Voluntourism.org - Travel

Voluntourism.org is a gateway to participating in volunteer travel. The Web site is a link to dozens of volunteer programs in the United States and around the world. The ongoing projects around the world range from being eco-trackers in Ecuador, who work with locals in small towns and villages doing such diverse tasks as planting trees and teaching English, to volunteering whatever services are needed in small communities in Nepal. One program lets adults live in Costa Rica, Tanzania or Thailand while volunteering on projects in health, education and the environment that emphasize grass-roots collaboration on the local level, mutual transfer of skills, and cross-cultural understanding.

Who Are These Programs For?

The wide range of programs listed on the website are for travelers who want a cross-cultural experience, families, students and corporations or employees who are flexible and want to make a difference. Many of these trips prove to be life-changing experiences. On the Web site there's a menu of Voluntours(sm).

Where to Learn More About Voluntourism.org

Visit Voluntourism.org.

Where to Find More Volunteer Vacations

VolunTourism - combining traditional travel with volunteer work - is a rapidly growing trend because combining a vacation or trip abroad with volunteering on local projects is one way you can immerse yourself in local cultures and make a difference. Are you among the one-quarter of the travelers queried in the Voice of the Traveler survey by the Travel Industry Association who said they were currently interested in taking a volunteer or service-based vacation? No matter whether you're in your 20s, a baby boomer (the group expressing the strongest interest), or parents who want to introduce their children to other cultures, there's a company offering volunteer vacations for you.

These trips and experiences are as close as building homes in New Orleans or a far away as helping in orphanages in Romania or elephant camps in Africa. To see a list of organizations that offer volunteer travel trips and vacations (where you spend a few days of a trip volunteering and explore a new country the rest) click on Top Sources for Volunteer Vacations.

Are You a Voluntourist?

Returning travelers say volunteer travel is a life-changing experience. If you are wondering if Voluntourism is right for you, here are suggestions for the route to helping you decide. Click on How to Decide if Voluntourism is for you.

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