Poverty is in the spotlight, and helping the poor, dare we say, is in vogue. With rapid technology, images of the poor and messages of needs are quickly and frequently transmitted by media outlets, internet, and social media. The number of charity organizations is growing rapidly. Heart-strings are tugged, curiosity aroused, and people want to get involved. This interest in the poor has extended to travel.
Touring impoverished areas of the world is fast becoming a global travel trend. Inevitably questions arise.
Well-to-do Westerners are putting down serious …

A survey just released by University of California San Diego Extension showed Americans’ interest in voluntourism climbed by 21% from a year ago. About 69% of Americans surveyed have participated in donating money or time to a global cause, up from the 48% in their spring 2008 poll.
“More and more people in all stages of life are thinking of becoming global ‘voluntourists,’” says Bob Benson, director of the Center for Global Volunteer Service at UC San Diego Extension. “People are looking to volunteer their time in meaningful ways that …

Yesterday’s New York Times article confirmed what we have been saying, voluntourism or volunteer travel is resilient during this recession because people will find creative ways to source and pay for their travels if they feel their travels have value and meaning. Certainly, there will be adjustments and compromises as cost becomes a bigger factor in the decision-making process. But as the article noted, teens, in this case, will continue to go on service trips because these experiences are far too important for them to forgo. Schools are requiring …

The Associated Press (AP) just released a poll indicating that fewer Americans will be traveling for leisure this summer. While this is probably true and is expected given the health of our economy, the decline is less than we expected, 42% of Americans plan vacation travel this summer down from 49% in 2005.
On the flip side, this polling data reveals that ALMOST HALF the group surveyed will STILL be traveling for leisure DESPITE the economy. The data suggested more travelers will be coming from those with higher income (66% in …

Sensing growing consumer preferences (and market opportunity) for meaningful and give-back travel experiences, travel operators such as hotels and cruise lines, eager to expand their products, are quickly adding voluntourism to their program offerings. Another sign of voluntourism being mainstreamed.
Holland America just announced its pilot program, Cruise With Purpose(SM), which enable cruise guests to participate in meaningful community volunteer work and scientific data collection on specially designed tours as part of their shore excursions. Beginning with their Alaska cruise this summer (May through September 2009), they will feature volunteer …

The growing popularity of volunteer travel or voluntourism has people curious about the industry asking — who takes these trips and what is it about? As one of the fastest growing areas in travel, people in and out of volunteer tourism want to get a good look into this developing industry.
Alexia Nestora of Lasso Communications sent us their newly released volunteer travel study, conducted in conjunction with GeckoGo and Bradt Travel Guides, that provided a snapshot of consumer attitudes toward volunteer travel, the motivations behind taking this …

Here is a recent article from community newspaper, Bluffton Today, on how voluntourism really DOES pay off.
Two decades of decline in demand for Zambia’s agricultural exports and severe droughts devastated Zambia’s economy. The International Monetary Fund loaned money to the country, but demanded the government decrease spending on healthcare and education, forcing local villagers to pay for the services themselves. Because the villagers subsisted on agriculture, they earned less than $1 a day, making medical care and schooling impossible.
Widespread poverty, food insecurity, lack of electricity and sanitation, plus …