as being a whizz with social media or the ability to edit documents in English. Alternatively, you may wish to have a stint volunteering in order to get a break from your normal work and try your hand at something new. While there is nothing wrong with that, be sure that you are clear with the volunteer organization about your limitations, and never seek to practice beyond your skill set. If you are learning a new skill try to take the position of intern or assistant, supporting qualified local staff members. An important thing to look for in a volunteer placement is skills-matching. Do you have the skills to be able to fulfil the role to the highest quality, or would someone else be better placed to do it? If the role is something that you would not be qualified to do in your own country, then the chances are that the answer to that question is no. Even if you are highly skilled in an area remember that the local people are the real experts and they should be in charge of how to put your skills to best use.

What are your learning goals? As well as thinking about what you can contribute, it is important that you also set learning goals for your time abroad. Is there a specific topic that you want to learn about—for example, child rights? Are there specific skills you want to learn or experience in action—such as fundraising tactics, or monitoring and evaluation practices? Your learning goals can help to keep you motivated in your volunteering and ensure that you stay engaged in the issues at hand. They can also help you stay out of your comfort zone and ensure your experience is culturally-immersive. But remember that your learning goals are your own, and they shouldn’t get in the way of your volunteer work or end up as anyone else’s responsibility.

Questions to ask a Volunteer Organization

Does the organization have a proven impact? Volunteer companies are usually adept at using marketing language such as “change a life” or “make a difference,” but be wary of organisations that are unable to produce evidence of the impact they have made. Ask to see evaluation reports that prove the effectiveness of their programs. Ideally they would show that the organization is addressing the root causes of problems, working towards eliminating these problems in the future. If not, they may just be band-aids. Good organizations will be able to send you reports that measure the long-term sustainable changes they have made  and highlight the roles that volunteers play.

Where is your money going? Many organizations charge a fee for volunteer placements to cover the time, capacity, and money that goes into supporting a great volunteer experience. That is entirely reasonable, but be sure to find out how the fees are used. Money may go to the sending organization to cover the costs of placing you in a volunteer role, to the local organization directly to host you, or both. The fee may include a charitable donation for the cause you are volunteering to support. It may also include a large profit margin for a company.

It is not the case that the more you pay, the better quality the service. Many volunteers pay a lot of money for their placement and end up dissatisfied, often because they assume that their money was going towards things that it was not. The bottom line is that good organizations, for a fee, can do a lot of the logistical legwork required to provide you with a positive experience, while the worst ones might take your money in profit and yet still leave you in a disorganized and poorly planned volunteer placement.

What kind of learning opportunities or training will you get ? The philosophy of learning service emphasises that learning is one of the most important aspects of a volunteer placement. Although motivated volunteers can find and plan all the learning opportunities needed by themselves, this can be a little daunting, and instead finding a volunteer provider that offers structured learning opportunities can remove the pressure. Look for organizations that offer orientation training programs, and structured opportunities for reflection.

These are just a few starting questions to think about – we have a whole lot more in our Placement Evaluation Tool in the Learning Service library.

How to Organize a Volunteer Project

Using an agency to organize your placeme nt.

Organizing your volunteer placement through an agency or sending organization may appeal if you have not traveled internationally before, or if you want support in researching, planning, or matching your placement. There are a whole range of organizations offering these services. At one end of the spectrum are those that exist only to recruit volunteers and send them to partners overseas. They may support hosting organizations to supervise and utilize volunteers, and provide in-country support to troubleshoot problems and maximize effectiveness. At the other end are companies that offer a wide range of travel products, sometimes with volunteering being just one option. The best organizations have strong, long-term relationships with the people and projects on the ground. The most “customer focused” providers tend to prioritize the choices of the volunteer over the value of the work.

In addition, there are third-party websites and marketing organizations that promote and sell volunteer programs designed and led by others. If you buy a product from one of those sites, you might not even be able to tell which organization ultimately gets your money, or where you will be giving your time. Remember that all agencies are not created equal, and you need to check whether the organization you are considering provides the services you want and does them well.

Connecting Directly to a Host Organization

You may choose not to go through an intermediary organization and instead set up a volunteer placement yourself. You may connect directly with a hosting organization from internet research, through friends, or via an advertised position. Bear in mind that if you set up a volunteer experience on your own that there is no wider system to fall back on—you will have to set up accountability structures yourself. Also remember that the opportunities you find are basically unvetted, so information-gathering, fact-checking, and evaluation is even more critical.

Volunteer-Led Projects

With the growing demand for volunteer projects abroad, impromptu volunteer programs are increasingly springing up. These are offerings organized by an individual or small group, often foreign visitors, aiming to “help local people.” While sometimes filling a need, it is difficult to evaluate and understand the implications of these projects from afar. Be very cautious of joining a DIY volunteer project organized by people who may be well-intentioned, but do not have the experience, qualifications, or accountability mechanisms to organize a sustainable project.

How to be a Responsible Volunteer Travel Provider

At Learning Service we direct much of the advice we give towards volunteers and travelers, to empower them to cultivate the right attitudes towards an experience and to choose responsible providers. Although this can play an important role in shifting demand, the industry itself can take the lead on ensuring they are applying the highest ethical standards and measuring impact. Here are a few points for an ethical volunteer travel company to consider:

Community Partnerships

One of the most fundamental aspects of a successful volunteer travel program is to have strong, well-managed and well-compensated community partnerships. Rather than requesting communities to host guests or asking them to design simple projects for travelers to participate in, this requires real investment in communities, giving them agency to identify needs and sustainable solutions. It also requires closely monitoring impact and adjusting programs accordingly. Travel companies offering volunteer experiences need to decide whether they want to diversify away from pure tourism, and assess whether they have the resources and expertise to venture into a whole new sector (community development).

Protection Vulnerable Populations

As explored previously, children and other vulnerable populations are the most at risk of being harmed by irresponsible voluntourism. Volunteer organizations need to have a robust child protection policy and methods of implementation. It is also important to ensure that your supply chain is free of human trafficking and modern slavery, which includes support of orphanages or short-term direct interaction between tourists and children.

Volunteer Matching

All potential volunteers have skills, but it is important that volunteers with the right skills are placed in the right roles. Offering short-term teaching placements to travelers without a background in teaching is likely to be more disruptive than helpful to children’s education, for example, and using unqualified volunteers in a healthcare setting may even be dangerous. People with sought-after skills such as accountancy, coding, business administration or medicine may be best-placed in a mentoring role using those skills than they would be doing manual labor or playing with children. Organizations should consider what process they have to select and match volunteers, and if and how they turn applicants down. If this seems too resource-intensive then it is unlikely your organization has the capacity to place volunteers responsibly.

Volunteer Support and Education

In order for volunteers to be useful and effective they need to be well prepared, supported and educated. Many of the best organizations have training programs for volunteers to attend before departure, cultural orientations in-country, support for both volunteers and hosts during a placement and educational opportunities both during and after an experience. If you offer any of these services it is important to be transparent about them so that volunteers know what services they are getting for their fees. For excellently curated and supported programs volunteers can be willing to pay an amount far beyond a normal tourism package, as it is also an important educational opportunity.

Ethical Marketing

Irresponsible voluntourism providers appeal to potential volunteers using images and language of either the poverty and need of the local people, or else the heroism and savior qualities of the volunteer. Ethical marketing represents local people with agency and dignity, and offers and honest and fair representation of the modest impact that international volunteers achieve.

How to be an Effective Volunteer

Volunteering effectively – that is, having the intended impact on a cause and avoiding any negative impacts – is tricky. In fact, no matter how many useful skills you bring to the table, effectiveness requires openness, humility, and a huge amount of learning. Here are some tips for volunteers to try to ensure they are being effective in their work.

Do the Work that is Needed

Even if you are highly skilled in an area, it should be up to a host organization how your skills are put to best use. Often it is “hands off” office work that your colleagues might need the most help with – such as writing reports in English or improving the website. Be patient and make sure you are supporting the overall organization’s needs, not just your own desire to feel useful in the areas that seem most interesting.

Know the Limits of Your Role

Be aware that the carefully-balanced power dynamics of an organization or community may be affected by the presence of an outsider. Very often foreigners are given respect and authority simply because of their nationality or skin color. If you feel you are being asked to make decisions beyond your remit, question this and ask for support from a permanent member of staff who can continue being in charge after you leave.

Be Culturally Sensitive

The way you dress, the way you sit, how you greet others, whether you speak directly or not – all these things have the ability to delight your local colleagues and put them at ease, or offend and upset them. Some volunteers argue that they don’t want to conform to dress codes or speak less bluntly as it makes them feel less like themselves, but you always need to remember that you are a guest in another culture. The way you dress and act might be interpreted as a lack of respect, which is a terrible basis for a volunteer to work from. Research cultural norms before you arrive in the country, and if you are ever unclear about what the most polite thing is to do in any situation – ask!

Define “Success” as Part of a Wider Plan

One of the most common mistakes we have experienced in volunteers is mis-defining “success” as “taking over full ownership of a concrete project and seeing it through to the end”. This is why so many volunteer projects involve activities like building a school or digging a well. Though taking complete ownership of a project can feel satisfying, if that project is not well integrated into a much larger system, that started before you got there and will continue long after you leave, then your efforts may have been “successful” for no-one but yourself. Rather than measuring success based on personal accomplishments, view yourself as part of a larger ecosystem, within wider systems of change.

Be committed to growth

If you are committed to effectiveness, make sure you give yourself regular opportunities to reflect on and evaluate your actions. We often leave the giving and receiving of feedback until the end of an experience, when it is too late to make adjustments or put any learning into practice. Actively seek feedback from friends, colleagues or other volunteers about how you can improve, and remain open to changing your approach.

Now What? Life After Volunteering

Rather than seeing the end of your volunteer experience as the conclusion of something, the learning service approach argues that it is in fact the beginning. Even the most successful volunteer cannot have an enormous impact in a short-term placement. However, a volunteer who becomes inspired and committed during their short time abroad can go on to make huge changes in the rest of their life.

Daily Choices

Volunteers commonly report that the time they spent overseas resulted in a heightened awareness of how they consume and a commitment to changing it. Small actions count: you do not have to dedicate your life to charity work to make a difference. Changing the food you eat, the products you buy, the energy you use and the waste you produce can lessen the harmful impacts of a consumer society.

Activism and Volunteering

Maybe your trip overseas sparked an increased awareness of global injustice. In analyzing the root causes of any issue, you can find links, influences, or stakeholders back in your own country. There are many causes to get angry about or get behind, and many new ideas to feel passionate about. There are also many forces in our world with interests in maintaining the status quo. But there is power in numbers, and if there are things you don’t like in the world that you want to challenge or things you do like and want to promote, there are ways to spread these ideas.

Career Choices

Many returnees say that one of the biggest impacts of their overseas experience is that it has crystallized, influenced, or altered their future career paths. If you are committed to living in a way that will be of benefit both to yourself and others, your career can play a big part in that. We urge you to take a learning service approach to these decisions—just like with volunteer travel, certain careers paths or job roles might market their social impact, but don’t take those claims at face value.

Learning Service Resources

Interested in learning more? The previous sections are extracts from our more thorough resources that help potential volunteers on their journeys and guide both volunteers and providers to follow the principles of learning service.

Free downloadable resources, found in the Learning Service library include:

• Tips and Tricks for Learning Before Helping
• The Learning Service Volunteer Charter
• Voluntourism 101 (a self-assessment tool for tour operators)
• Evaluating Placements: Questions to Ask

For an in depth exploration of the whole process of learning service, get hold of our book Learning Service: The Essential Guide to Volunteer Travel .

Learning Service Providers

A number of travel companies and education providers have started using and promoting the Learning Service approach. These include:

• PEPY Tours : Provides immersive travel opportunities for school and university groups in Nepal and Cambodia, focused on improving the way groups give, travel and live.
• Where There Be Dragons : Offers experiential learning trips for students, gap year travelers, educators and adults in countries across the globe, with learning service as a core component of all trips.
• Ayana Journeys : Based in Cambodia, Ayana offer guided educational adventures for groups and individuals, exploring culture, lifestyles, and development issues facing the country, embodying the “learn first” approach.

Additional Information

For more information on any topics associated with ethical volunteer travel: [email protected] For more information about the book or for other downloadable tools, go to our website: www.learningservice.info For news, perspectives, and insight on ethical volunteering, follow us on social media!

• facebook.com/learningservice
• twitter.com/Learnser
• instagram.com/learning.service
• www.learningservice.info/blog

About the author:

Claire Bennett is a co-author of the book Learning Service: The Essential Guide to Volunteering Abroad, which has been hailed by Noam Chomsky as “a manifesto for doing good well.” She is also the co-founder of LearningService.Info, an online information and advocacy portal for potential international volunteers. She is a manager of PEPY Tours, a responsible travel organization based in Cambodia and Nepal, and helped to oversee their transition away from short-term voluntourism to immersive educational travel.

Bennet has been based in Asia for over ten years and currently lives in Kathmandu, where she has a training and consulting company. She provides consultancy to some of the biggest volunteer travel companies around shifting their models away from activities known to be damaging to local communities towards more ethical practices. She also works part time as an educator and facilitator for student travel organization Where There Be Dragons. She is passionate about global equality and social justice issues and loves her cat, her bicycle, and drinking copious amounts of tea.

[1] Lough, B. J. (2013) International Volunteering from the United States between 2004 and 2012. CSD Research Brief, (13-14). Retrieved from http://csd.wustl.edu/Publications/Documents/RB13-14.pdf .

