When Did Volunteer Travel Begin?

Voluntourism, a variation of international volunteering, has been growing rapidly in modern travel, with over 1.6 million volunteer-tourists spending around two billion dollars each year. This paper explores the social perception of volunteer tourism in contemporary Western societies and its impact on host communities. The paper reviews the 30-year evolution of volunteer tourism as a phenomenon, industry, and research area, charting changes in the size, breadth, definition, and perceived positive and negative impacts.

Voluntourism became a prominent subject in tourism literature during the last 20 years, with academic interest on alternative forms of tourism proliferating. The United Nations established the UN Volunteers program in 1968, which was fueled by formal volunteering organizations of the 1950s and the Peace Corps of the early 1960s. Some of the earliest examples of voluntourism organizations include Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) in the UK in 1958, and the Peace Corps in the United States in 1961.

Voluntourism began in the 1960s when the Peace Corps was founded by President John F. Kennedy. The British Red Cross formed the Voluntary Aid Detachments (VADs) in 1909 after World War II. The term “voluntourism” was coined in 1998 by the Nevada Board of Tourism to attract local residents to support remote rural tourism development.

International volunteering is when volunteers contribute their time to work for organizations or causes outside their home countries. The popular humanitarian gaze can be traced back to the eighteenth century, which marked the emergence of a local and global humanitarian movement. Volunteer overseas travel began around 1915, and the term “voluntourism” was coined in 1998 by the Nevada Board of Tourism to attract local residents to support remote rural tourism development.

What is the global volunteer month?

April is Global Volunteer Month, a time to honor and celebrate volunteers worldwide who actively support their communities and inspire civic action. As a force that transforms the world, volunteers play a vital role in strengthening communities. The month encourages everyone to take action, as every act of service contributes to a more connected world. By lending your time, talent, and passion to making a difference in your community, you can create a ripple effect around the world.

When did tourism start to develop?

Tourism is the act of spending time away from home for recreation, relaxation, and pleasure, using commercial services. It originated in western Europe in the 17th century and has traces to Classical antiquity. Tourism follows a “beaten path” and benefits from established systems of provision, insulated from difficulty and danger. It overlaps with other activities, such as pilgrimage, leading to shared categories like business tourism, sports tourism, and medical tourism.

By the early 21st century, international tourism has become one of the world’s most important economic activities, impacting regions from the Arctic to Antarctica. The history of tourism dates back to ancient Greece and Rome, where organized travel with supporting infrastructure, sightseeing, and essential destinations and experiences can be traced. This led to the origins of heritage tourism and beach resorts, with the Seven Wonders of the World becoming tourist sites for Greeks and Romans.

Was tourism a thing in the 1800s?

During the nineteenth century, American cities primarily exported tourists, with the phenomenon of urban tourism emerging between 1800 and 1870.

What is the oldest form of tourism?

Religious tourism represents an ancient form of tourism, whereby individuals or groups embark on journeys to locations of religious significance. One prominent example is the pilgrimage to Mecca.

When did voluntourism start?

The voluntourism industry has its roots in the Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) and the Peace Corps, which were the first organizations to operate in 1958 and 1961 respectively. These organizations place volunteers in skilled positions for extended periods, providing housing arrangements and a small living stipend. Earthwatch, a decade later, offered short-term volunteer opportunities for short trips around the world, such as conserving bees in Costa Rica or studying whale behavior in Iceland. The industry gained significant momentum in the early 2000s after natural disasters like the Boxing Day Tsunami and Hurricane Katrina, encouraging people to travel and assist communities in need.

When did volunteering begin?

The concept of volunteering has been around since ancient times, with the first volunteer organizations in Britain dating back to medieval times. In the 19th century, organized forms of volunteering began to gain momentum, such as the YMCA in London. In the 20th century, more volunteer organizations emerged, such as the Rotary Club, which aimed to bring people of different backgrounds, cultures, and beliefs together to exchange ideas, create friendships, and make a positive impact. Volunteerism has a long and storied history in the United States and the world.

