I am my early 20s and soon I will travel to a few countries in Asia and Africa with my family. I’m afraid to say that my parents mainly want to visit places like India, Thailand, etc because they are “cheap” places to go on vacation and they want to do really “touristy” things. However, I have this issue with not wanting to be like the “rich Western tourist” that’s taking advantage of a developing country. How can I overcome this mindset?
Traveling to poor countries without being a stereotypical "rich" tourist?
- Posted by
- anonymous on 12/09/2009
Tips
A good way to experience developing countries is through volunteering (sometimes called "voluntourism"). Try to research some voluntourism trips or volunteering opportunities online before you go, and see if your parents might be interested in taking part in some with you. When you volunteer, you get to interact with the local people and local culture in a much more meaningful, intimate way than if you were a normal "rich" tourist. Both you and your parents will get much more out of the trip this way!