Digital detoxing 🧘♀️is becoming all the rage, plastic is out of fashion and DNA tourism 🧬 may just be the next big thing. At Volunteer World, we’re constantly following the latest tourism studies and discussing the future with other experts.
This allows us to gauge what’s hot and what’s not. Topics like
are staples in the volunteering landscape but there’s no doubt that there’s a big shift going on. Continue reading to find out which 5 mega trends are bound to inspire your next volunteer experience.
Digital Detox and Yoga Retreats 🧘♀️
Do you feel like you’re glued to your phone? Do you catch yourself mindlessly scrolling through yet another feed? With our professional lives increasingly overlapping with our private lives, our digital devices are becoming an addiction that’s hard to overcome.
As a result, digital detox and yoga retreats have proven excellent escapes for those in need of some downtime. Unplug, recalibrate and reconnect in a remote setting far away from the usual distractions.
Volunteers, are you ready to ditch your devices for a while? Get ready to do some downward dogs and help out!
Off the Beaten Path 🛰
Everyone knows what it’s like to visit a country alongside busloads of other tourists. With more people gaining access to travel, touristic hotspots are becoming overcrowded. Tired of rubbing shoulders with other tourists, seasoned travelers are seeking experiences off the beaten path.
Volunteer programs are the perfect opportunity for travelers to pave their own path and discover remote destinations as they immerse themselves in a new culture and contribute in whatever way they can.
The War Against Plastic ☠️
Climate change is on everyone’s minds these days. While battling climate change feels like an insurmountable task, the environmentally-conscious are jumping on the bandwagon to reduce single-use plastic and beach cleanups. Plastic is not only a serious threat to wildlife, but it’s also turning pristine beaches into garbage dumps.
Volunteer programs worldwide are setting up projects to fight the war on plastic. The growing desire to contribute is driving many to volunteer their free time to reducing plastic on the beaches and in the sea. Armed with a garbage bag and slathered in sunscreen you can also make a difference!
DNA Traveling 🧬
Tracing back your heritage used to be a daunting task requiring a lot of time and effort. Thanks to science and technology, this is no longer the case. There’s a solution for endless hours at the library and it simply requires you to spit in a tube. DNA testing has made the task of retracing one’s roots easier than ever before. The (DNA tourism) trend has people flocking to their ancestral homes eager to reconnect with their heritage. This has been a blessing for less touristic destinations that are gladly welcoming these affluent travelers.
Volunteering is the perfect opportunity for DNA travelers to experience their roots and give back to the community that makes up their heritage.
Insta-Tourism 🤳
With over 1 billion active users, Instagram has been transformational in the travel industry. Everyone has access to images of idyllic destinations and are determined to replicate them on their own Insta which is becoming a nightmare for the locals of these hotspots.
Though Instagram is partly responsible for the surge in tourism, it has its upsides too. Instagram has proven to be a great tool to increase awareness around volunteering and meaningful travel. With more people sharing their volunteer adventures, it is bound to inspire others to do the same.
As you’re obviously not on your digital detox yet. don’t forget to share this article on your social media!