Volunteering while traveling: the 'voluntourist' dilemma
A combination of volunteering and tourism, voluntourism has become a popular form of travel over the past few years. At first glance, volunteering internationally may seem like the perfect opportunity to combine an eagerness to make a positive impact on the world with an exciting global adventure. However, there are many hidden effects associated with voluntourism that must be considered before going on such a trip. When I visited Hermosillo, Mexico, on a voluntourism trip, I was able to learn a great deal about both the positive and negative effects of global volunteering. What is...