What is the difference between a volunteer vacation and voluntourism?
Typically a “volunteer vacation” is a vacation that is dedicated entirely to volunteering – with no emphasis on the tourist aspects of a destination. As you can imagine, there are individuals who are drawn to such experiences for numerous reasons, like the prospect of having a potential, fully tax-deductible trip. Others seek to differentiate themselves from being a traditional “tourist.” Still others want to have a mini-“Peace Corps” engagement. Voluntourism, on the other hand, recognizes the importance of two key factors: balance and reciprocity. A balanced engagement alternating between voluntary service and tourism activities allows for a reciprocal relationship with communities. Residents who may be recipients of voluntary service are able to return that service by sharing their destination with visitors via exposure to the arts, culture, geography, history and recreation. The economic impact of tourism is blended with the social impact of volunteering: recipients become servers a