When did International volunteer Day start?

The International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1985, is celebrated annually on 5 December. It is a partnership between governments, the UN system, and civil society organizations, with a focus on partnership and development. Many countries have strategically used the day to highlight volunteers’ contributions to achieving the Millennium Development Goals, which aim to combat poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, environmental degradation, and discrimination against women.

The day is also attended by representatives from various sectors, including media, academia, foundations, the private sector, faith groups, and sports and recreational organizations. The General Assembly invited governments to observe the day annually and raise awareness about the importance of volunteer service.

Who is the founder of volunteer?

Volunteer for India is a non-profit organization founded by Gautham Ravindran and Ramalingam Natarajan to uplift the underprivileged population and address social issues in India through structured volunteering programs. The organization aims to enable every Indian to volunteer for social betterment and promote volunteerism as a national value. Volunteering allows individuals to be at their most human self, making it relevant in today’s world.

The philosophy of “practice random acts of kindness” is reaffirmed through the work of the organization, which has shown how even simple acts of kindness can have a significant impact on people’s lives.

The organization has provided a pan-Indian platform for promoting volunteerism as an innate character to every individual in the country. The organization encourages volunteers to create a self-sustained society that empowers and empathizes with each other, ensuring that everyone contributes to the betterment of their communities. Volunteer for India aims to pass this philosophy onto the vibrant youth across India.

What are the dark side of volunteer tourism?

Voluntourism can negatively impact communities by causing feelings of isolation and distrust between volunteers and locals. Short-term volunteers may lack cultural understanding and language skills, making communication difficult. Additionally, they may engage in culturally insensitive or disrespectful activities. Many voluntourism programs charge exorbitant fees without providing proper training or education, creating a profit-driven industry that exploits volunteers’ good intentions without providing real benefits to the communities they claim to help.

Is voluntourism ever ethical?

Community-developed projects often overlook the issue of long-term dependency during planning stages. Communities often seek to infuse cash into the local economy through voluntourism fees, leading to poorly planned volunteer projects. While volunteering for projects like building houses, schools, and painting is ideal, it doesn’t automatically make it an ethical project. Often, the fees and donations from volunteers fund these projects, and communities bring in volunteers to raise funds.

This is not a bad idea for them either, as it helps them invest the money donated for the project directly into the community. Therefore, it’s crucial to consider the long-term impact of volunteering on the community’s economy and the ethical implications of such projects.

What is the history of volunteering abroad?

International service began with workcamps after World War I and early missionary service. Formal overseas volunteering can be traced back to the British Red Cross’s Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) scheme in 1909. Service Civil International organized workcamps as a form of post-war reconciliation from 1920 onwards. Up to the mid-20th century, overseas volunteering projects were mainly undertaken by people with direct connections to a particular cause and were considered short-term in nature.

Organizations such as Australian Volunteers International, International Voluntary Services, and Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO) paved the way for broader recognition of overseas volunteering in later years. During the 1960s and 1970s, a movement of volunteerism and study abroad programs became popular among university students and graduates, and the United Nations launched the UN Volunteers program for young professionals to participate in a long-term overseas program.

In the late 20th century, medical international volunteering emerged due to the lack of qualified healthcare personnel in developing countries. This led to the employment of doctors and nurses in third-world countries, practicing Western medicine in non-Western environments. Globalization fostered cross-cultural exchange, collaboration, and networking among all parties involved, playing a pivotal role in increased global connectivity and awareness of health disparities and humanitarian needs.

Global health initiatives underwent a shift from disease-specific interventions to the advancement of internal healthcare systems due to an increased presence of non-communicable diseases rooted in unhealthy diets, substance abuse, physical inactivity, and exposure to unclean and hazardous energy sources. The World Health Organization (WHO) rapidly diverted energy to revitalizing efforts that would effectively bolster health systems, with volunteering with organizations like Global Medical Brigades exemplifying WHO goals and becoming increasingly sought after by undergraduate students, medical students, and healthcare professionals.