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?

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.

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 :

Should my next holiday be a staycation?

Can going braless be good for you?

Why do we get verrucas?

A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

In partnership with upday UK.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices