There is no shortage of volunteer tourism projects around the world, but in recent years there has been growing criticism of the harm that some projects can cause. This article sets out ten things to consider before booking a volunteer tourism trip, based on academic research, so that the experience is worthwhile both for the volunteer and for the host community.
Volunteer tourism can bring positive opportunities for host communities, but there are also significant negative impacts. Researchers have become increasingly aware of these, and it is just as important that volunteer tourists are aware of them too.
The articles on the negative impacts of volunteer tourism and the commodification of volunteer tourism explain these issues in detail. This article puts those principles into practice.
#1 Where will your money end up?
The first thing to consider before booking a volunteer tourism trip is what happens to the money paid.
Higher prices are not always a sign of better-quality projects. Research into the commodification of volunteer tourism has raised concerns about the way volunteer tourism organisations spend their money. Organisations that are very commercialised are financially driven and work towards making heavy profits made from the volunteer tourism projects. However, their profits typically remain inside the business as opposed to being distributed effectively to the cause.
It is important not only to be cautious about commercialised organisations, but to pay attention to the small print. When Shannon O’Donnell discovered that none of her programme fee was passed on to the host community she developed a database of grassroots organisations called Grassroots Volunteers. Grassroots Volunteering attempts to connect travellers to causes and communities to help decommodify the volunteer tourism industry. It is worth checking a chosen organisation against independent sources before paying.
Some providers, such as i-to-i, publish brochures with example projects, which can be useful for comparing what is included. Request a TEFL brochure from i-to-i.
#2 What evidence does the company provide that you will ‘make a difference’?
Volunteer tourism is an industry that has long caused controversy. Recent publications have begun to scrutinise the volunteer tourism industry, shedding light on volunteer tourism organisations and their ability to misrepresent their products to the volunteer.
Some volunteer tourism organisations are vague in their descriptions and lack clarity about exactly what a project involves. An organisation that appears ethical in its marketing is not necessarily so.
It is important to pay attention to the little details of the project. Organisations should construct their projects based on the requirements and needs of the host community and therefore projects should be planned in advance, volunteers should not be afraid to contact the company and ask for specific details and the context of the project.
See also Volunteer tourism: The reasons why people volunteer
There are well-documented examples of volunteers building houses that are later knocked down so the next group can rebuild them, of unqualified volunteer teachers repeating the same lessons with each new group, and of children being placed in orphanages – often while they still have living parents – to attract paying volunteers and donations. Child protection organisations and many governments now advise against orphanage volunteering, and Australia recognised orphanage trafficking as a form of modern slavery in 2018.
Taking part in a volunteer tourism project can be a fantastic and worthwhile experience, as outlined in the article on the positive impacts of volunteer tourism. However, it is essential to choose the right project, where volunteers genuinely have the opportunity to ‘make a difference’.
#3 Will you have adequate training/induction to teach you essential skills and cultural awareness?
One of the most highlighted causes for concern in the literature is the lack of skills required by volunteers.
Apart from the occasions when volunteers require relevant skills, i.e. to practice medical work, most volunteer tourism projects have minimal or no skills requirements. While this may seem appealing, volunteers should be aware of the negative impacts that can arise from inadequate training or inductions.
Inadequate training and/or inductions can hinder the quality of work undertaken and lead to unsatisfactory work. Teachers who do not know how to teach will not yield the best educational outcomes of their students. Builders who do not know how to build will not make the strongest houses.
A lack of training on cultural awareness can also lead to problems. It can result in cross-cultural misunderstanding and in some cases, instigate cultural changes. These impacts are discussed in more detail in 26 ways that your volunteer tourism project is doing more harm than good .
What this shows, is that it is important to find out whether training or an induction is provided. If not, volunteers should read up on the community they will be working in, including its history, culture and way of life, before your trip to avoid the possibility of cross-cultural misunderstanding.
#4 What amenities/activities will be available to you?
There is a lot of confusion on the term ‘volunteer tourism’ and what the role actually entails. Is the participant a volunteer, a tourist or both? Is there time to be a tourist?
There is a conception that during a volunteer tourism project participants volunteer during the week and are tourists at the weekend, but the details vary between projects and should be checked.
Travelling to a community that has scarce resources will inevitably limit the range of amenities/activities available. Although there may not be many of activities to get involved in, there will be a chance to observe other cultural heritage and landscape.
It is also good to know things such as what the accommodation is like and what food is available. This is particularly important if you have allergies or specific food requirements.
It is a good idea to research and explore the community you are travelling to before you go to understand what to expect.
Guides such as Planning Your Gap Year by Nick Vandome list many opportunities for volunteering, study, work and travel, which can be helpful at the research stage.
See also What is ‘begpacking’ and why is it so bad?
#5 Will you be undertaking work that cannot be done by a local?
Although it is common for volunteers to help construct buildings, the chances are that if you do not require relevant skills or experience to volunteer, you will not be undertaking anything that the locals cannot do themselves. English teaching is sometimes an exception where native speakers are in demand, although qualified local teachers are usually better placed to deliver long-term education.
As discussed in 26 ways that your volunteer tourism project is doing more harm than good, when volunteers undertake work that could be done by the local community, this can create:
- Disruption of local economies
- Increased dependency.
- Undesirable power relations created between host and volunteer.
There is a lot of debate in literature on local employment being displaced by free-labour tourists. Volunteers take away the potential work for the local community and this also leads to the idealisation of colonialism. This refers to the view that global south communities cannot lift themselves out of poverty without help from westerners. Therefore, it is important that volunteer tourism organisations are not displacing locals with free-labour tourists.
#6 Do you have the appropriate skills/knowledge/experience?
Another thing to consider before booking your volunteer tourism trip is whether the volunteer is the best person for the job.