[2] Hickel, J. (2013). The ‘Real’ Experience Industry: Student Development Projects and the Depoliticization of Poverty. Learning and Teaching: The International Journal of Higher Education in the Social Sciences 6(2) 11-32.

[3] Volunteer tourism : a global analysis : a report by Tourism Research and Marketing. https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/26237192?selectedversion=NBD43606931 .

[4] WYSE “Millenials Enjoy Tying Vacation to Philanthropy”, 2015 https://www.wyseworkandvolunteer.org/2015/10/05/millennials-enjoy-tying-vacation-to-philanthropy/.

[5] http://collegeadmissionbook.com/blog/bob-clagett-taking-gap-year .

[6] http://cecp.co/research/benchmarking-reports/giving-in-numbers.html .

[7] https://comhlamh.org/code-of-good-practice , https://bettercarenetwork.org/sites/default/files/2019-10/The-Global-Standard-for-Volunteering-for-Development.pdf .

[8] https://www.e-ir.info/2018/07/13/orphanage-trafficking-and-the-modern-slavery-act-in-australia/ .

[9] https://www.crs.org/media-center/news-release/80-90-percent-children-orphanages-are-not-orphans .

[10] https://www.huffpost.com/entry/forprofit-orphanages-keep_b_838206 .

[11] Erin Barnhardt, “Engaging Global Service: Organizational Motivations for and Perceived Benefits of Hosting International Volunteers,” 2012.

[12] Erin Barnhardt, “Engaging Global Service: Organizational Motivations for and Perceived Benefits of Hosting International Volunteers,” 2012.

[13] Erin Barnhardt, “Engaging Global Service: Organizational Motivations for and Perceived Benefits of Hosting International Volunteers,” 2012

[14] Erin Barnhardt, “Engaging Global Service: Organizational Motivations for and Perceived Benefits of Hosting International Volunteers,” 2012.

[15] Erin Barnhardt, “Engaging Global Service: Organizational Motivations for and Perceived Benefits of Hosting International Volunteers,” 2012.

This Impact Tourism Handbook was made possible by generous financial support from Elevate Destinations , Hilton , Holbrook Travel , and Overseas Adventure Travel .

Volunteer Tourism and Travel Volunteering

Cite this chapter.

• Stephen L. Wearing 9 ,
• Angela M. Benson 10 &
• Nancy McGehee 11  

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This chapter explores the nature of volunteer tourism and travel volunteering as part of the larger section of this book on the purposive types of volunteers and volunteering. This new type of volunteering now constitutes a burgeoning segment of the alternative tourism industry that goes far beyond both the traditional notion of volunteering and traditional mass tourism. This chapter explores many key debates that underpin volunteer tourism, in particular the various issues and dimensions evident in various cultural contexts.We also provide an understanding of the reasons why some consumers use their tourism leisure time to volunteer. Our focus will be on international volunteer tourism, excluding domestic tourism volunteering.

Volunteer tourism (or voluntourism ) is a relatively recent phenomenon, but despite this, it is one of the major growth areas in contemporary tourism. This demand has been met by a proliferation of organizations from the private, public, and nonprofit sectors offering a range of projects that can be pursued worldwide.

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Wearing, S., Benson, A., McGehee, N. (2016). Volunteer Tourism and Travel Volunteering. In: The Palgrave Handbook of Volunteering, Civic Participation, and Nonprofit Associations. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-137-26317-9_13

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The Pandemic Changed The World Of 'Voluntourism.' Some Folks Like The New Way Better

Malaka Gharib

Last summer, Becca Morrison, 21, was all set to volunteer at a community arts nonprofit in Zomba, Malawi. She'd work with the marketing team as a copywriter and social media manager.

Then the pandemic hit, and the trip got canceled. "I was peeved," she says. "I was so excited to travel. I had the whole thing planned."

Still, Morrison was determined to find a volunteer gig, which she needed to graduate as an international development major at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, U.K. So she found another opportunity in Zomba, this time with a nonprofit group called the Sparkle Foundation . And it would take place virtually.

For three months last summer, Morrison helped the group — which runs a school and a medical facility for children in the community — do tasks remotely. She even personally raised $7,000 for the cause.

"I've done so much without even leaving my house, my room," she says. "I think the pandemic has changed the game completely for volunteering."

Becca Morrison, 21, at home in Norwich, U.K. She has been volunteering virtually with an arts nonprofit in Zomba, Malawi from her bedroom. Becca Morrison hide caption

Becca Morrison, 21, at home in Norwich, U.K. She has been volunteering virtually with an arts nonprofit in Zomba, Malawi from her bedroom.

The pandemic has indeed transformed the landscape of international volunteering, say researchers. A February survey of 130 volunteer organizations and 239 international volunteers by the International Forum for Volunteering in Development found that the pandemic had spurred volunteer groups to offer more remote volunteering opportunities and consider expanding national volunteer membership in the future.

Even as some groups gear for a return to the way it was, others are changing their modus operandi — and some of these new ways of working are a step in a more sustainable direction.

"The pandemic has shown us there are different innovative ways volunteers are able to provide services," says Christopher Millora , an academic based in Iloilo City, Philippines, who is leading research for the U.N.'s next State of the World's Volunteerism report. This could lead to a "paradigm shift as to what kinds of relationships international volunteer organizations have toward local communities."

That's an important move in an industry riddled with criticism. Over the past few decades, critics and activists have been urging volunteer abroad organizations to rethink their business model.

They say sending volunteers from rich nations to low-income countries perpetuates the white savior complex by portraying volunteers as superheroes who will rescue the poor from their misery.

"There's this postcolonial narrative of young, aspirational, light-skinned people from the West thinking they can go to Africa for two weeks and change the world," says Konstantinos Tomazos , a senior lecturer in international tourism management at the University of Strathclyde. "That's the main criticism of the sector that plays into the idea of the white messiah."

They say projects can be harmful and exploitative.

One of the most popular activities for volunteers, say the experts, is helping children in orphanages. That demand, as a result, has created perverse economic incentives . "In places like Kenya and Cambodia, Nepal and Tanzania, orphanages are prolific. But the children within them are not orphans and in many cases are being placed in orphanages in order for orphanage directors to profit from the [volunteer] tourism demand to engage with orphans," says Leigh Mathews , founder of Alto Global, an international development consultancy group and the co-founder of Rethink Orphanages, a group that helps volunteer groups terminate their orphanage programs and repatriate children with their families.

Volunteering Abroad? Read This Before You Post That Selfie

And some critics question the helpfulness of volunteers.

In Ours To Explore: Privilege, Power and the Paradox of Voluntourism , author Pippa Biddle writes about a shocking discovery she made while volunteering in Tanzania as a teen. She and a group of young, inexperienced volunteers were assigned to help local workers build a small library at an orphanage. Days into the project, she found out that every morning, the local workers were taking apart the volunteers' shoddy work from the day before and redoing it correctly before they woke up.

