David Clemmons, the man behind global outreach programme VolunTourism, believes the tourism industry’s traditional focus on sun and sand is no longer sustainable, saying resorts must embrace social responsibility if they are to remain relevant in a fast-changing world.

Clemmons, whose company helps voluntourists do both voluntary service, plus travel and tourism-related activities while at a destination, founded the operation 10 years ago in response to global changes he felt could derail the self-serving and self-indulgent travel industry.

“The tourism industry has, for many years, built a niche within destinations by distancing itself from the socio-economic, political and environmental challenges of a destination, instead highlighting the sun/sand side,” he says for the Q1 edition of Leisure Management magazine. “This approach is no longer sustainable in a world that is becoming ever aware of the limitations of human beings, the cutbacks in social investment on the part of governments and the fact that communities must fend for themselves to a greater degree in the face of global climate change, increases in population, and greater strains on natural resources.”

A VolunTourism trip lasts one to two weeks and involves voluntourists working with a local community on something of importance to its residents.

Participants fund the trip themselves and the local community makes a contribution of labour, oversight, materials or supplies to bring the project to fruition.

“With numerous interactions occurring in a given setting, the feedback from communities can truly tell us how successful these efforts are being in the minds and hearts of those who are most directly impacted,” added Clemmons. “The experiences can be raw: cold showers, if at all, lots of insects, sickness of various kinds and lengthy transfers from one destination to another. If voluntourists are not experiencing discomfort I’m not doing my job.”