4 Ways You Can Help the Locals on Your Travels

If you’ve been thinking about doing some good on your next vacation, there are a number of ways you can help some of the local people and make positive connections. While voluntourism has become a popular way for tourists to feel as though they are giving back, the truth is that it can often do more harm than good. Instead of creating sustainable relationships, it can often cause problems that affect the local people long after travelers leave.

However, there are some ways you can make a good impact on a place you are visiting. Here are some alternatives to voluntourism.

1. Purchase items at local businesses and restaurants

Sustainable travel is all about helping to bridge the gap between tourist and the people he or she is visiting. One way to do this is by frequenting local restaurants, businesses, and tourist shops instead of buying products at large stores. Chain restaurants can be a simple way to know what type of food you are getting, but it can also make it difficult to make a living for the local people when visitors are going to bigger, corporate eateries and stores. Take the time and effort to step outside of your comfort zone and try a local spot.

2. Work with sustainable organizations

Not all voluntourism can be bad, but it can be essential that you choose an organization that has the betterment of a culture as a priority. Certain tours can harm people and encourage behavior that hurts communities, while others are working to develop positive relationships and do good. It’s often worth it to do a little bit of research before you choose a tour company at whim. See what impact they have made and whether or not they have been recognized for their efforts as a sustainable company.

3. Choose not to work with children

While it might seem like working with children is the best way to give back to a destination, the truth is that it can cause more harm than good. Orphanages are usually terrible places for young kids to live and many parents from impoverished countries sell their children to these establishments in order to make some extra money. Kids can form quick connections to volunteers only to have them leave after only a few days or weeks, leaving them heartbroken. By helping adults instead, you are also helping their children, as well.

4. Work to make work

Sustainable travel means that once you have left a place, it has been made better than the way you found it. One way to do this is to work with qualified organizations in order to create jobs. Many locals (especially women) can benefit from another source of income, and that extra money can go a long way toward helping their families and encouraging education of children. Teaching those who want to learn the skills to developing entrepreneurship can be one of the most valuable ways that you can give back as a visitor.

Helping local people shouldn’t be a huge sacrifice. In order to help others, all it often takes is a little time and working with organizations that have the same goals in mind—to make the world a better place for all.