Voluntourism
VOLUNTOURISM -
**Thanks to our good friends at Amadeus...this appeared in their newsletter and they gave me permission to post it here!!!
New vacation trend
Consumers can travel and do good at
the same time
A new philanthropic trend is prevailing in the travel industry. Not only do these recently-popularized vacations allow travelers to explore new territorities, they also provide an opportunity to give back to society
What is Voluntourism?
Volunteering while touring. Travelers who sign up to voluntour devote their vacation time to caring for animals, visiting children in orphanages or helping those suffering from painful diseases. Other popular voluntour trips include caring for nature and building houses for those who are less fortunate.
Benefits of Voluntourism
Besides the benefit of doing something for the greater good, those who voluntour also have the opportunity to tour beautiful surrounding areas. While your customers help protect sea turtles in Trinidad by night, they can tour the breathtaking rainforests by day. Your customers can also help build homes for victims of hurricanes in New Orleans, and then have some fun enjoying the sights and sounds of The Big Easy.
Broad appeal
Just about anyone can voluntour. From travelers who enjoy spending time at the beach, to those who prefer to take safaris through Africa—there’s a voluntour program for everyone. For example, Cross-Cultural Solutions offers opportunities for individuals to voluntour in hospitals, schools and orphanages in Asia, Africa, Latin America and Eastern Europe. There’s also The Earthwatch Institute, which offers voluntour trips wherein travelers work with scientists in observing animals and in excavating projects in some of the world’s most beautiful locations.
Voluntouring in Nicaragua
Nicaragua is just one of the many countries to which individuals can travel to perform voluntouring. Sharon Lopez, manager of Amadeus account development inside sales, voluntours with a mission called “Centro de Desarrollo Cristiano Elim.” It is located in a small town in the mountains called Terrabona, 116 km northwest of Managua.
In the Development Center, Lopez and other voluntourists teach local individuals how to develop a vocation, whether it is carpentry, auto repair or agriculture. Every two weeks, doctors donate their services, as well as medications, to those who require care.
In the community Cañada Grande, Lopez has helped build a church, kitchen, dining area, doctor’s office and a house with bathrooms. She has also helped rebuild five houses that were previously demolished by storms, and replaced 25 roofs.
Lopez considers her experiences with voluntourism to be very gratifying. “They do not have the comfort that we have in this country—and it is very rewarding to give back from the abundance that we are privileged to have,” Lopez says.
Choosing a destination
There are over 10,000 different voluntourism programs available. Here’s how you can help your customers choose a voluntour trip that’s a perfect fit:
- Determine your purpose. What type of satisfaction are you looking to receive from this trip? Are you looking to learn more about a particular part of the world, help a particular group of people, or just eager to help less fortunate areas?
- Consider destinations, type of service, accommodation requirements, safety, duration and price. You may be interested in traveling to Africa, but can you afford to voluntour with a program that has a duration time of three weeks? Also consider the amount of volunteering versus touring that each program offers.
- Make a decision. After considering several options and researching the offerings of different voluntourism programs, make your final decision based on your research and what your gut tells you this trip will mean to you. Your instincts are usually right.
