voluntourism

Photo courtesy of Cambodian Children's Fund

Two billion dollars. That’s the amount organizations and individuals spend each year on voluntourism, a type of travel that combines tourism with service. An estimated 1.6 million voluntourists embark on trips ranging from a few days to a few weeks to third world countries each year. By definition, voluntourists have little or no formal skills or training. Voluntourist experiences are typically run by non-profit organizations, many of which have received criticism recently for focusing more on the short-term needs of participants than on the long-term needs of the locals.