"While my intentions to be helpful and encouraging and to give back came from a good place, my time at the orphanage did not even begin to address their real needs," writes Biddle.

A major industry

Despite these criticisms, international volunteerism is a big business.

Since the mid-1800s, when trains and ships made it possible for the public to travel cheaper, faster and farther than ever before, people have strived to "voyage to less-resourced nations for pleasure and purpose," says Biddle.

The phenomenon of volunteer tourism is now a $3 billion a year industry, says Tomazos. The funds paid by participants go to the thousands of groups that coordinate the trips along with the development programs they support.

The money also benefits local economies. The volunteer organization Habitat for Humanity, for example, says their trips alone bring in an estimated $6.9 million to the drivers, hotels, restaurants and gift shops that serve international volunteers when they visit.

And while it's hard to pinpoint how many international volunteers there are in the world, the U.N. estimates that if volunteering were a full-time job, it would account for 109 million workers.

It's easy to understand the appeal of overseas service, says Biddle. There's a sense of adventure, and people feel good about helping those who are less fortunate. Studies have found that volunteers perceive the trips as a meaningful and transformative life experience . People often come away from the trips with feelings of improved well-being, purpose and happiness.

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On a more practical note, "voluntourism" is a practical way for people — like Morrison — to gain experience in international development. Maia Gedde, author of Working in International Development and Humanitarian Assistance , says people hoping to start a career in the field "volunteer as a steppingstone to build skills, knowledge and networks to put them in a much stronger position when applying for humanitarian jobs in the future."

But not all volunteer programs are the same. In the world of international volunteerism, there are two kinds of gigs. One is volunteering with development programs, such as the Peace Corps in the U.S. and Voluntary Service Overseas in the U.K. These groups, often funded with government aid, assign volunteers to long-term projects around the world — a year or two or more working at a school in Malawi, for example, or supporting helping small business owners in India. Such programs typically provide the volunteers with basic accommodation and a modest allowance for food and other living expenses.

Then there's volunteer tourism — nicknamed "voluntourism" by academics. People pay to take part in shorter-term projects abroad, which can range from tutoring kids in Nepal for a week to spending a few months conducting nutrition workshops in Thailand to traveling with a church mission group to the Philippines to dig wells. Volunteers must pay for their journey, including flights and transportation, meals and lodging as well as fees to the organizations and the programs they support.

In-person trips not required?

During the pandemic, both the development programs and volunteer tourism groups have had to recalibrate their efforts. And some groups have been surprised by how eager volunteers were to stay involved — even though their trips to the field were canceled.

One of the most well-known groups in the latter category is Habitat for Humanity . Its Global Villages program invites people — mostly from Western countries — to help out in 30 mostly low- and middle-income countries. Over the course of about two weeks, groups of 15 people, half volunteers, half local staff, build homes, hand-washing and health-care facilities as well as participate in other kinds of projects. Volunteers do not need special skills but do need cash. There's a fee of about $1,650-$2,500 per person to participate, often raised through donations from friends and family. About 12,000 volunteers participate each year. During the pandemic, that number dropped to zero.

Despite that, many of the 800 projects planned for 2020 still got done, says Jacqueline Innocent , senior vice president of integrated programs at Habitat for Humanity. Local staff and paid contractors — mason workers, for example — pitched in. It just took a little longer because there were fewer helping hands.

Innocent was also pleased to see that many of the volunteers whose trips were canceled did not ask for a refund. They let Habitat keep the funds as a donation. And many organized their own virtual workshops, events and music festivals — to raise funds.

Dave Kovac, a 20-year veteran volunteer with Habitat for Humanity, speaks to students from his international service class at Oregon State University. For 10 weeks last fall, the class conducted a virtual Habitat build. Each week, the students checked in with Habitat staff in Vietnam as they built a house for a family in need. Natalie Kovac hide caption

Some volunteers even arranged "virtual builds." Dave Kovac is a 20-year Habitat volunteer veteran and teaches courses on international service at Oregon State University. He was scheduled to go on three trips with Habitat in 2020, including one with a cohort of students. When the trips were canceled, he worked with Habitat to create an online program where students "adopted" a Habitat build in Vietnam. Over 10 weeks, Kovac and his students met weekly to fundraise, learn about Vietnamese culture, get updates from local staff about the project's progress and speak to the family whose house was being built.

The program was so successful that Kovac says he is trying it out again in August, this time with Habitat Brazil. He says he likes the model because it targets "people who are interested in some kind of experience but can't go abroad due to timing, job, personal issues, family. So maybe they can tag along virtually."

The virtual engagement made Habitat realize something, says Innocent. "We're not as dependent upon cross-border volunteers as one would have previously thought. It has been surprising how much people are willing to do [for Habitat] even though they don't get that reciprocal experience" of being there.

"I suspect," she adds, "what we're going to see when we're able to come back is more hybrid approaches" — creating opportunities like the virtual builds for international volunteers, for example.

But, she says, "I don't see a scenario at the moment where we would want to eliminate the [field] experience." The trip is what people love, she says — and local staff rely on those volunteers to help carry out the projects more quickly.

These virtual opportunities with reputable organizations offer "a wonderful alternative to on-the-ground voluntourism," says Biddle. They "bypass so many of the issues voluntourism creates and require the volunteers to show true commitment to a cause and a community — even from afar."

Greater appreciation for local volunteers

For other organizations, the pandemic has affirmed a decision they've made well before the crisis: recruiting more local volunteers instead of Westerners, says researcher Millora. And the pandemic has driven home the importance of these helpers.

Voluntary Service Overseas is a U.K.-based development organization that hires and places skilled volunteers in long-term projects in nearly 30 low- and middle-income countries.

But over the last few years, the group has been recruiting more in-country volunteers. "They're the ones who can hold the government accountable, who know the context," says Papa Diouf , who heads VSO's global work in health and is based in Kigali, Rwanda. Many of these volunteers are graduates from the School of Education at the University of Rwanda.

In the first few months of the pandemic, VSO Rwanda had to send its 50 international volunteers home. Because the group had a preexisting membership of 200 national volunteers, it was able to carry out its education program, says Diouf — training public school teachers to improve literacy and numeracy skills among primary school students.

OPINION: Volunteering Abroad Is Popular And Problematic. Let's Fix It

The international volunteers, who were brought on for their expertise in school leadership and education development, stayed involved ... virtually. Using Zoom and WhatsApp, they checked in with local volunteers, who were doing much of the in-person work — visiting schools and mentoring teachers. And when schools were shut in Rwanda due to COVID-19, it was the local volunteers who kept in touch with the schoolteachers via WhatsApp.

Diouf doesn't think VSO is going to end its practice of sending volunteers abroad anytime soon. The international volunteers have crucial expertise that the organization's projects need. In fact, now that some travel restrictions have been lifted, some of the international volunteers who were sent home from Rwanda at the start of the pandemic have returned.

