The Road Less Travelled

With travel getting back on track, we look into how this trend is shaping up in India, and where you can volunteer across the country

- Arzoo Dina

We all know just how big of a contributor tourism is to any economy. It not only brings in a significant source of income for locals but helps push for their empowerment, gets them better infrastructure, and uplifts their social status. Now, add this to socially marginalised communities and you get an idea of how impactful tourism can be.

With volunteer tourism or voluntourism, you have the advantage of experiencing a destination, embracing the local culture, and giving back to communities as well. While the concept certainly isn’t new, it has gained momentum over the years, especially with students taking a gap year or a few months off to volunteer, or those looking to add eco-tourism or sustainable travel to their itineraries.

India is, in fact, a growing market for voluntourism. Volunteers, largely coming from abroad, typically help with activities like teaching children, enabling women empowerment, working with farmer collectives, and helping in the conservation of wildlife and the environment. Destinations like Ladakh, Spiti Valley, the Sundarbans, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, renowned for their natural beauty, are also fragile ecosystems and usually get a large share of volunteer efforts. Then, you have rural destinations which require efforts to improve access to healthcare and education.