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voluntourism

British  
/ ˌvɒlənˈtʊərɪzəm /

noun

  1. tourism in which travellers do voluntary work to help communities or the environment in the places they are visiting

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

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The company was part of the "voluntourism" sector, which combines voluntary work with adventure travel.

From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026

Andrea Freidus, an assistant professor of anthropology at the University of North Carolina, wrote that voluntourism gets in the way of recognising the structural issues that create humanitarian crises.

From The Guardian ● Sep. 13, 2018

Cruise ships in the region are also making voluntourism part of shore excursions.

From New York Times ● Apr. 3, 2018

The growing trend of voluntourism attracts 1.6 million participants each year and gives travelers the opportunity to experience destinations in a different, more immersive, and often more satisfying, way.

From Washington Times ● May 14, 2015

In the aftermath of other recent disasters, such as Hurricane Katrina and the Haiti earthquake, traditional tourism gave way to voluntourism.

From Washington Post ● Jun. 13, 2010

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