Voluntourism

What does Voluntourism mean?

Volunteering and tourism

Voluntourism is when tourists volunteer in an organized way to undertake holidays that might involve aiding or alleviating poverty, restoring environments, or researching aspects of society (73). Put simply, it blends “volunteering” and “tourism” — with tourism often taking priority (74).

Colonial roots

Although often described as a relatively recent phenomenon (75, 76, 77), many scholars argue that voluntourism’s logic is rooted in colonial histories and unequal global power relations (78, 79). European colonial missionaries are described as the most obvious predecessor (80). Building on this, research suggests that voluntourism can replicate earlier “saving” narratives, as groups from the Global North intervene in Sub-Saharan Africa under the guise of aid, often with varying levels of local consent, echoing missionary-era dynamics (81). Colonialism itself was frequently justified as benevolent development and framed as the “White Man’s burden” to build Africa (82).

“Help” and “Need” narratives

Contemporary voluntourism is often critiqued for appropriating humanitarian language in ways that imply entire populations “need” Western help to develop — for example through messaging such as “Africans need your help” (83).

A globally growing industry

More than 1.6 million people pay to participate annually (84), spending around $1 billion dollars each year (85) — with average trips costing between $500 and $2,000 (86). Providers often market volunteering as an exciting “adventure,” while volunteers’ suitability may matter less than their financial ability to pay. Even short volunteer activities embedded in a larger trip can fall under voluntourism. Providers are often agencies that market volunteering as an exciting “adventure”, while volunteers’ suitability may matter less than their financial ability to pay. Importantly, even short volunteer activities embedded in a larger trip can fall under voluntourism. Its growth is also reflected in rising visibility, including the increase in Google searches for “Volunteer tourism” from 230,000 to 6,170,000 within a one-month period when comparing 2008 to 2017 (87). Sub-Saharan Africa is often described as one of the fastest growing voluntourist destinations for young people from the Global North (88).

Dark tourism and disaster tourism

In contexts involving people on the move, voluntourism can also appear as “dark tourism” or “disaster tourism” — where individuals travel to camps or humanitarian projects primarily to witness crises, take photos, and collect stories to report back home. These touristic and exploitative elements undermine what support and solidarity work should be.

Consequences of Voluntourism

▶Volunteers are prioritized more than locals

A recurring critique is that voluntourism projects can be “shallow” — oriented toward volunteers’ aims, priorities, and interests rather than local communities’ needs (89). The “benefits” often accrue to volunteers: intercultural experience, adventure, friendships, CV value, and the feeling of having done “something good,” regardless of actual outcomes for communities. For those receiving support, this model can be more harmful than helpful, especially when volunteer satisfaction is prioritized over sustainable, locally grounded work.

▶Paternalistic and racist-influenced hierarchies are reproduced

Paternalistic assumptions can be reproduced even when intentions are positive. Some volunteers have believed they were introducing communities to the work ethic of the “American Dream” — interpreting their presence as “improving” others through exposure to Global North norms (90). In this way, volunteering can reproduce hierarchies and racist-influenced images of passive and needy “others,” implying they should be grateful for any attention from volunteers. These dynamics are political, yet often overlooked because voluntourism is framed as a personal, moral act.

▶Sustaining colonial logic and neo-colonial continuity

Voluntourism functions as a form of international relations shaped by colonial history, where the West seeks to “save” others by doing what the West assumes is best. Even when interpreted through “liberal guilt,” it is more plausibly connected to a Western moral drive to improve the world (91). Across the literature, a central stated aim is often to “make a difference” and help “them” (92). At the same time, scholars argue the parallels with colonial histories are too significant to ignore. The similarity between colonization and voluntourism, and the negative meanings that follow, are “far too significant to be ignored” (93). Accordingly, even if the industry is not directly state-led, its growth through Western businesses and social demand can still reproduce older patterns of soft power and influence (94).

▶Unqualified support and instability of projects

Volunteers often lack relevant qualifications and experience. In many crisis contexts — including Europe’s (external) borders — support structures rely on volunteers due to the enduring situation and lack of political will to provide sufficient trained personnel. People without appropriate qualifications may take on responsibilities beyond their competence. Projects that disappear quickly can raise expectations and hopes that are later disappointed, producing harm that may outweigh any short-term benefit.

What does this mean for your work with people on the move?

Even with good intentions, voluntourism cannot be treated as neutral. Because it emerges from histories of intervention and power imbalance, it is always “a political act.” (95) Volunteers may not experience their actions as “political,” but voluntourism can operate as a form of international relations shaped by inequality. Cheong and Miller similarly argue that while voluntourists may aim to “remedy unequal balance of power between rich and poor”, the business itself can perpetuate international dependency (96). If your goal is solidarity rather than saviorism, this means taking responsibility for how you enter, act, and speak within these contexts.

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What you can do in practice

Choose organisations carefully. Assess whether the organisation demonstrates sustainability and critical self-reflection. Well-intentioned projects that cannot last long enough, or that make promises they cannot keep, can cause serious harm. Do no harm!

Interrogate your motivation. Listen honestly for traces of voyeurism. Ask yourself whether the attraction of crisis, suffering, or political catastrophe plays a decisive role in your interest. Support work with people on the move should never be disaster tourism, but an act of solidarity.

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Voluntourism

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