Voluntourism in Argentina

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Volunteer in Argentina

Volunteer in Argentina

Some travel for pleasure, others on business, others are going to visit friends and family. However, there are many who travel under the concept of a mode commonly called Voluntourism or solidarity tourism. In other words, are those who visit a place for the sole purpose of helping. In this way, vacation experience through an experience with the local people of the area, with their customs, their way of life and of course needs. This type of tourism registered an increase of 20% each year fron 2011 on, according to data from the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

This modality is growing steadily. The sending markets (outbound) include Europe and the United States, while receiving destinations in Latin America are Peru on the top, followed by Cuba, Honduras, Bolivia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Brazil, Mexico and Guatemala.

Argentina still was not on the map as an important volunteer receiving country. Argentina, part of the G-20 countries, is not seen as an “underdeveloped or poor” country and therefore much less foreign ONGs are located in Argentina than in other countries and at such ONGs are helping many volunteers. Also Argentina is not a very cheap travel country and most volunteers are very young people with much more time than money to spend. And the third reason is that Argentina is very far away from the outbound sending countries and airfares are pretty expensive.

But recently Argentina is becoming more and more popular as a volunteer work travel destination because of its good infrastructure and its publicity as a relative safe travel country. Most international volunteers in Argentina are arriving from Western Europe countries, aged 18 – 25 years and more female volunteers than male one.

Popular volunteer work engagements are in the social area followed by environmental and wildlife protection projects. Almost every receiving volunteer agency offers child care and animal care projects. Generally most volunteers are individual traveller and receiving organizations often arrange housing, educational courses and assistance on location for their customer.

Pasantias Argentina as a receiving agency designs tailor-made volunteer stays and full-service packages including airport pickup on arrival, Spanish language tuition, accommodation in own volunteer houses, assistance and leisure time activities during the stay and the free placement into a suitable volunteer project.