Tips On Choosing the Right Volunteer Vacation For You
Edited by Jennifer L. Price
A new trend is making its way in the travel industry and it
appears that it will stick around for awhile. According to the Travel Industry
Association*, one-quarter of travelers say they are currently interested in
taking a volunteer or service-based vacation. But before jumping into a
volunteer vacation, it is important that travelers know how to pick the right
volunteer opportunity for them.
A meaningful travel provider that sends approximately 5,000
volunteers overseas each year, i-to-I, suggests asking these questions before
committing to a volunteer vacation:
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How long has the volunteer organization been around?
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Is the staff knowledgeable and able to help you select
a suitable trip?
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Do they provide pre-departure advice about visas,
inoculations and insurance?
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Will you have an orientation once you land at your
destination?
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Do they have support people in country for daily
questions?
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What emergency measures are in place should anything
unforeseen happen?
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Does the fee include food, accommodation and airport
pickup?
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Can you speak to past volunteers?
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Can a friend or partner come with you? If so, are there
discounts?
Given proper planning, volunteer travel can be an exciting
and rewarding experience. Imagine the face of a lion cub looking up at you
waiting to be fed at a reserve in South Africa, being at the heart of a small
community in India making a difference in the lives of poor children, or
preserving ecosystems in the Galapagos Islands that are as fragile as they are
spectacular.
Alan Rousham helped children on four i-to-i volunteer trips
in Santiniketan, India. "My volunteer experience put me back into the stream of
life, and I thoroughly enjoyed contributing what little I could to the people of
Santiniketan," said Rousham. "Volunteering overseas was brilliant and
rewarding."
To learn more about volunteer vacations, visit
www.meaningfultravel.com or call 800-985-5882.
* The Voice of the Traveler survey by the Travel Industry
Association and Synovate was conducted in May among a representative sample of
1,500 U.S. adults. |
