Gap year students taking part in "voluntourism" undermine local workers

Gap year students often take time out before or after university to volunteer abroad. As it's grown in popularity, these breaks are now being referred to as ‘voluntourism'. Voluntourism gives gap year students the chance to experience new cultures and develop new skills, as well as enabling them to help communities in developing countries.

In spite of voluntourism's good intentions, some believe that gap year students may actually be doing more harm than good. Some suggest that the work that gap year students undertake prevents local workers from doing the work themselves.

Voluntourism might also have a detrimental effect on local children. In some countries where children might normally be neglected, they become attached to gap year students, only for their bond to be severed just a few weeks later when the students return home. Children that have been abandoned in the past might experience the same feeling of abandonment when the gap year students leave.

Prof Richter of the South Africa-based Human Sciences Research Council commented on the effect of voluntourism on children in developing countries: "Well-meaning young people should be made aware of the potential consequences of their own involvement in these care settings, be discouraged from taking part in such tourist expeditions, and be given guidelines on how to manage relationships to minimise negative outcomes for young children."

Gap year students that take part in voluntourism invariably have good intentions. There are many volunteer projects available, and some call for particular skills that local people might not have, such as English language skills.

Gap year students could consider different types of travel to voluntourism, such as an overseas challenge that helps raise money for charity that doesn't make an impact on the local community. Hiking the Inca Trail, climbing Kilimanjaro and walking part of the Great Wall of China are all popular activities amongst gap year students.

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