『Voluntourism: Changing the World from Your Hotel』のカバーアート

Voluntourism: Changing the World from Your Hotel

Voluntourism: Changing the World from Your Hotel

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 In an era of overtourism, where mass travel increasingly strains destinations worldwide, Christopher Hill offers a compelling alternative with his voluntourism/volunteer travel business, Hands-Up Holidays. As a founder and managing director of this company, Hill has built a business model that demonstrates how travel companies can be forces for good rather than exploitation. His approach to volunteer travel challenges the conventional wisdom that luxury and social responsibility cannot coexist. Voluntourism: When Volunteer Travel and Luxury Coexist For Mutual Benefit Voluntourism is a portmanteau expression combining “volunteer” and “tourism” — Photo from Hands Up blog post on Earth Day Eco-Luxury Inspiration (Mexico – conservation of turtles in Baja California by Christopher Hill) What makes Hands Up Holidays’ philosophy particularly noteworthy is its commitment to controlled growth, prioritising quality experiences over scale. Rather than pursuing rapid expansion that could compromise his mission, Christopher Hill maintains personal oversight of every client interaction, proving that sustainable business practices can create more meaningful outcomes for travellers and communities alike. Operating across over 30 countries, Hands Up Holidays represents a fascinating case study in how the apparent contradiction between luxury accommodations and volunteer work can enhance both experiences. Here is the account of our interview. What kind of work are your clients doing during their volunteer travel? We offer a great variety of projects. Our most popular initiatives are building projects, which can range from small-scale but highly tangible endeavours like constructing or installing eco-friendly stoves in village homes to larger undertakings such as helping build houses or renovating school classrooms. Beyond construction, we focus heavily on wildlife conservation projects, where families might care for elephants or participate in sea turtle protection programs. The third major area involves educational support, particularly serving as reading partners in local schools. Each project is carefully selected to ensure meaningful impact while being suitable for family participation. Nayara Tented Camp – The tented camp was built on stilts and a lot of space was left between tents to plant trees and palms between them. Thousands of trees and indigenous bushes have been planted to reforest and repair damage done by cattle farmers. Energy and water conservation measures are in place. The majority of the team is from the local town, and free transport and health services are provided. What triggered your shift from London finance to voluntourism? It was quite a dramatic shift, and in true dramatic fashion, I experienced my own road to Damascus moment in South Africa. This happened about six years into my career in London’s financial sector. During a trip there, beyond the traditional safari experiences and stays at beautiful lodges throughout Cape Town and the Garden Route, I participated in building a house for a family in one of the townships. This experience was genuinely life-changing in two fundamental ways. First, it enabled me to interact authentically with local people, gaining real insights into their lives and sharing stories with them – something that had been missing from my previous travels despite being quite fortunate to travel extensively. Second, the satisfaction of helping and making a tangible difference in their lives by providing this family with a proper home was profound. This experience made me realise that I had developed solid business skills but wanted to apply them to something more meaningful and fulfilling. That became the catalyst for establishing what would become Hands Up Holidays three years later. How did you safely visit townships when tourists are typically advised to avoid them? I should emphasise that there are legitimate reasons for caution. I was fortunate to be in the capable hands of my former London flatmate, who had moved to South Africa and become a professional tour guide, developing his own network of trusted relationships there. He was the one who took me into the townships, and I certainly wouldn’t recommend just showing up there independently. While chances are you’d be fine, you need to remain cautious. I should also mention that there’s a concerning trend of township tourism that can devolve into mere voyeurism, which we absolutely oppose. However, there are ethical township visits that focus on the positive developments happening in these communities and provide genuine opportunities for meaningful interaction. How do you reconcile the apparent contradiction between luxury and volunteer work? Luxury and volunteering don’t immediately seem like natural partners. However, when you examine it more deeply, the luxury component serves as the means to facilitate participation from people who want to make a difference but aren’...
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