Volunteer vacations are becoming so popular that the travel industry has coined a word for this kind of tourism. Now you can search the web for voluntourism and find hundreds of sites that provide travel with a heavy focus on volunteering.
Many of those programs have you signing up for a week or two, or even a month, working in your own country or abroad. But many travellers either don’t have that kind of time to commit to volunteering or they would rather volunteer to help but still keep some relaxing time for themselves.
The travel industry is always looking for ways to keep you happy, so there are more and more opportunities cropping up for short-term voluntourism. Some people would argue that one week is short-term volunteering, but I’m talking about really short-term voluntourism here, as in a day or even half a day.
There are conservation organizations that provide opportunities to help clean up beaches or work on park trails for a day or half day at a time. Check with local tourist bureaus in the city or the country you are visiting to see if any short-term opportunities exist. You can also check with your hotel or tour operator. Some online travel booking sites also offer volunteer trip opportunities.
Even high-end hotels and resorts are getting into the act, offering half day programs where guests assist at local food banks or pull invasive weeds in parks and still get to spend the rest of their stay in cushy comfort.
Some people feel that this type of short-term volunteering is this just salve for a guilt trip by “wealthy” travellers. You have to evaluate that for yourself. We don’t think anyone should be discouraged from volunteering to help others. In the long run, the trend is a good one.
One interesting program you can explore for short-term voluntourism is called GVI Canada. Founded in 1998, GVI runs programs in 21 locations in 13 countries around the world, each manned by its own staff and aligned to the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals as well as the objectives of local partners
During your short-term voluntourism, you might, for instance, visit a community centre where locals can practice their English, or you might visit a women’s centre where you can purchase crafts the women make to support themselves and their families. You still are really just a tourist, but the very act of being a tourist and spending money and time with locals helps. Sounds good to me!
Wherever you travel, you can have a more meaningful trip by connecting with locals. Support local businesses and local community projects if you can. Short-term voluntourism is just one more way to enrich your travel experience.
BECOME A TRAVEL LIKE THIS CONTRIBUTOR. Contact us for details.
The views, opinions and positions expressed by columnists and contributors are the author’s alone. They do not inherently or expressly reflect the views, opinions and/or positions of our publication.