Volunteers should ask themselves whether they have the appropriate skills, knowledge and experience, as this will determine how much they can contribute and the impact they will have. Even when skills are not essential, they are valuable for both the volunteer and the host community.
Many organisations will match volunteers with projects that suit their skills, and this is the most ethical solution. Volunteers who are unsure can ask the organisation to suggest the most suitable programme based on their skills and experience.
What volunteers lack in skills and experience, they can partly make up for by researching the community and country before arriving.
Although your chosen volunteer tourism organisation should provide you with a pre-departure guidebook that will give you access to the necessary information, it is important for volunteers to do their own research and learn more about the community, its culture, traditions and way of life as well as the Do’s and Don’ts- for example, how to greet the locals, what to wear and how to behave.
The better equipped volunteers are with knowledge of the community, the more positive the experience is likely to be for both them and their hosts, reducing cross-cultural misunderstandings and building stronger relationships between the Global North and Global South.
See also What is tourism? A definition of tourism
#7 Is the volunteer tourism company for-profit? What are their motives?
Volunteer organisations that are commercialised more often than not have a motive for profit, especially when they are foreign-owned. With the number of volunteer programmes out there today, it is difficult to distinguish genuine organisations from commercialised ones.
The more commercialised the organisation, the more likely the organisation is contributing to the commodification of the industry and is an organisation for-profit. When the volunteer tourism company is for-profit, their motives become hazy and reflect the needs of the volunteer tourists more so than the locals. This is because they need to encourage as many volunteer tourists as possible to maximise profits.
When an organisation is motivated through consumer numbers, they ignore and overlook the priorities of the host community and this is great cause for concern in the volunteer tourism industry. At all times, the local community should be their main priority and their motivations should reflect their relationship to creating a better life for the locals.
#8 What is the relationship like between the volunteer tourism company, the tourists and the locals?
More often than not, local voices go unnoticed whilst foreign interest is prioritised over locals. Most volunteer tourism programmes are commercialised and/or are run by foreign ownership, therefore there is no telling as to what the organisation’s exact interests and priorities are. This is often reflected in the relationship between the organisation and the locals, as well as the tourists.
When an organisation becomes more commercialised, their relationship with the local community is disjointed, with goals that are more profit-focused. The relationship with host communities is not their main priority.
Therefore, it is important to join a volunteer program that listen to the voices of the host community in which it operates, as that should be the organisation’s main focus.
#9 What is the business approach of the volunteer tourism company?
Another thing to consider when booking your volunteer tourism trip is the business approach of the volunteer tourism company. What is its profit status? Is the organisation non-profit or for-profit? This will determine its business approach.
Ideally, volunteers should join a program that has a business approach which is non-profit, as this means that the sole focus of the organisation is the host community. Whereas for-profit organisations are focused on the well-being of the company and the volunteer tourist.
It may seem all well and good having an organisation that focuses on the volunteer, but this is often because of the money volunteers bring – without them, a for-profit organisation has no way of making a profit.
Independent directories such as Grassroots Volunteering can help volunteers to find locally run projects.
#10 Are there reviews from previous volunteers to prove that what is advertised matches actual experiences?
It is important to look into the organisation that you have chosen to volunteer with, and it is just as important to look into the reviews from previous volunteers. Often what organisations advertise and what they actually offer are two completely different things.
Volunteers should research organisations thoroughly before booking and look for reputable local organisations with strong relationships with the host community. Review sites such as Tripadvisor can be a useful source of information.
Many volunteer organisations also publish reviews from previous volunteers, such as those on the Volunteering Solutions website, although independent reviews are generally more reliable.
Video: What is volunteer tourism? The pros and cons
Volunteer tourism: To conclude
It can be difficult to avoid volunteer tourism organisations that create negative impacts, but considering the ten questions above before booking can help volunteers to minimise their own negative impacts and make a genuine contribution.
In the TED Talk below, a former volunteer reflects on her experiences of volunteering abroad and the difference between volunteering and touring.
Volunteer tourism: FAQs
Below are answers to some of the most common questions about volunteer tourism.
What should I check before booking a volunteer tourism trip?
Check where the money goes, what evidence there is of positive impact, what training is provided, whether the work could be done by locals, the organisation’s motives and reviews from previous volunteers.
Is volunteer tourism ethical?
It can be, if projects are led by the needs of the host community, use volunteers’ skills appropriately and do not displace local workers. Poorly managed projects can cause harm.
Why is orphanage volunteering discouraged?
Orphanage volunteering can fuel the separation of children from families and child trafficking, and short-term volunteers can harm children’s attachment. Many governments and child protection groups advise against it.
What is the difference between for-profit and non-profit volunteer organisations?
For-profit organisations aim to make money from volunteers’ fees, while non-profit organisations reinvest income into their cause. Non-profit or locally run projects are often more community-focused.
Do I need skills to volunteer abroad?
Many projects do not require skills, but volunteers with relevant skills and training usually make a more positive and sustainable contribution.
Further reading on volunteer tourism
Useful academic texts include Volunteer Tourism: Experiences That Make a Difference and International Volunteer Tourism: Integrating Travellers and Communities by Stephen Wearing, Volunteer Tourism edited by Angela Benson, Volunteer Tourism: Popular Humanitarianism in Neoliberal Times by Mary Mostafanezhad and Volunteer Tourism in the Global South by Wanda Vrasti. More accessible reads include Lonely Planet’s Volunteer and Shannon O’Donnell’s The Volunteer Traveler’s Handbook. If you found this article helpful, the following posts may also be of interest:
- Negative impacts of volunteer tourism
- Positive impacts of volunteer tourism
- The commodification of volunteer tourism
- Why people volunteer
- Ethical tourism
- The human zoo explained
