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Volunteer Vacations Definition

By Lois Friedland, About.com

D Friedland
Definition: Definition: Volunteer vacations, sometimes called VolunTourism, involves taking a vacation (or part of a trip) and participating in activities centered around furthering a charitable cause. In most cases, the traveler pays for the trip, and a portion of the trip fee may go to the charitable cause.

For excellent sources of volunteer vacations visit Voluntourism - Taking a Volunteer Vacation

Also Known As: Voluntourism, volunteer travel
Examples: Some travelers taking a volunteer vacation will spend their entire vacation volunteering to, for example, help rebuild houses in New Orleans or working at orphanages in Third World countries. Others taking volunteer vacations will spend a few days teaching children in remote villages, feeding lion cubs in Africa, or helping count the caiman population in a small South American country.
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