Instead of soaking in the sun poolside or lounging around a luxurious hotel, more travelers are spending their vacations creating trails in the Faroe Islands, digging into the earth of Patagonia or maintaining rugged paths in the mountains of Eastern Europe. They are trading relaxation for a sense of purpose.
Volunteer tourism generated $848 million in 2023 and is projected to grow 6 percent per year from 2024 to 2030, according to the market research company Grand View Research.
“The new generations are much more interested in environmental awareness and issues,” said Josian Yaksic, chief executive of Las Torres Patagonia, a hotel in Chile that runs a program called 10 Volunteers for 10 Days. “They have a sense of gratification when they contribute to the environment.”
Yet as interest in volunteer travel grows, so do the questions surrounding it. Critics point to everything from savior complexes among tourists to whether volunteer roles should go to skilled workers in their home countries instead of novices from abroad.
Meagan Neal, executive director of the Transcaucasian Trail Association, which coordinates volunteers to rebuild and maintain hiking trails, works to strike a balance in her program in the Caucasus Mountains, making sure that specialized jobs stay local and paid while making her teams as global as possible.
“Where we have found that sweet spot,” she said, “is with hosting international volunteers alongside local volunteers.”