But, he says, the pandemic helped him see how crucial local volunteers are, especially in times of crisis. VSO's Rwandan volunteers mobilized to spread COVID messaging in their country and track essential health services disrupted by COVID. Supporting "those local volunteers had already been a shift in our program thinking, but COVID-19 has only helped us move faster in that direction," he says.

Benjamin Lough , an associate professor at the School of Social Work at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a global volunteerism researcher, says VSO Rwanda's emphasis toward local service in the pandemic is "a great turn." But he has a caveat.

"The pandemic revealed both the strengths of relying on local volunteers as well as the limitations when support from abroad is lacking," he says. "We can't just pass on more responsibility to domestic volunteers without providing additional support" in the form of funds or manpower.

Booking again ... but with a difference

As vaccination rates soar in the West and more countries loosen COVID travel restrictions, volunteer groups have started offering trips again.

For many overseas service operations, those trips abroad are their bread and butter, says Tomazos, the tourism researcher from University of Strathclyde. "They have a business model. No volunteers means no money."

Volunteers also bring important knowledge into the mix, says Lough. Local staff from some volunteer abroad groups have told him: "We value the skills those volunteers are bringing into this community. We want them to come in."

And people have begun booking trips again.

But things are definitely different.

Kovac sees real promise in the virtual Habitat builds, because it may help people focus on the real reasons they're volunteering. "It's really for people who want to help because they want to help, not because they want to travel."

As for Morrison, she says she "feels lucky" that she was able to accomplish so much with the Sparkle Foundation last year even if she wasn't physically in Malawi. In fact, the group liked her work so much that they asked her back this summer as a paid intern working remotely.

In her bedroom in Norwich, she says that without the distraction of feeling "mesmerized" by an exotic location, she's been more honed in on her true purpose as a volunteer. And that's made her reevaluate the concept of overseas service.

"It's almost [discriminatory] that to make a real difference, you have to pay all this money to travel somewhere very far away," she says. "That's not how charity works."

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Volunteer tourism: what’s wrong with it and how it can be changed

Assistant Professor of Anthropology, University of North Carolina – Charlotte

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Andrea Freidus does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

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Volunteer tourism, or voluntourism, is an emerging trend of travel linked to “doing good”. Yet these efforts to help people and the environment have come under heavy criticism – I believe for good reason.

Voluntourists’ ability to change systems, alleviate poverty or provide support for vulnerable children is limited. They simply don’t have the skills. And they can inadvertently perpetuate patronising and unhelpful ideas about the places they visit.

The trend of voluntourism has come about partly through initiatives by large-scale, well established organisations such as UNICEF, Save the Children, CARE International and World Vision. They raise money for programmes they have developed for orphans and vulnerable children.

Their appeals have been effective because needy children tend to arouse compassion and because modern communication technology makes it easy to share the call to help.

But there are dangers in these appeals, which are mostly aimed at Western audiences. For example, singer Madonna, in her documentary I Am Because We Are , says Malawi is in a “state of emergency”. She says there are over a million children orphaned by AIDS in the central African country and that they are

living on the streets, in abandoned buildings, and are being abducted, kidnapped, and raped.

Madonna’s description is inaccurate. There are not a million children living on the streets of Malawi, nor are there high levels of abduction and rape .

Aside from sometimes creating an inaccurate impression, these appeals have attracted increasing numbers of student volunteers, best described as amateur humanitarian workers. They intend to serve people, especially children, but do they?

The trouble with voluntourism

Most students bring few relevant skills to their volunteer sites. They are not required to commit to long-term involvement either. Instead, volunteers take part in service projects like basic construction, painting, tutoring in English and maths, distributing food, or “just being a friend” to children perceived as alone and in need of social support.

Voluntourism with children also perpetuates the notion of a desperate Africa needing the benevolence of the West. Volunteers are led to imagine that their engagement directly addresses suffering. Many believe the children they work with don’t have any other social systems to support them materially or socially.

This is evident from the images and anecdotes they circulate of a suffering, sick Africa. The images they portray is that Africa is incapable of escaping poverty and violence without Western intervention.

The ways volunteers get involved tend not to address the causes of suffering .

The design of these programmes leads to superficial engagement for volunteers. This makes it hard for them to think about – or do anything about – the structural issues that create humanitarian crises in the first place.

These issues include the history, social, political and economic conditions that frame people’s lives.

My research suggests that students who engage in these programmes actually contribute towards the mystification of larger systems that produce inequality, poverty, particular patterns of disease distribution, and various forms of violence.

Programmes need to be reworked

The problems outlined here do not necessarily mean that volunteer work should be abandoned. In an increasingly violent and xenophobic world, these kinds of cross-cultural engagement can help people understand and appreciate each other.

But if this is to be achieved, volunteer experiences need to be reframed and programmes reworked. Any organisation taking young people to volunteer sites in Malawi ought to be preparing them with adequate information before they go as well as opportunities for critical discussion during and after their trips. Many of these programmes are associated with college campuses or organised religious groups that have the capacity to learn about, teach, and support a more sophisticated cultural exchange.

Students need to learn about the political, social, economic and cultural histories of the places they visit. They should be given the opportunity to explore systems of poverty and inequality in greater depth.

Most importantly, students need to think about these experiences as cultural exchanges meant to generate knowledge and respect about other ways of being and not as trips that “help” the poor.

If volunteers can understand the people they work with as citizens with rights rather than objects of charity, they can begin to think about long-term partnership, justice and structural change.

I believe long-term commitment is key. Doctors, engineers, computer scientists and particular types of educators have important skills and could make more enduring contributions. Doctors, for example, they could train medical personnel on new procedures to use once the volunteer leaves.

For the shorter term, volunteers should see their presence as a cultural exchange rather than as humanitarian relief.

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What is voluntourism?

A combination of volunteering and tourism, voluntourism is a popular form of international travel. You use your time and energy to help others while exploring a different country and culture. At Projects Abroad, we take volunteer tourism a step further.

With us, you won’t just help and explore as a volunteer, you’ll discover what you’re capable of. We provide the gold standard of safety and support , helping you fulfill your potential and create positive change in the world. We believe in long-term, sustainable solutions and working directly with local communities. To help us achieve this, we have the support of passionate volunteers and dedicated, in-country staff . 

Each of our projects offers a hassle-free experience . You can volunteer abroad or do an international internship . We also offer cultural exchange programmes.

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How does volunteer tourism benefit the community?

