"Volun-Tourism" Catching On

About 100-thousand people each year take vacations focused on volunteer work, and that number is growing.

What's behind the trend -- and might such vacations be for you?

Travel guru Peter Greenberg observed on "The Early Show" Monday that volunteer vacations are one of the fastest growing segments of the travel industry.

Despite a tough economy, or maybe because of it, more and more Americans are taking a "volunteer vacation." Some do it to give back to others, and some do as a result of a sort of indirect guilt trip, feeling it's not right to spend big bucks on big vacations, so they get their reward through giving back.

YOU SAY THERE IS A VOLUNTEER VACATION OUT THERE TO MEET EVERYONE'S NEEDS. HOW DO WE DEFINE A VOLUNTEER VACATION?

You can dedicate a whole trip to volunteering or you can actually bookend the trip, meaning you can have a regular vacation and then do a few days volunteering at the end of the trip. Working or volunteer vacations are a great way to get a deal on a trip and also make a difference-without having to serve two years in the Peace Corps. Whether it's helping to save Leatherback sea turtles in Costa Rica, delivering crucial medical supplies to an orphanage in El Salvador, helping to build a hospital in southern Thailand, or helping in the continuing efforts to rebuild the ninth ward in New Orleans nearly four years after hurricane Katrina,each trip allows us to make a real difference while exploring the world, getting immersed in a different culture and even learning a new language

WHY DO YOU THINK THESE TYPES OF VACATIONS ARE SEEING AN UPSWING?

It is one of the fastest growing segments in the travel industry, and despite a tough economy, or perhaps because of it, more and more Americans are opting to travel a little differently this year...they are taking a volunteer vacation. Part of the reasoning, of course, is to give back, to help others. And another driving force behind the growth of volunteer vacations is that they have in essence become a sort of indirect guilt trip -- many travelers these days don't feel right about spending ten solid days at a spa so they bookend their pampering with another kind of feel-good activity -- giving back. Also, many of them are tax-deductible.

ARE THEY USUALLY CHEAPER THAN A REGULAR VACATION?

Depending on the organization they can be, but sometime they aren't......it depends what type of trip you take...you can have some like the Airline Ambassador program which allows you to get most of the same perks that the airline employees get on airfares/hotels and then you have some that are much more high end-like the Earthwatch institute that can end up being quite costly.

WHERE DO YOU SUGGEST PEOPLE GO TO FIND OUT ABOUT THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT SPONSOR THESE TYPES OF VACATIONS?

The first thing to do is Google "volunteer vacations." Narrow the many that come up based on your own personal interests.

LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT SOME OF THE MORE POPULAR CATEGORIES. WE USUALLY THINK OF GIVING BACK IN SOME UNDERDEVELOPED COUNTRIES WHEN WE THINK OF VOLUNTEER VACATIONS. WHAT IS ONE THAT YOU LIKE?

Airline Ambassadors was started by a grassroots organization of airline employees who wanted to give back.

They do up to 10 trips a month and you get the discounts that the airline employees get as well.This non-profit organization is affiliated with the United Nations and recognized by the US Congress. AAI provides humanitarian aid to children and families in need, as well as relief and development to under-privileged communities worldwide. They escort children in need, hand-deliver humanitarian aid to orphanages, clinics, and remote communities, assist at special events and involve youth in humanitarian efforts around the world. They provide assistance on a global level.

THE FIRST IS A NEWER CATEGORY THAT ALLOWS YOU TO COMBINE A TRADITIONAL LUXURY RESORT VACATION WITH VOLUNTEERISM?

This is an opportunity to bookend a luxury vacation with doing good. The Ritz Carlton has a program called Give Back Getaways as well as another one called Community Footprints, which offers volunteer programs worldwide For about $50 to $150 (on top of the price of your hotel stay), you can spend a day working at a Big Cat Habitat in Sarasota, Florida, do music therapy with disabled children in Istanbul, help restore the rainforest in Maui, or plant trees around Beijing.

If you visit any Marriott or Renaissance hotel in New Orleans, you can participate in the "Care Concierge" program, which donates $50 of your room rate to Habitat for Humanity and helps you arrange you own local volunteer experience.

And at several RockResorts in Colorado and the Caribbean, the "Give and Getaway" vacation lets you join in projects such as light trail maintenance in the White River National Forest (CO), or working on an area community farm (St. Lucia). You get a reduced rate on accommodation, which starts at $99 per night.

WHAT ABOUT THOSE OF US THAT LIKE TO REMAIN ACTIVE ON OUR VACATIONS. IS THERE A WAY WE CAN DO THAT WHILE HELPING PRESERVE OUR ENVIRONMENT?

The American Hiking Society has something called "alternative spring break" where you help build and maintain trails in 30 states and territories across the country. You work a full day, doing everything from weeding and planting trees, to rerouting entire trail sections. Conditions are rugged - trips involve backpacking or day hiking and accommodations vary from primitive campsites to bunkhouses or cabins. These volunteer vacations are very affordable compared to some of the others -about $245 including food, lodging or camping.

The Sierra Club offers approximately 90 "service trips" per year throughout the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico, mostly in national and state parks and other public lands. Most service trips last seven days, and typically cost anywhere from $350 to $600. Participants team up with forest service rangers or park service personnel to restore wilderness areas, maintain trails, clean up trash and campsites, and remove non-native plants.

The Appalachian Mountain Club offers programs for children, teens, and adults, focusing on how to be safe outdoors while maintaining and caring for nature.

THERE'S EVEN A VACATION FOR ANIMAL LOVERS. HOW DOES THIS WORK?

Best Friends Animal Society: This sanctuary is located on a 33,000 acre ranch in southern Utah. Funded entirely by donations, Best Friends Animal Society is home to about 1,500 homeless dogs, cats, horses, rabbits, birds and other animals. Volunteers are welcomed to visit the animals, take them hiking, and even borrow a dog for a sleepover. You must call them in advance and arrange dates, times, and projects (depending on your skills) and they can recommend where to stay overnight (if you plan to volunteer for more than one day). You can volunteer in the morning and go sight-seeing in the afternoon, or vice versa.