What is "Voluntourism"?

Voluntourism is the combination of the best aspects of tourism with voluntary service. This kind of travel enables travelers to not only visit the attractions of a destination, but also to engage in a meaningful way with the people and/or the environment. This kind of travel can take many forms as long as it contains both the elements of:

    volunteering AND sightseeing

    Examples of voluntourism are:

• A family goes to Costa Rica where, in addition to experiencing stunning accommodation, beaches, volcanoes and jungle, the family can help care for animals (including sloths, kinkajous, raccoons, owls, peccaries, monkeys (spider, squirrel and howler monkeys), macaws and parrots) that have been kept illegally as pets;   
• A group of businessmen decide to take a break and opt for a voluntourism experience through South America, enjoying such highlights as the Iguana Falls in Brazil and hiking the Inca Trail in Peru before teaching business skills to former coca leaf growers who are setting up an eco-tourism business.  
• A sorority chapter feels that they still have a lot to give and worthwhile knowledge to impart, and elects to teach computer skills in Kenya to young ladies fleeing female genital mutilation. They also have time to go on safari in the Masai Mara, getting up close and personal with lions, leopards, cheetahs and elephants, finishing up with some relaxation on one of Kenya's lovely beaches.
• A company wants to reward its top-performing staff with an incentive trip to Cambodia and Vietnam, taking them on a 'trip of a lifetime' through Angkor Wat. These top-performers cruise down the Mekong into Vietnam, explore Saigon and enjoy superb cuisine and the finest accommodations. They also help to improve their companies Corporate Social Responsibility ("CSR") reputation, by participating in a  renovation project to build a library and by providing scholarships for the children at a local High School.

---