There are a number of ways that voluntourism can benefit local people:

• When you contribute to a well-run and sustainable project, you’re helping to implement long-term development. Use your skills, time, and energy to make a difference that will last long after you’ve returned home. By helping a local teacher improve their English and classroom skills through a Teaching Project, you’ll indirectly impact the children they teach. When you help a struggling entrepreneur get their business off the ground at a Microfinance Project, you’re helping support an entire family for years to come.
• By participating in voluntourism, you’re contributing to the local economy. In their free time, most volunteers go sightseeing, like game drives and island tours. Many developing countries rely heavily on the income from tourism. In this way, voluntourism companies and volunteers support local businesses.
• Voluntourism companies employ local staff. Projects Abroad employs dedicated, in-country staff wherever we work. We’re not just committed to helping you discover what you’re capable of. We do the same for our staff.

Volunteering tourism is increasingly popular and it’s important to carefully research the organisation you’re considering travelling with. Experience, sustainability, and financial responsibility are essential to running programmes that benefit local people.

Changing individuals and communities is one of our core values. We’re implementing real change through our projects. We plan, monitor, and evaluate all our projects in close consultation with local communities, conducting rigorous impact assessments as standard practice. You can read more about our values and who we are here , as well as our impact .

Voluntourism Opportunities: More than just volunteering and sightseeing

With volunteering tourism, you’re well placed to make a tangible impact on the people you work and live with. You’ll also learn about the culture and traditions first-hand.

When they’re abroad, most of our volunteers live with local host families . Your host family will welcome you into their home and help you become part of the community. You’ll share their daily lives and learn their customs, which most tourists never experience.

When you choose to join a voluntourism programme, you’re also joining a global network of volunteers. Our volunteers come from all over the world. You’ll find that most of them share your passion for giving back and your desire to broaden your horizons.

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Voluntourism means to combine your passion for traveling (tourism) while giving back to the countries you visit (volunteer) ... read more

Voluntourism means to combine your passion for traveling (tourism) while giving back to the countries you visit (volunteer). It's a great way to lend volunteer organizations a hand and give them financial support. It is especially suitable for short-term volunteer holidays . Most volunteer tourism programs have a limited social impact when compared to long-term volunteer opportunities.

Voluntourism opportunities are perfect for you if you want to volunteer and travel in an exotic country. It means you won't be working full time during your holiday giving you a lot of time to explore a new culture. Sign up for a volunteer tourism program!

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Himalayan Trekking & Meaningful Adventure in India

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Voluntourism Opportunities Abroad

Do you dream of backpacking through some of the most remote places abroad but somehow feel as if it’s not enough? Do you want to do more than that? Do you want to connect to the communities and help? If you are interested in volunteering abroad and you have already done some research on the topic, you might have come across the term “Voluntourism”. It simply describes “tourism in which travelers do voluntary work to help communities or the environment in the places they are visiting”, but in the past years, there has been a lot of discussion about the pros and cons of voluntourism abroad.

At Volunteer World, we believe that if done right, volunteering tourism opportunities overseas can benefit both the volunteers and the projects they visit and work for. As this is an important and very sensitive topic, we want to show you what’s important when it comes to ethical voluntourism and how we ensure that the volunteer abroad programs on our website match the criteria and that there are no issues with volunteering. If you are interested in combining your travels with volunteer work abroad, just continue reading

What is the difference between Volunteering and Voluntourism?

The emphasis of most of our projects is on volunteering and dedicating time to a volunteer abroad project and its progress. We cater to a very wide audience and also offer voluntourism packages which we believe are sustainable. Although the latter has been subject to controversy, we guarantee that all programs offered through our website meet strict requirements. It still remains important for volunteers to do their due diligence and research the project they are interested in. To give you a better understanding of volunteerism and voluntourism, take a look at the descriptions below:

Let’s start by taking a closer look at what we understand under volunteerism:

• It’s about helping out a certain project usually for a longer period of time.
• Volunteers offer a certain type of expertise which the project is lacking.
• There are opportunities to explore the surroundings and do some sightseeing but it’s not the main aim of the time spent there.
• Projects impact the local community and environment and are making a difference in the field they are focused on: childcare, animals, community development projects, health, education
• Projects are usually run by non-profit organizations that ensure funds go toward the community or are reinvested in the organization.

With voluntourism or volunteering tourism, things are slightly different.

• First of all, the emphasis is on the experience of the participant volunteer tourist.
• The goal is for the participant to travel and see as much as possible of a certain area while spending a short period of time contributing to a certain cause.
• Voluntourism packages are sometimes offered by for-profit organizations. This may result in funds going toward the tourism industry rather than the local community although this isn’t always the case. (Volunteers need to inform themselves about this before signing up).
• Anyone can join a project and no expertise is required.

This may help you decide what type of project and types of voluntourism you would like to participate in. There is no right or wrong when it comes to this. Both options have their place when done right.

The Pros and Cons of Voluntourism

Voluntourism has gotten a bad reputation over the past few years with articles appearing claiming more harm than good is being done. Especially when it comes to working with children. Let’s not forget that the intention of participants is to help and is intrinsically good. Some volunteers don’t have the time to contribute for several months but are looking for an opportunity to help where they can.

Although there seems to be an increased desire to help and contribute by those more fortunate, it’s not easy for organizations to create opportunities to fulfill this need of helping out and linking it to work that would make a meaningful and sustainable difference.

Here are a few of the pros and cons that you need to take into account when opting for a program:

• Allows you to travel and discover a part of the world you have wanted to explore.
• You get the chance to connect with the local community.
• Participants will see a different side of their travel destination than if they would travel as a tourist.
• It is a great opportunity for cultural interchange.
• You will travel in a group and meet other like-minded individuals.
• Given you are participating in an ethical project, funds and efforts will be invested in the community.
• The time spent on the program is limited which may not lead to significant changes.
• It is possible that the funds go toward the tourism industry instead of the community when you choose the wrong organization. It’s important to do your due diligence on this.
• When working with children, it can be hard on them when volunteering for only short periods. Exposing vulnerable children to inexperienced volunteers can have a negative impact.

Why opt for Voluntourism?

As with all good things, there’s always going to be a downside when projects are not executed properly. Voluntourism has taken a few blows the past few years, with people saying there have been issues with volunteering tourism. It has endured claims that it is harming the community and is mainly focused on the participants.

First of all, let’s keep in mind there will always be naysayers that will point out that voluntary work in developing countries is condescending and not solving problems in a sustainable manner. Although there may be some truth in these acclamations, keep in mind that all of this rises and falls with the execution of the projects.

Imagine the following scenario : you have decided to tour around India for 3 weeks and will contribute to the community by teaching at schools and building houses for a couple of days during your stay.

Will you be making a difference?

It’s fair to state that you won’t be making as big of a difference when you choose to volunteer for short stints as opposed to long periods of time . Packages offered by a reputable international organization will make sure that money paid by voluntourists (volunteer tourists) will be contributed to local communities and that work done is useful to the community. (Beware of organizations that don’t have the best interest of the community at heart). The most important thing that will happen during a program is cultural interchange and social contact. Everyone will agree that social interaction is crucial in a happy life and is something everyone benefits from.

