The last few years have seen a huge rise in ‘voluntourism’, with more and more holidaymakers looking to combine adventure with altruism in their travel experiences.

But are voluntourism trips really anything more than ‘overpriced guilt trips’? Krissy Roe from ResponsibleTravel.com argues that volunteer work can be meaningful and make a real difference, but only if it is responsibly sourced.

“I cannot emphasise enough just how important it is for volunteer trips to be based on a real, genuine local need and work in partnership with local people. Projects that have been dreamed up by a marketing department and have not been requested by the local community can do more harm than good.”

There are hundreds of projects available for would-be volunteers, so it’s important to take the time to research the options and find out how organisations run their trips: “The company should be transparent and open if you ask how much of your money actually goes to the program and how much is taken as profit by the organisation.”

At Inspire we’re proud to run our volunteer projects in a responsible and sustainable way. If you have any questions about where your money goes please do not hesitate to ask. Call us on 08000 32 33 50 or read about our volunteer fee on our website.