In recent years, volunteer tourism has become a trend chosen by young people in Da Nang through the combination of discovery experiences with volunteer activities for the community.

Volunteer trips help Le Minh Phuc better understand the lives of people in remote areas. Photo courtesy by Le Minh Phuc

More experiences, more meaningful life

Different from the usual type of tourism, volunteer tourism aims to help communities in remote areas, areas with difficult economic conditions. Nguyen Hoai An, 23, from Thanh Khe Dong Ward, Thanh Khe District, a member of the group ‘Colour Tour - Volunteer tourism’ has just participated in a volunteer tour in Dak Nong Province in Viet Nam's Central Highlands.

The 2-day, 2-night trip offered An many memorable experiences. In addition to exploring the beautiful scenery of the Central Highlands such as Chu Bluk volcanic cave, Ea Sno lake or “checking in” among the vast coffee hills, An and others in the group visited villages, hamlets and schools to donate clothes, confectionery and school supplies to children. In addition, An also participated in repainting schools, organizing skill classes and serving nutritious meals thanks to the contributions made by the group members.

“What touched me the most was the eager eyes and innocent smiles of the children when they received simple gifts from the group. Seeing them happy and excited to learn new skills and have a full meal of meat and fish, I felt happy and wanted to participate in more meaningful trips like that.”, said An.

In addition to exploring new lands, volunteer tourism also helps young people realize the value of sharing. Le Minh Phuc, 25, from Hai Chau District, another member of the group, has participated in many trips to other provinces such as Kon Tum, Quang Ngai and fishing villages along the Central Coast. Each journey is an opportunity for Phuc to better understand the lives of the people and the difficulties they face every day.

Phuc said: “There are places where children still walk barefoot over kilometers of mountain roads to school, with meals consisting only of wild vegetables. When I witnessed that with my own eyes, I felt much luckier and wanted to do something to help them”.

Live a better life

According to young people participating in volunteer tourism movements, what makes them stick with this model is not only the memorable experiences but also the sense of responsibility to society. Instead of just coming, visiting and leaving certain destination, they choose a way of teaching, repairing schools or helping people improve their living conditions.

Mr. Le Son, 38, one of the founders of Colour Tour Viet Nam, said that at first, the group only had a few members who were passionate about travelling and doing charity work. However, after each trip, the number of volunteers participating increased considerably.

From this need, he and his friends came up with the idea of forming a paid volunteer tour to increase the conditions for organizing trips to remote villages and hamlets. To date, Colour Tour Viet Nam has organized 270 programme to a total of 368 locations across Viet Nam, including Da Nang.

According to Mr. Son, tourists participating in the tour usually personally prepare and give gifts to residents in places that they will visit. For example, in Da Nang, the group has gone to the ‘Hy Vong’ (Hope) Village to donate some equipment and machinery to serve the learning and living needs of children in special circumstances.

Talking about this trend, Mr. Son said: “Volunteer tourism does not stop at a trend but gradually becomes a sustainable tourism choice. We hope that young people participate not only for personal experiences but also to understand more about their responsibility toward the community. I believe that when they return from their trips, in addition to bringing back beautiful memories, they will have more motivation and confidence to continue living a meaningful life."

From practical experiences, many young people after participating in the volunteer tourism programme have had positive changes in their thinking and lifestyle. Nguyen Hoai An said that after her trip to Dak Nong, she was more interested in volunteer activities in her neighbourhood. In a similar active vein, Le Minh Phuc actively connected with sponsors to raise funds to help the highland schools he had visited.

“There is no need to go far, right in the city there are still places that need help. The important thing is whether you are willing to make contributions or not.”, said Phuc. It can be seen that volunteer tourism is helping young people broaden their knowledge, practice skills and contribute to spreading the spirit of responsibility toward the community. As volunteer footsteps increasingly leave their mark on many lands, this journey will continue to cultivate love for a more connected and humane society.

Reporting by HUYNH LE - Translating by A.THU