Instead of soaking in the sun poolside or lounging around a luxurious hotel, more travelers are spending their vacations creating trails in the Faroe Islands, digging into the earth of Patagonia or maintaining rugged paths in the mountains of Eastern Europe. They are trading relaxation for a sense of purpose.
Volunteer tourism generated $848 million in 2023 and is projected to grow 6 percent per year from 2024 to 2030, according to the market research company Grand View Research.
“The new generations are much more interested in environmental awareness and issues,” said Josian Yaksic, chief executive of Las Torres Patagonia, a hotel in Chile that runs a program called 10 Volunteers for 10 Days. “They have a sense of gratification when they contribute to the environment.”
Yet as interest in volunteer travel grows, so do the questions surrounding it. Critics point to everything from savior complexes among tourists to whether volunteer roles should go to skilled workers in their home countries instead of novices from abroad.
Meagan Neal, executive director of the Transcaucasian Trail Association, which coordinates volunteers to rebuild and maintain hiking trails, works to strike a balance in her program in the Caucasus Mountains, making sure that specialized jobs stay local and paid while making her teams as global as possible.
“Where we have found that sweet spot,” she said, “is with hosting international volunteers alongside local volunteers.”
Here, places you can get involved:
The Caucasus
No prior experience is necessary, but this volunteer program involves more intensive outdoor work than the average hiking trip. Participants stay in tents at remote base camps, cook on camp stoves and spend up to 10 days repairing trails, clearing undergrowth and installing signage. Up to 85 participants will be chosen for this year’s summer opportunities.
For his first trip to Georgia, Matt Schultz, 27, from Arlington Heights, Ill., traveled with Transcaucasian Trail and then took time for sightseeing. He believes the volunteering was a better way to meet people and explore the country, and he is now a Peace Corps volunteer in Georgia.
“The main reason was meeting more locals and building relationships with them, and also having a unique outdoor experience,” he said.
Application deadlines vary by location: June 1 for Azerbaijan, June 15 for Armenia and July 1 for Georgia. The first group begins in Armenia on June 29, and the final group starts Sept. 7.
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