Tag: voluntourism

  • A Day Of Giving Back In Finger Lakes, New York.

    The idea of volunteering your time and giving back to the local area you are visiting is a central ethos to the Community Foundation of Elmira – Corning and the Finger Lakes, and this is something that I was privileged to experience for myself during my own visit to New York State. 

  • 12 Questions You Should Ask Before Volunteering Abroad.

    Volunteering on your gap year can be an amazing and genuinely noble thing, but not all volunteering experiences are created equal, and with unethical voluntourism opportunities getting harder to spot, you need to know what questions to ask before you volunteer. 

  • 10 Reasons Independent Sustainable Travel Should Be The New Normal.

    Responsible and sustainable tourism is becoming increasingly accepted as the gold standard in travel, and independent travellers are starting to question traditional tourism and demand more responsible practices instead. Here are ten reasons why that momentum should not only continue, but become the new normal.

  • Should You Pay To Volunteer On Your Gap Year?

    Should you pay to volunteer on your gap year? You are planning your gap year and want to give something back while you travel the world, you want to volunteer. You are already giving up your time and skill, you want to help someone and do something good! That is a good thing, right? But…

  • The Dark Truth About Orphanage Volunteering.

    Orphanage volunteering has become a serious international child protection issue in recent years despite being a popular staple of the gap year and voluntourism industries. Here is why every backpacker should avoid the orphanage volunteering traps on their gap year.

  • The Big Voluntourism Lie.

    The gap year voluntourism industry is hardly a pinnacle of ethical, responsible tourism at the best of times, but now their dirty little secret is about to be exposed, and the lie they have been telling travellers for a long time will be laid bare. 

  • Disaster Tourism And The Darker Side Of Travel.

    Disaster tourism is essentially the act of travelling to a disaster area out of a matter of curiosity, or using a disaster to create profit in the form of organised tours and treks. In some circumstances it can have a positive impact but there is an even more stygian side to this aspect of dark…

  • What Type Of Volunteer Are You?

    Are you a voluntourist or a volunteer? Many travellers dreaming of giving back on their gap year don’t even realise there is a difference, but there is, and it is a very important one,