Volunteer tourists have the best intentions and are looking for ways to contribute despite time constraints. For volunteer tourists, it’s important to keep in mind that volunteer tourism comes in many shapes and forms so it’s their responsibility to look for projects they fully support.

Is volunteering in developing countries condescending?

There are claims that if you volunteer overseas that you’re portraying a message that these communities are unable to solve problems on their own. This mainly refers to programs that aren’t addressing the root problem and are exploiting both the community as the volunteers for personal gains. The goal of voluntourism projects should always be to empower local communities and give them the support they need to take their future into their own hands . Claiming that there’s no need for any help in developing countries would also be incorrect. Again, it is a matter of joining a reputable organization that understands the needs of the community and is dedicated to helping the community progress.

Although the time may be short, that doesn’t mean the interaction is meaningless. As a voluntourist overseas, you will gain a deeper understanding of what is going on in the part of the world you are visiting . You will carry this awareness with you and share it with others. Awareness moves people to behave differently and make different choices. Even if voluntourism doesn’t have a direct impact, it will have an impact nonetheless perhaps further down the road. Whether it is a unique connection you have with one of the locals, a message that you were able to bring across during an English class or a mind-shift you made after the experience which changes the way you stand in life.

What kind of Voluntourism projects are there?

The point of voluntourism is that you get to see as much of a country as possible while you volunteer for a certain cause during your trip. There are so many possibilities available that it will come down to where you want to go and what skills you have to offer Here are some possibilities that are available:

• Work at an animal conservation center or sanctuary
• Cultural immersion programs
• Community support
• Youth development
• Environmental conservation

There are so many types of voluntourism, it’s a matter of preference and skills that will determine where you will end up for your adventure. Volunteering tourism is on the uprise which means more and more projects are appearing in the social landscape. Volunteer tourists will have increasingly more options but will face the challenge of selecting meaningful and sustainable projects.

How to choose the right Voluntourism program?

The most important aspect of choosing a great program is that you do enough research on the different volunteer and travel organizations and try to answer the following questions:

• What does the organization stand for?
• What is their objective and how are they trying to achieve it?
• How are the funds they receive spent?
• How do you think you will contribute?
• What do you think the effect will be of your voluntourism work?

Take into account possible negative effects. Read up on the organization, read reviews and ask previous volunteers about their participation. There are some great agencies and non-profit organizations that are doing very responsible and good work.

Be careful when you choose to volunteer with children. Do your due diligence prior to signing up . There are organizations out there that are doing more harm than good. It’s important to take into account that we have attempted to screen these organizations but you make the final call. Choose wisely and you will be in for an incredible experience while supporting a meaningful cause.

Best places for Voluntourism

Voluntourists that have Africa or Asia on their list, will find several opportunities to volunteer and travel on the website. Peru , Brazil , and Guatemala are Latin American destinations that are available to those who are passionate about this warm culture. Those who want to get off the beaten track, can opt for a program with the Bedouins in the desert or head up to Finland to discover the Nordic wilderness. There are plenty of opportunities to discover some of the greatest parts of the world while you leave an impression on the local community and help where you can. Volunteer tourists will find several types of voluntourism which will make their hearts beat faster.

Top 5 benefits of Voluntourism

It’s hard to name drawbacks when talking about travel and volunteering overseas even if it’s for a short period of time. It’s almost always associated with feelings of positivity. Both travel and volunteering allow people to get out of their usual environment and open up to new experiences. Volunteer and travel and you will be helping the communities of your travel destination. Let’s take a look at some other benefits voluntourism may have in store for you:

1. Valuable Learning Opportunities

Choosing to volunteer and travel will open up a new world. You will learn about the country and culture and interact with the local community . This will ensure a deeper understanding of the people and their situation. Depending on your volunteer activities, you will gain valuable insights in teaching and other activities. Learn some new skills and witness the opportunities that will unfold. Whether it's for valuable work experience or a way to spend your gap year. Meaningful travel opportunities await you.

2. Meet new people

You will meet other volunteers and travelers who share your taste in activities and interests. You’ll be connecting with like-minded fellow volunteers and of course locals. This will be a wonderful opportunity for meaningful relationships and cultural interchange. Meet other volunteering tourists that share your love for travel and value for giving back to the community.

3. New Experiences

This is a brilliant way to expand your perspective on life. Issues that seemed huge problems before, may seem trivial after your volunteer experience. New life experiences make you stronger and will empower you for the future. Voluntourism is a great way to experiment and see if volunteering is something you’d like to do more of in the future.

4. Health Improvements

Traveling and volunteering are two ingredients that practically guarantee happiness. Research has proven that traveling is beneficial as it puts people in a completely different environment allowing different parts of the brain to be used . Nature, which is usually a big part of going on a trip, is a wonderful healer for those under a lot of pressure and suffering from stress. On top of that, providing some kind of support, however small, will give you a sense a purpose which is a major happiness influencer. Happy people tend to be healthy people. Volunteer and travel and notice the effects it has on you!

This is your chance to explore and discover some of the most interesting places the world has to offer. You’ll be doing this while contributing to a meaningful cause . What are you waiting for? Get out your luggage and start packing for your adventure abroad as a volunteer tourist!

How do I get started as a Voluntourism Volunteer?

You’re ready to start your voluntourism adventure but you’re not quite sure where to start? First of all, have a look at the different programs across the globe, and pick a few that have caught your attention.

Once you’ve done that, let’s take a look at the first 3 steps which will send you on your way to do voluntourism abroad:

• Check whether there’s a match between you and the voluntourism project by looking at their requirements.
• Take a look at the location of the project and decide whether it would be a location you are excited about.
• Get in touch with the organization and see whether your expectations and your schedule match up.

Once this is sorted. Let’s take a look at the practical steps:

Insurance (Health & travel)

We recommend getting both health and travel insurance. In fact, this is even a requirement for all volunteer programs abroad. Get in touch with your program contact person to find out if an insurance plan is already in place for volunteers.

Visa, passport, and documentation

Once you know your destination, take the following 3 steps before setting off on your life-changing adventure!

• Look into the visa requirements for the country you will volunteer in.
• Make sure you have a valid passport considering the requirement of the host country.
• Make sure you prepare the correct documents to fulfill the visa application

That’s it! You’re ready to explore the world and start your own personal voluntourism adventure. Get ready for a life-changing experience that no school can ever prepare you for. Africa, Asia, and Latin America are waiting for your support. Discover what these projects have in store for you. We believe it will open you up to many more volunteering adventures in the future.

UN Tourism | Bringing the world closer

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UNWTO.Volunteers

Training in development assistance

UNWTO.Volunteers programme aims at training young professionals in tourism as a tool for poverty alleviation and development, enabling them to carry-out hands-on transfers of applied practical know-how that will empower the beneficiaries willing to undertake initiatives related to the sustainable development of tourism.

