Photo by Valley Vistas
Perhaps, a volunteer vacation. A lot has been written on the Internet and the in the press about the popularity of volunteer vacations during this recession. The New York Times touted these trips as “guilt-free” getaways because people can rationalize taking “trips that emphasize service, values and personal fulfillment.” Volunteer vacation satisfies one’s desire:
* to spend inconspicuously
* to spend on something more meaningful to justify the cost
* to feel good and have a purpose
* to put their lives in perspective
* to take a vacation to escape the …

Photo by Gaetan Lee
Travelers who may want to volunteer with a NGO (non-governmental organization), especially those of you who want to plan your own volunteer vacation, Alanna Shaikh at Blood and Milk gives some great guidelines on how to pick a good NGO to work with.

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Those of us who work in international development inevitably work with NGOs. You may be employed by them, donate to them, volunteer with them, join a coalition, or contract them to do something. When you enter into that relationship, you need to know as …

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 …

Photo: mike baird
Proper planning for your family volunteer vacation can lead to a very rewarding experience. Here are some helpful tips to make your family volunteer trip an experience of a lifetime.
Do your research! Begin researching and planning your trip about three months before you leave. Figure out where you want to travel, types of volunteer service, types of organization you want to go through, length of vacation and how much time devoted to volunteering, etc. Also, you want to find out about health and trip insurance, language/culture concerns, and …

With the economy in a recession, many families are curtailing their travel plans or looking to get a bigger bang for their travel buck, either in cost or getting the “max” from their travel experiences. Families are reluctant to travel just for indulgence, they want travel to add value to their family life.
Volunteer vacations meet this criteria. A family taking a volunteer vacation together reaps far greater benefits than the typical relax and rejuvenate vacation — it can be transformative. A story that puts this into perspective — a …

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 …

As part of our on-going series, Budget Volunteer Vacations , we spotlight low cost, no frills volunteer travels to various destinations around the world. These trips do not include airfare, but meals and lodging are often included at no cost or for a minimal cost of $100-$200. These trips are great add-ons to your vacations!
Finding a volunteer vacation that doesn’t require you to master the local language can be hard. That’s why Pueblo Ingles might be just the kind of trip you’re looking for!
Literally, “Pueblo Ingles” means “English village”. …

The Center for Responsible Travel (CREST) has released a guide helping travelers figure out how to minimize “unintended consequences” of giving while on vacation. Travelers’ intention to help, interact and learn are all good, but sometimes “misguided contributions can perpetuate cycles of dependency, cause corruption, burden communities with unwanted or inappropriate donations, and require recipients to spend time and resources to handle “gifts” they didn’t request or cannot use,” according to CREST.

CREST asked a dozen tour operators and tourism organizations who work with local community projects how they respond to …