Voluntourism and the Perils of Unintended Consequences

By Matthew Barker The explosive growth of ‘voluntourism’ over recent years has offered a reassuring glimpse of the conscience of many modern travellers while simultaneously raising new concerns over who really benefits from this burgeoning industry. Although the desire to do good abroad is indisputably a noble one, the charges against certain forms of voluntourism are varied and, in many cases, apparently justified.