Are you thinking about volunteer travel aboard, voluntourism or volunteer vacations, but don’t know where to start? Idealist.org is sponsoring a free Global Volunteering Fair in Boston, New York City and Washington DC next week. You can meet reps from over 30 international volunteers organizations, hear about the global opportunities and check out their programs. This is a great chance to interact with reps, address your curiosities and concerns and get a better sense of their organization. There will also be workshops on “International Volunteerism 101″ and “Affordable Options …

Voluntourism opportunities are becoming more accessible as the combo of traveling and volunteering goes mainstream. A number of tourism boards and visitors bureaus in the U.S. and around the world are offering voluntourism programs of their own to capture this class of travelers and to increase visibility and participation for their partnership community service programs. Idaho Visitors Bureau launched its voluntourism program last week. The program with its accompanying website highlights opportunities available in the arts, environment, outdoor recreation sites, and others. The website with its rustic graphics is appealing …

The keys to a successful volunteer vacation or voluntourism involve a few basic considerations: What excites you? What kind of impact are you looking to have? Where do you want to go? How will the project you choose benefit the local community? (There are less reputable charities/companies that overstate responsible travel claims.) To address these considerations, you will need to do some personal self-assessment and research.
Personal Self-Assessment
An honest personal assessment is key because it defines your trip — the type of trip you’ll take, where you will go and your …

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 …

We came across this great website, GoodShop, that allow you to contribute to your favorite charities at the same time you book your travel online. Start your search at Goodshop.com, choose a cause and then begin shopping at any of the dozens of travel Web sites–Travelocity, Expedia, Budget Rent-A-Car, Delta, and the like. Every time you complete a transaction, a certain percentage or dollar amount of your purchase will go to the charity you’ve chosen. It’s that simple!
Aside from travel, they have dozens of categories, so you …

Working during your vacation doesn’t sound much like a vacation. You may be right. But doesn’t everyone have their own definition of what a vacation is? For some, it is lying around on the beach and suntan.

For others, it is taking in all the must see sights of the destination; yet for others, they want a fuller cultural immersion and do something constructive.
So why work during your vacation? Here are a few compelling reasons:
1. Opportunity to visit unusual places and to participate in activities you would normally not do. These …

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 …