Voluntourism Best Practices
Voluntourism is on the rise. Originating from the social consciousness movement, awareness and sensitivity to global issues, there is certainly high demand from voluntourists to travel, take part in volunteering and make a difference.
There are many opportunities to enhance skills, and enact your good intentions but how do you really maximize your effectiveness?
It’s vital that volunteer programs are carefully planned to be impactful in terms of social, economic, and environmental issues within the community.
Volunteer travel should be transparent – it should serve the needs of the community as its sole objective; the needs of the traveler are likely to be met as well, but they are secondary. Responsible voluntourism operators should protect against manipulation of the communities they operate in, create realistic goals and set reasonable expectations for volunteers they place around the world.
Here at Hands Up Holidays, we observe best practices to ensure we give the best responsible travel management for all.
- We invest time and money to make sure you are safe. Your safety is a primary concern for us and we will take all reasonable steps to ensure you are safe.
- We are constantly consulting with local communities ensuring that the volunteering work you do will be genuinely beneficial to them
- An enriching experience for you is still important to us of course, and we are committed to providing a meaningful trip for you and your family.
- We ensure volunteers’ skills and interests are matched to the program needs.
- Volunteers are properly oriented prior to arrival and during the program.
- We provide you with the necessary information and training needed for your chosen project. You are made aware of the task scope, project duration and structure.
- Rest assured, transparency is a given. We separate out the costs of your volunteering (materials, hiring local experts and supervisors) in the trip price.
- You can be sure we provide only the best local guides to provide you the best support. We pay above the market rate so we can give you the best service.
- The accommodation for most of our trips are at the 5* luxury level, using eco sustainable properties.
- We have projects suitable for children that have been personally vetted.
