Episode
Does voluntourism do more harm than good?
- Podcast
- Do you really know?
- Published
- Jul 21, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 308
- Processing state
not_requested- Canonical source
- https://traffic.megaphone.fm/BABA2461293519.mp3
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Summary
Voluntourism is the practice of volunteering one’s labour to a charitable cause in a developing country, in return for a soul-cleansing, perspective-changing, CV-bolstering experience. Perhaps a bit cynical? But with good reason. Whilst it could be a mutually beneficial redistribution of wealth from the developed world to the developing, voluntourism harbours a dark and exploitative underworld. In 2021, NPR.org reported that the industry was worth an estimated $3 billion per year, according to University of Strathclyde lecturer Konstantinos Tomazos. What is voluntourism? Can it really be that bad? Is voluntourism at all beneficial? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen to the last episodes, you can click here: What are the best ways to keep warm outdoors? How can I avoid always feeling hungry? How did female body hair become taboo? A Bababam Originals podcast, written and produced by Joseph Chance. First Broadcast: 21/2/2023 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices