Who gains the most from voluntourism?

Jane Kaye Bailey founder of The Butterfly Tree Project and Mukuni Village beneficiary.

"I appreciate the thoughtful points made throughout the following article. I encourage travelers to discern the differences that Philanthropic Travel and Voluntourism offer and to decide which experience appeals to them. Whether you prefer to spend a morning or afternoon connecting with locals as the guest of an Exquisite Safaris Humanitarian Partner (offering a tax deductible donation) and the balance vacationing (Philanthropic Travel); or prefer spending a morning or afternoon vacationing and the balance serving as a volunteer (Voluntourism) -valuable benefits accrue to all who collaborate." -David Chamberlain

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As the popularity of "voluntourism" continues to grow, so does the debate over just how beneficial volunteer vacations are to the communities and people they purport to help.

Last summer, one of the oldest and largest international volunteer charities -Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) said, "many people would be better off simply traveling for fun, rather than volunteering with "spurious" aid organizations that offer little help to those in need."

"Spending your gap year volunteering overseas has become a rite of passage for young people and the gap year market has grown considerably," said Judith Brodie, Director of VSO in the United Kingdom. "While there are many good gap year providers we are increasingly concerned about the number of badly planned and supported schemes that are spurious-ultimately benefiting no one apart from the travel companies that organize them."

She added: "Young people want to make a difference through volunteering, but they would be better off traveling and experiencing different cultures, rather than wasting time on projects that have no impact and can leave a big hole in their wallet."

Considering Voluntourism?
Questions to consider provided by Judith Brodie VSO

1. Will you be given a defined role and purpose?

2. Can you meet face to face with your provider and get detailed information about the volunteer placement?

3. How much will it cost and what does this pay for?

4. How will you be supported with training and personal development before, during and after your placement?

5. How do volunteers work in partnership with the local community and is there a long-term benefit to the community?

6. Does the organization you are going with have offices overseas that partner with local people?

7. Does the organization guarantee health, safety and security assistance?

8. Does the organization have a commitment to diversity amongst its volunteers?

9. How does the organization encourage long-term awareness of real development issues?

10. How will your work be monitored and evaluated so that others can build on what you have done?

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"Who gains the most from volun-tourism?" -Christina Jelly is a senior majoring in biochemistry and philosophy at the University of Arizona.

The University of Arizona sends record numbers of students to study abroad every year. Increasingly, international exchange is viewed as a vital component to the enrichment of our academic career. Not only does study abroad add dimension to our academic studies, but international travel broadens cultural perspectives and imparts invaluable lessons about the complexity and variety of our world.

The growth of study abroad and student exchange programs is illustrative of a broader phenomenon - not only are students venturing out of the country to study, but they are also traveling to developing countries to build schools for the poor, preserve threatened wildlife habitats and volunteer with AIDS patients.

And students are not alone. According to the Travel Industry Association of America, more than 55 million Americans have participated in so-called volunteer vacations - vacations including a jaunt in charitable activities abroad - and some 100 million Americans are contemplating similar trips.

The American commitment to volunteerism fused with our intrepid thirst for travel has created a burgeoning industry of volunteer-abroad service providers. This new brand of volunteer service differs from organizations like the Peace Corps in that it often thrusts untrained individuals into projects in developing countries for a much shorter time period.

Whether volunteers serve for two weeks or two years, they arguably provide a developing community with economic and social benefits, all free of The American commitment to volunteerism fused with our intrepid thirst for travel has created a burgeoning industry of volunteer-abroad service providers. charge and largely motivated by good will. Check out any of the glossy brochures distributed by the volunteer travel industry and you'll find a diverse range of virtuous projects: community development, conservation, health improvement, teaching, etc.

Yet, volunteer tourists are often equally motivated by the opportunity to travel and feel the personal rewards of philanthropy. Personal satisfaction may be an indivisible element of altruistic acts, but how much are these short-term voluntourism projects aimed at satisfying the personal impulses of the volunteer rather than the needs of the project and the target community?

Many voluntourism providers are for-profit agencies, and as such their priority is to satisfy the consumer. Volunteer service providers like I-to-I and Cross-Cultural Solutions spend hefty sums developing projects that guarantee the volunteer moral satisfaction. Accordingly, they charge high prices for their services - a two-week teaching stint in Ghana can cost up to $1,495. That fee doesn't even include the thousands of dollars you'll need to pay for inoculations, flights, meals, in-country transport and visas.

When such agencies spend more time and resources satisfying the desires of volunteers, the sustainability and needs of the volunteer project come second to the caprices of wealthy tourists cum humanitarians. Admittedly, some part of the program fee goes toward the project, but the vast sums of money could probably be better spent on building pre-existing infrastructure within the target community or even right here in the United States.

Voluntourism promotes sentimental concern for the needy abroad that can blind us to the poverty at home. You don't have to travel to Bolivia or Vietnam or Tanzania to find causes or individuals in need of assistance. Voluntourism can, however, potentially inculcate the pretentious fiction that the only needy beneficiaries of volunteer service are in developing countries. It's easier that way: after our adrenaline rush of charity we can return to our privileged lives knowing we've satisfied our duty to help others.

Yet, the most successful community development and volunteer endeavors are the products of sustained and committed involvement -which a two-week spell cannot imitate. The brevity of volunteer travel programs that makes them so popular also detracts from their efficacy. Projects may be long enough to provide moral fulfillment to the individual volunteer, but they might be too fleeting to have matching benefits to the community.

Granted, the spirit of volunteer travel is noble: international volunteerism fosters solidarity, trust and reciprocity among diverse cultural groups and heralds global community cohesion. As students, when we embark on our voluntourism adventures, we should ensure programs prioritize the short- and long-term gains of the project over the wants of the volunteer. Similarly, we should pledge to use our unique assets and skills to generate tangible benefits for the community, not just impressive additions to our resumes.

Learn More:
What's Good about Voluntourism?
The The One's Who Do: Visionary Philanthropic Travelers
Family Office: Philanthropic Travel
World Travel Market London: Luxury Travel with a Conscience
Travel Philanthropy: Creating Peace
The Fable of Stone Soup
Understanding Philanthropic Travel
Approaching the Omega Point: Philanthropic Travel
Travel Connoisseur Magazine on Exquisite Safaris Philanthropic Travel Worldwide
Fast Company Magazine on Philanthropic Travel
PersonalLifemedia.com on Philanthropic Travel
Philanthropic Traveler funded High School opens near Victoria Falls, Zambia
My First Philanthropic Travel Experience
Affluent Parents Dedicated to Instilling Philanthropic Values in their Children
Giving while Living: The Deeper News About the New Philanthropy
Dr. Jeffrey Sachs on the Strategic Steps Out of Poverty

Philanthropic Travelers:
Visionary Philanthropic Traveler Marc Gold 100 Friends Project
Visionary Philanthropic Traveler Chellie Kew
Milton & Fred Ochieng: Philanthropic Travelers
Jane Kaye- Bailey: Philanthropic Traveler
Richard Branson: Philanthropic Traveler
Angelina Jolie: Philanthropic Traveler
Oprah Winfrey: Philanthropic Traveler
Palm Beach Life Magazine: Philanthropic Travelers