Will people think twice before giving to charity or planning a volunteer vacation during our current tough economic times? They most likely will and it would not be surprising. But, sometimes people’s deep values override even financial concerns. Each year people resolve to make volunteering a New Year’s resolution along with saving money, learning something new and traveling.
According to Jeffrey Glueck, chief marketing officer at Travelocity, people continue to look for creative ways to give back despite being financially challenged and a volunteer vacation can truly change a person’s perspective …

A growing phenomenon in travel these days is short term volunteer travel vacations, also known as “voluntourism,” “travel philanthropy,” “charity vacation,” or “traveling for good.” It’s to travel someplace and serve as a volunteer or add on a volunteer element to your holiday or vacation. A less hands on approach includes supporting local concerns either through staying in local hotels, using local services, buying fair trade, etc. or seeking companies, products or services dedicated to giving back to the community.
For many of us, volunteering abroad evokes images of dedicated young …