• To train, theoretically and practically, young professionals with the suitable expertise and skills in the field of tourism as a tool for development.
• To provide postgraduates with practical work experience in a developing country.
• To support UNWTO, UNWTO Member States and international cooperation agencies in the formulation and implementation of plans, programmes and projects through the technical contribution of the UNWTO .Volunteers Corps.
• To provide governments (at all levels) of developing countries with high calibre junior professional tourism specialists where gaps in local expertise exist.
• To disseminate, through education and training, the policies of UNWTO in the field of tourism. In particular, tourism's role as an instrument of development and its potential to contribute to the Millennium Development Goals.

This programme is structured in two areas of work:

• University Course on Tourism and International Cooperation for Development  This intensive course trains university graduates and professionals, in subject areas related to development and international cooperation through tourism and gives them the opportunity to become part of the UNWTO.Volunteer Corps, giving them the chance to work in a developing country.
• UNWTO.Volunteers Corps: Volunteers in action! The UNWTO.Volunteers Corps provides junior professional tourism specialists to support the initiatives related to the sustainable development of tourism. The participation of volunteers in development assistance programmes/projects gives the possibility to significantly expand the scope of often badly needed direct guidance, supporting local stakeholders in implementing sustainable development programmes and projects that have been formulated by international experts. Volunteers can also support national, regional and local administrations of the UNWTO Member States, providing governments of developing countries with high calibre junior professional tourism specialists where gaps in local expertise exist.  

April 29, 2024

Privacy Made Simple

Voluntary Sector

Last updated on January 18, 2023

The Voluntary Sector (also known as the third sector, nonprofit sector, and community sector) is usually comprised of organizations whose purpose is to benefit and enrich society, often without profit as a motive and with little or no government intervention.

Unlike the private sector where the generation and return of profit to its owners is emphasized, money raised or earned by an organization in the voluntary sector is usually invested back into the community or the organization itself.

One way to think of the voluntary sector is that its purpose is to create social wealth rather than material wealth .

Although the voluntary sector is separate from the public sector , many organizations are often tightly integrated with governments on all levels to support it in the delivery of programs and services.

Examples of the Voluntary Sector

There are many different types of organizations in the voluntary sector.

Some of these organizations have a mix of paid and volunteer staff, like most charities. Other organizations are much more loosely defined, like community groups, and can be composed entirely of volunteers.

Examples of organizations in the voluntary sector include:

• Charities: World Vision, American Red Cross, YWCA
• Foundations: David Suzuki Foundation, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
• Social Welfare Organizations: Human Rights Watch, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
• Advocacy Groups: Privacy International, World Wildlife Fund
• Faith-Based Organizations: Churches, Mosques, Temples
• Community Groups: Neighbourhood Watch, Knitting
• Recreational Sports: Ultimate Frisbee, Running Clubs

The National Center of Charitable Statistics (used by the IRS to classify nonprofits) divides nonprofits into 26 major groups under 10 broad categories .

Size of the Voluntary Sector

There are different estimates for the size, income, and activities of organizations in the voluntary sector.

In the US, the voluntary sector contributed an estimated $905.9b to the US economy in 2013 , or 5.4% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).

In Canada, the voluntary sector accounts for 6.8% of the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP) and employs 12% of Canada’s economically active population (reported in 2005).

In the UK, it is estimated that the voluntary sector contributes £11.7 billion to UK gross value added (GVA, similar to a GDP), equivalent to 0.8% of the whole of the UK GVA (reported in 2012).

In 2014, the voluntary sector accounted for approximately 13% of the total EU workforce , or 23 million full-time equivalents.

The Impact of the Voluntary Sector

The voluntary sector dates back to the 19th century when philanthropists and social reformers began to establish organizations to tackle poverty and injustice. The sector has since grown and evolved, responding to the changing needs of society. Today, the sector is an essential part of the social fabric, with millions of people working to make the world a better place.

The voluntary sector has a wide range of impacts on society, both in terms of its direct services and its indirect contributions. For example, the sector provides essential services to  vulnerable  people, such as housing and food banks. Food insecurity is strongly associated with poor mental and physical health, especially with chronic diseases. Food banks have become an increasingly important part of the voluntary sector in recent years as they provide vital assistance to those who are struggling to make ends meet. The sector also acts as a voice for those who are marginalised or overlooked by government, such as refugees and people with disabilities.

The voluntary sector also contributes to social change by providing a platform for  people  to express their views and advocate for change. This can be seen through the work of grassroots organisations and advocacy groups which use the platform of the voluntary sector to raise awareness about issues that affect them and push for positive change. Four key principles underpin this work: that all individuals and groups have a sense of belonging; that everyone should have access to basic social services; that everyone should be able to participate in decision-making processes; and that everyone should be able to benefit from economic opportunities regardless of their background or circumstances.

The types and intensity of human land-use activities can also impact on lands’ ability operate as carbon sinks or sources – something which is becoming increasingly important due consideration given climate change concerns – making it another area where the voluntary sector can play an important role in helping protect our environment from further damage caused by human activity.

In addition, the voluntary sector has a significant economic impact too: By providing employment opportunities (such as training) which may not otherwise be available through mainstream channels it helps stimulate local economies while reducing poverty levels at the same time – something which is particularly pertinent when considering many single parent households led by women are amongst those most affected by poverty levels within society today according Human Rights Watch findings . The sector also contributes economically through donations made towards goods/services provided plus investments made into projects/initiatives run within communities across Britain too .

The Challenges Facing the Voluntary Sector

The voluntary sector is a vital part of society, providing essential services and resources to those in need. However, the sector faces a number of challenges that can make it difficult for organisations to provide these services. One of the biggest challenges is a lack of funding. The sector relies heavily on donations and grants from individuals and organisations, which can be unreliable and difficult to secure. This lack of funding can make it difficult for organisations to provide the necessary services and resources. In addition, the sector is often subject to criticism from government and media sources which can damage its reputation and lead to a decrease in public support. This is particularly concerning for organisations that rely heavily on public donations as this could have a  significant  impact on their operations.

Another challenge facing nonprofits is stable income and accurate budgeting issues due to limited government funding available for nonprofit organizations. Government funds are often restricted in certain areas such as health or human services, leaving other areas with little or no financial support from public funds. This has been particularly evident with cuts in legal aid funding impacting charitable organizations significantly as they play an important role in providing access to justice for those who cannot afford it otherwise. Furthermore, many donors do not understand that  voluntary organizations  cannot function without incurring overhead expenses such as staff salaries or office supplies; some donors expect all money raised by an organization should go directly towards its cause rather than administrative costs associated with running an organization efficiently . To address this issue , some nonprofits have taken steps towards recognizing these challenges by agreeing to provide critical funding for strategic assessments so they can better understand how best they can sustain their programming .

Despite these challenges, the future of the voluntary sector is bright. The sector is adaptable and resilient, and has a proven track record of delivering social change. The sector is also growing in popularity, as more and more people are looking for ways to make a difference .