# Does voluntourism do more harm than good?

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/do-you-really-know-452837/does-voluntourism-do-more-harm-than-good
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/do-you-really-know-452837/does-voluntourism-do-more-harm-than-good.md
Podcast: [Do you really know?](https://stenobird.com/podcast/do-you-really-know-452837)
Published: 2026-07-21T02:59:00+00:00
Episode link: https://traffic.megaphone.fm/BABA2461293519.mp3
Audio file: https://traffic.megaphone.fm/BABA2461293519.mp3
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Duration seconds: 308

## Resource

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

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## Transcript

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