Voluntourism is about traveling to destinations that need volunteer help for better development. It’s similar to ecotourism but focuses more on communities or making a visible change. It includes initiatives such as building schools, teaching English, and helping preserve wildlife.
The idea behind voluntourism is to help get a more authentic travel experience. It’s not about visiting the sights on travel lists. It’s about being proactive in the areas you’re traveling to.
When done right, voluntourism can really contribute to making a change. But you have to be careful because not all volunteering opportunities may benefit local communities. There have been cases when people had volunteered and later heard their world had to be redone by locals because they had insufficient instructions.
We’ve put together suggestions for finding a good volunteer opportunity and a few of our favorite volunteering projects.
How To Choose Beneficial Voluntourism Opportunities
Because voluntourism has seen an upward trend, some companies have tried to exploit it to make money instead of bringing real change to communities.
When you consider a volunteer opportunity, these are a few factors you should consider. First, check that the NGO or community you’re helping is legitimate. Doing some research will help. If you’re going through a company specializing in volunteer trips, check to see that it’s legitimate and read reviews. You can also contact NGOs directly, as most will have volunteer forms.
When you look at voluntourism opportunities offered by companies or NGOs, check the minimum length they require. If your volunteer help is only needed for a few days or a week, it may do more harm than good. It takes time to train volunteers and to do something lasting. Most sustainable voluntourism initiatives will last at least a few weeks. The exception is exceptional circumstances, such as natural disasters, when every bit of help counts.
Why Go On a Voluntourism Trip?
The primary reason to go on a volunteer trip is to make a change and help where help is needed.
It also gives you a better perspective of the destination country: you’ll see how people really live and not a view from a hotel room. Often, you’ll be staying with a host family. Sometimes, you may rent your own lodging. Or you’ll be staying at an organization’s provided lodging.
Another less obvious reason to volunteer abroad is that it can help your CV: employers often look at candidates’ volunteer work. It’s also a great way to network by meeting other volunteers from across the globe and locals from the area you’re volunteering.
Voluntourism Destinations
Read on to discover our volunteer tourism selections to help you choose where you’d like to help.
Spiti Ecosphere (India)
Spiti Valley is located in a high-altitude area of the Himalayas in the Himachal Pradesh state of India. The Spiti Ecosphere project has both ecotourism and volunteering opportunities.
The project aims to match volunteers’ skills with relevant volunteering opportunities. You’ll be able to help out on a farm, run a café, and more. All the volunteering programs are at least 15 days. It’s an excellent way to discover communities in the Himalayas, make an impact, and experience a different culture and way of life.
We’ve got many great deals with cheap flights to India if you decide to join the volunteering initiatives of the Spiti Ecosphere initiative.
The Toucan Rescue Ranch (Costa Rica)
Costa Rica is a country that has seen a lot of volunteer travelers. Because of its relative proximity to the US, it’s an easier trip to make. In terms of wildlife voluntourism, the Toucan Rescue Ranch (TRR) is one of the country’s most respected wildlife rehabilitation centers.
The organization was founded in 2004 to rescue, rehabilitate, and release Costa Rica toucans. With time, the Ministry of Environment and Energy of Costa Rica noticed the organization’s success with toucans and started bringing in other birds. By 2007, a baby sloth was brought in to be rescued, and the organization became a multi-species wildlife rescue facility, keeping its original name.
If you are available for at least 20 days, you can volunteer at the TRR. Depending on your experience, you’ll do food preparation, feeding, cleaning, and maintenance tasks. You’ll easily find many flights to Costa Rica, so this is a great opportunity if you have the time.
Bali Sea Turtle Rescue (Indonesia)
GoEco is one of the companies offering sustainable tourism tours. One important initiative they’re offering is helping rescue sea turtles on a small island off Bali. Spend time on a tropical island while helping sea turtles recover before releasing them back into the sea. This voluntourism opportunity will require at least a 2-week commitment, but you can stay up to 3 months. An important point with all voluntourism is the longer you can remain, the better: you’ll already know the tasks at hand and won’t need time to be trained.
You can check out the GoEco website for other opportunities in other areas. Keep in mind that the prices on their website include lodging, food, and airport transfers. But you’ll need to book a flight to Indonesia yourself. Or any other destination you decide to volunteer at.
International Volunteer HQ
International Volunteer HQ (IVHQ) is another company offering several choices of ethical volunteering destinations. It’s a great resource to look for volunteer programs that they have vetted, and they’ll take care of all the organizational processes for your voluntourism.
You’ll only need to find a flight ticket to your chosen volunteer destinations. ASAP Tickets can help do so at the lowest possible price. Talk to a travel agent to book flights, and they’ll offer several cheap flight options.
Other Voluntourism Options
You don’t always have to plan a voluntourism trip per se. When traveling in developing areas, you can always stop by a church or school and ask if help is needed.
Missionary trips can also be an excellent way to offer help if planned correctly. Because they involve groups, you’ll be able to tackle an issue together and will have all the necessary human resources. Contact us about group travel bookings if you’re considering going on a missionary trip.
Conclusion
When you plan your voluntourism, remember that it won’t be a regular vacation. Be prepared to do work and, in most cases, get your hands dirty. Voluntourism is an enriching experience, but it also needs your commitment.
We hope the suggestions above have got you curious and on the path to planning a volunteer tourism trip. As mentioned, remember that you’ll need to book your flight tickets because volunteers come from all corners of the earth. Volunteer organizations are experts at what they do. For flight tickets, you can always count on us. ASAP Tickets offers the cheapest fares possible. Contact one of our travel experts for assistance booking cheap flights by calling +18443007983 toll-free.
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