Does voluntourism do more harm than good?

Voluntourism is the practice of volunteering one’s labour to a charitable cause in a developing country, in return for a soul-cleansing, perspective-changing, CV-bolstering experience. Perhaps a bit cynical? But with good reason. Whilst it could be a mutually beneficial redistribution of wealth from the developed world to the developing, voluntourism harbours a dark and exploitative underworld. In 2021, NPR.org reported that the industry was worth an estimated $3 billion per year, according to University of Strathclyde lecturer Konstantinos Tomazos. What is voluntourism? Can it really be that bad? Is voluntourism at all beneficial? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen to the last episodes, you can click here: ⁠⁠What are the best ways to keep warm outdoors?⁠⁠ ⁠⁠How can I avoid always feeling hungry?⁠⁠ ⁠⁠How did female body hair become taboo?⁠⁠ A Bababam Originals podcast, written and produced by Joseph Chance. First Broadcast: 21/2/2023 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices