The Pros And Cons Of Volunteer Tourism

The movie discusses the long term impacts of tourism on cultures, economies, and on the environment. It uses dramatic examples from several beach parties such as Thailand’s Koh Pha Ngan Island. With large amounts of litter lining the shore, the film suggests that the financial benefits of tourism will not work without a proper development plan. The story starts and ends in Bolivia focusing on the impact of the autobiographical book “Lost in the Jungle”. In 1981, Ghinsberg gets lost in the Bolivian jungles. He miraculously survives despite near death experiences. His tale of survival has lured many other adventure travelers to Bolivia, creating pressure to the country’s tourism industry. From the jungles of Bolivia, to the deserts of Timbuktu, Mali, we see breathtaking views of how tourism has affected society. The film follows the well-worn gringo trail travel route in Latin America and beyond, revealing a complex web of relationships between that cultures which collide yet require one another. Finally, the movie reveals certain sustainable alternatives to tourism.

"Cannibal Tours" by Dennis O 'Rourke made me rethink my view of tourism. Whereas before I thought tourism could be a good way for people from different cultures to learn about each other, I now consider, it is necessary for tourists to show local people as they are here, to gain knowledge about villagers and give them knowledge of where tourists came from. Both parties should learn about each other culture, rather than taking pictures of what fascinates tourists the most. From “Cannibal Tours” I experienced, often we criticize another culture for being behind with technology, education and their way of thinking. For instance, in the film, it was clear that tourist and primitives had two different acts, first, an act of taking photographs of primitives, second an act of bargaining for second or third price. Tourists take a lot of advantage of weaker people and try to transform their way of life. After I watched the film, it made me think about the impact tourists have inflicted on the local people of New Guinea and their ways of life as their culture is slowly wearing away because of the invasion of tourists.

Jamaica Kincaid addresses the reader as a tourist in her book A Small Place. Throughout the book her sarcasm and resentment towards the postcolonial state of the country cannot be missed. She exposes the “ugliness” of tourism, she writes, “The thing you have always suspected about yourself the minute you become a tourist is true: A tourist is an ugly human being” (14). Kincaid points to the fact that the tourists (European and American) and the tourism industry are morally ugly. The first section of her book displays how tourism uses the natives and the country as sources of pleasure for the tourists as they make their way to their hotel, they watch in awe at the condition of the country. Kincaid writes, “They [Antiguans] are too poor to escape the reality of their lives; and they are too poor to live properly in the place where they live, which is the very place you, the tourist, want to go—they envy your ability to turn their own banality and boredom into a source of pleasure for yourself” (19). The tourists do not see, and perhaps do not want to see the reality of this picturesque island they are vacationing on. Kincaid writes, “[Y]ou needn’t let that slightly funny feeling you have from time to time about exploitation, oppression, domination develop into full-fledged unease, discomfort; you could ruin your holiday” (10). This mirrors the mindset of not only tourists, but of the past and current exploiters who do not see the suffering and damage they cause, but

Although trips to third world countries are expensive, money for the plane ticket and other expenses are not the only factors that are affecting others in a positive way. The human interaction and personal level of care for those in need is a powerful manner to care and enhance the prosperity of others. People all over the world could use help from others, not just materialistically or economically. Human welfare should not just be measured by the materials they have or how much money they have.

While many problems are associated with International tourism, it can still offer some advantages. For one thing, International tourism can open job opportunities for the native citizens. To demonstrate, when tourists visit an area, the vast majority of them don’t have a clue on

According to Jamieson (2004:13) various strategies can be used to alleviate poverty through tourism such as

Volunteerism is dropping for emergency responders, and it is affecting how emergency services can be provided to local communities. Looking for reasons why volunteerism is dropping and what options are available for these volunteer companies and communities in order for them to effectively continue protecting the people and property within their communities is very important to me. If local fire companies no longer exist, how are people in the community going to be protected? In addition to fire suppression, firefighters are called on to assist with numerous other situations including auto accidents, downed wires, flooding, emergency medical service, hazmat incidents, and various rescue operations. There is simply not enough money to fund career fire departments for every community. Even in the

It is always a great time to volunteer, as it is a critical part of the United States Economy as well as the economy around the world. It is not only a great contribution to society, but a great contribution to what is relevant, it could be for a cause very close to you like volunteering at the neighborhood watch or something that can change the lives of millions of people like volunteering as a firefighter, nurse, natural/civil disaster areas worldwide, and the list could go on, but the idea is always there, and that is, to volunteer for a greater cause.

The Republic of Costa Rica is a picturesque country located in Central America, forming a land bridge between Nicaragua and Panama. Tourists flock to this country each year, attracted by its lush tropical forests and its colourful fauna. However, Costa Rica’s average tourist may be surprised to learn that poverty is a persistent problem for this apparently rich and diverse country. Many Costa Ricans (familiarly known as Ticos) suffer from poor health and complain about bad infrastructure. Although the tourism industry provides substantial revenue for Costa Rica, the industry also has a dark side, including the promotion of prostitution and drug abuse, among other things. When these three factors poor health, bad infrastructure, and tourism

Slum Tourism should be allowed because it can change perceptions of poverty. People see poverty in different ways, some express pity while other express disgust, while still others have never experienced poverty. Slum tours allow people to see the other side of the world, the reality that impoverished people face everyday. The article “The Pros and Cons of Slum Tourism, Crass Voyeurism or Virtuous Travel?,” by Leyla Giray Alyanak depicts slum tourism in countries such as Brazil, South Africa, the Philippines and Kenya. As a result slum tourists made her change her perspective about poverty. For instance, Leyla Giray visited Rocinha, located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In the article she records that the tour gave her a better understanding of poverty, and how poverty can be the cause of addiction and crime- something that

Restoring archeological sites in Machu Picchu. Maintaining trails in Patagonia. Organic gardening in Taiwan. Although it may not seem like it, these three destinations have something in common: They’re all sites that cater to volunteer tourists. Volunteer tourism counts as one of the most unique branches of tourism that exists. It combines adventure travel with altruism. It’s an excellent way to acquire new skills, to exercise existing ones, and to leave your mark on the world.

The benefits of voluntourism are most seen by the volunteers themselves. They include; travel opportunities, providing invaluable education, field experience, acquiring vital skills, and network ties (Smith 2015). Some of these volunteer experiences may lead to future involvement in the field of social movements on a global scale (McLennan 2014). Likewise, the marketable skills that voluntourists develop such as self-sufficiency and cultivating emotional skills are pivotal for the neoliberal markets (Germann 2017). The institutions through which voluntourist volunteer at, whether it be a hospital or orphanage, became a place where local and international populations connect, which allows one to make a global network of connections (Smith

Slum tourism is becoming an emerging trend now, especially in developing countries. In fact, it has become one of the fastest growing market in the tourism industry. One of the reasons for that is due to the expansion of slum in developing countries. Frenzel et al., (2015) argue that as the number of locations has increased in the past 20 years, so has the number of tourists participating in slum tourism. They then presented a graph on the rise of slum tourism and the estimated numbers of tourists per year. It all begins in the 90s, where South Africa and Brazil had first developed slum tourism. It then moves to North America, where Mexico was involved in around 1995. During the early 20s, the expansion of countries arrived in Asia. The number of slum tourist destinations has continued increased and has later transformed into a type of tourism. This indeed could generate income especially with developing countries that are heavily rely on tourism. As Frenzel (2013) states that slum tourism could contribute to development by creating a variety sources of income and non-material benefits. These benefits are not actually benefiting the community but acts as a form of exploitation instead. As a result, this paper argues how slum tourism is being portrayed as a form of exploitation through poverty, the ethics in participating in slum tourism and how it does not lead to economic development.

When most people think about tourism they think about pleasure, leisure, historic buildings, and exciting new scenery. What people fail to realize is tourism takes place in the home country of other people. When most people plan their vacation to a new country they primarily think about the adventure and experiences they are about to have exploring a new area, but when these areas are inhabited it can be problematic for the people who live there. While there are various reasons slum tourism is an exploitative practice, the primary reasons are it invades a community for personal gain, it alters the image of the culture and community that is visited, and globalization can occur altering the authentic culture.

Volunteering in Nepal has honestly been a life-changing experience for me. Before the trip, not only did I have no knowledge regarding the lifestyle of the Nepali people, but I also did not completely understand the importance of being a volunteer and helping those who are less fortunate than I. However, during the course of two weeks, I personally experienced the customs and values of people in Kathmandu and was able to meet with and talk to several children in the city. Overall, this trip was not just about doing volunteer work, but about having the chance to connect with students across the world and to understand more about their culture.