Each year brings new traveling trends. This year, it’s time for voluntourism. Perhaps you’re wondering “What is voluntourism?” Have no fear; we’re here to tell you all about the new way to travel – and even have some of the best destinations for you to try it out for yourself.
What is voluntourism?
Bringing volunteering and tourism together has led to voluntourism. It gives travelers a chance to volunteer around the world and makes sure they leave a positive impact on the world with their travels. There are all kinds of ways to get involved with a host of projects.
Global Himalayan Expedition – Nepal and India
You need to be prepared for several days of hiking to take part in this voluntourism. However, the benefits are worth the effort. Volunteers hike with solar micro-grids and help to install them in remote villages that had previously been off-the-grid. The engineers then work with locals to help train them in the maintenance of the panels.
Relief Riders International – Mongolia
Relief Riders International is excellent for people who love horseback riding as riders help to deliver sanitation, food, educational, and medical supplies to thousands of people living across Turkey, Ecuador, and India. The founder of it all says that riders find their expeditions and end up getting a once-in-a-lifetime experience as a result.
Biosphere Expeditions – Armenia
This voluntourism opportunity allows people to help give back to nature thanks to Biosphere Expeditions. The foundation has been running for over two decades as teams take part in data collection and wildlife surveys. Volunteering here has helped to ban wolf hunting, create several national parks, create new laws, and conserve ecosystems and wildlife.
Seed – Madagascar
Did you know that 80% of the fauna and flora in Madagascar can’t be found anywhere else around the planet? That’s why it’s so important to protect it all. Voluntourism with the likes of Seed has helped to educate local communities and preserve areas of beauty. This is especially important as over 90% of Madagascar’s original forest has been wiped out.
The European Nature Trust – Italy
Italy and voluntourism go hand in hand with The European Nature Trust. Volunteers travel across several national parks on foot or by electric bike where they help to protect the critically endangered Marsican brown bears. It’s believed there could be as few as 60 of these magnificent bears left. Thankfully, volunteering helps to protect the remaining few and educate locals about the importance of helping them thrive once more.
Orbis Expeditions – Malawi
Orbis Expeditions is based in Malawi and does things with a difference. The organization sees people volunteer their time and knowledge as they help to educate local small business owners about how they can grow their business and create new ideas for the future. Candidates are hand-picked, meaning that everyone is always given their perfect match to get the most out of the opportunity.
Voluntourism is a way for us to enjoy traveling the world while making sure that we leave a positive impact in our wake. The question is: where do we start?
