B2 Reading Test – Tourism with a Purpose: Voluntourism Debates
Weigh benefits and risks of voluntourism. B2 Reading with checks on viewpoints, evidence, and ethical concerns.
Read the passage and decide if each statement is True (T), False (F), or Not Given (NG).
Voluntourism—traveling to volunteer for short projects—promises a mix of adventure and social impact. Supporters say program fees can fund local materials, training, and coordination, while visitors bring energy and international attention to under-funded causes. In destination towns, steady flows of volunteers during shoulder seasons may also help small businesses avoid the sharp income drops common in off-peak months.
Critics, however, point to risks when short stays meet complex needs. If tasks require professional skills or long-term follow-up, rotating teams may deliver inconsistent results, or even replace paid local work. Some projects are run by for-profit operators whose marketing focuses on feel-good experiences more than measurable outcomes. Flights also add carbon emissions, raising questions about whether benefits justify the environmental cost. In addition, social-media-driven storytelling can push volunteers to prioritize photos over listening, making communities look passive rather than knowledgeable partners.
Many organizations now try to improve practice: screening applicants, offering pre-departure training on ethics and culture, and partnering with local groups that design and evaluate projects. Advocates argue that when programs are community-led, skill-matched, and transparent about money and impact, voluntourism can complement—not replace—local efforts.
Program fees can help pay for local materials and coordination.
Short volunteer rotations can be a poor fit for tasks needing long-term follow-up.
All voluntourism operators are non-profit organizations.
Host communities always prefer international volunteers to hiring local workers.
Volunteer arrivals in shoulder seasons may stabilize local business income.
The passage claims flight-related carbon emissions are negligible.
Pre-departure training is mentioned as a way to improve voluntourism practice.
Most countries legally require a government certification for every voluntourism program.
Social media can shift attention from listening to taking photos.
Most programs guarantee long-term jobs for local residents.