We came across this article on development tourism, which includes voluntourism and travel philanthropy, as one way to address the pressing issues of the developing world –
The 2009 Sustainable Tourism Report predicts a dramatic rise in development tourism, particularly in Africa, as tourism operators are gaining momentum in using tourism to achieve the Millennium Development Goals — Poverty Eradication, Universal Primary Education, Environmental Sustainability, Gender Equality, and Child Mortality Reduction.
The report says “Numbers of disadvantaged countries can, at least be assisted with development tourism, which, properly instituted, can help to …

Photo by rayced
In this new age of “reawakening” or “reckoning,” people coming out of a decade of excess and indulgences into our current economic recession are finding that material possessions don’t satisfy you for very long and they are looking for more meaningful and enriching life experiences. Many people, who are still financially able to travel, are traveling with a dual purpose of service and economic benefit.
Echoing these sentiments, NBC Anchor Brian William has decided his family is forgoing the traditional beach spring vacation and instead head to New Orleans. …

What’s your idea of a passionate vacation? For some couples, it’s giving a hand according to an article in TIME magazine. One trend bringing couples closer is a volunteer vacation. These vacations offer rewarding experiences – teaching, health-care, community development and environmental projects are available – but the couples’ reward is a richer vacation experience than the typical walk on the beach. For them, it’s not just the romantic passions that spark their relationships, but the incredible shared experiences that strengthen and bond their relationships.
Couples going on these volunteer …

Today’s teens are developing an appetite for traveling and volunteering. A recent analysis done by the Family Travel Forum (FTF) revealed “at least 51% of American teens have traveled outside the U.S. by their 18th birthday, and that 15% more of these young travelers were involved in service projects compared to 2007 results.” FTF editor, Kyle McCarthy, said, “The 15% increase in teen voluntourism seen since last year may be due to a heightened awareness of our interconnected world, from the environment to Darfur to President Obama’s campaign for change.” …

We hear Whole Foods Market (WFM) will offer voluntourism to customers. Its Whole Planet Foundation has teamed up with Global Vision International (GVI) to create its own Volunteer Program. Whole Foods Market founded Whole Planet Foundation (WPF) in 2005 with the mission to create economic partnerships with the poor in those developing communities that supply their stores with product.

They will offer 15 day tours to Guatemala, Costa Rica or India with costs ranging from $2,345-$2,595 (excluding airfare). The package includes local style accommodation, all meals, in-country staff, all …

There has been a lot of talk of the “R” word — Recession. There’s news of drastic drops in retail sales, job losses and higher unemployment rates everyday, the picture seems very bleak.

We’re curious how this challenging economy has affected volunteer travel abroad. Recently we asked about a dozen volunteer organizations and tour companies (1) how their businesses have been affected; and (2) how they will respond (i.e., price discounts, refocused marketing campaigns, etc). The general consensus — so far business has not been impacted. In fact, some have seen …

For those of us watching television this week, Obama became the face of volunteerism. On MLK’s day (aka day of service), which was the day before his inauguration, Obama helped paint a homeless shelter for teens and visited a military hospital in Washington DC. His message was “we are the change.” He asked Americans to turn that day’s effort “into an ongoing commitment to enriching the lives of others in their communities, their cities, and their country.” He pronounced that “if we’re waiting for somebody else to do something, it …