Commercial voluntourism has sadly become a worldwide phenomenon. Developing countries are increasingly flooded by unskilled, untrained, and unqualified young people from industrial nations. In many cases, these so-called volunteers have the honest intention to help. But too often, they choose organisations that do not aim to provide sustainable or meaningful support.
The degrading term “voluntourism” reflects the commercialisation of volunteering — turning what once was an act of solidarity into a travel experience. Traditional volunteering has become a tourist adventure package for people from the Western world who seek to “help” abroad, often without real understanding of the context they enter.
Unethical volunteering agencies exploit both the poverty of developing countries and the naivety of young travellers by selling carefully marketed “helping experiences.” Their goal is not to support people in need — it is to profit from their struggles. These companies sell the illusion of doing good. Their income depends on the number of travellers they recruit, so they accept almost anyone as a volunteer, without background checks, skills, or ethical guidelines. Everything becomes a product. Everything becomes business.
Fortunately, in recent years, critical research and journalism on voluntourism have increased significantly. To dive deeper, check our List of Literature and Articles for more illuminating insights.
Most Common Downsides of Commercial Voluntourism
We are fully aware of the dangers of commercial voluntourism and the harm it causes to societies and cultures. Guided by Our Vision and Our Philosophy, we see it as our responsibility to educate and inform about these issues. Only by understanding how such organisations operate can you make better, more responsible decisions.
Learn more about how we work differently —
and what makes us a truly non-profit initiative — by reading Who We Do Not Want to Be.