With ‘voluntourism’ trend on the rise, cruises get on board
Genting Cruise Lines said these voluntourism activities will be complimentary for guests, who will be able to experience different communities “in an interesting way”
SINGAPORE — Instead of visiting a mall, guests onboard Genting Cruise Lines can volunteer to paint the walls of a school when their ship docks at the island of Phuket in Thailand later this month.
With voluntourism — where people volunteer while they travel overseas — becoming increasingly popular, Genting Cruise Lines is launching its first “Cruise Voluntourism” campaign in South-east Asia next Sunday (Feb 24).
The cruise will depart from Singapore, making stops at the Eden Handicap Service Centre in Penang and The Baan Kalim School in Phuket.
In response to queries from TODAY, Genting Cruise Lines said these voluntourism activities will be complimentary for guests, who will be able to experience different communities “in an interesting way”.
The company said it hopes to create more awareness of voluntourism.
“Voluntourism is relatively new in the region but is gaining traction among travellers,” Genting Cruise Lines said.
Voluntourism itineraries on selected Dream and Star cruises will give travellers options to volunteer for causes such as environmental conservation and poverty relief.
More offshore destinations across Asia, such as Langkawi and Kuala Lumpur, will also be introduced.
Dr Wong King Yin, a lecturer at Nanyang Technological University’s Nanyang Business School, said that the cruise industry has been trying hard to attract customers from more diverse demographics in the past decade.
While cruises are associated with older people because of “its slower paced travel style”, voluntourism is popular among the young because it has been incorporated into many overseas exchange and study programmes, she pointed out.
“Although the average age of cruisers is still about 45 to 47 years old, the growth rate of younger markets was quite strong at about 10 per cent in 2018, according to Cruise Lines International Association,” said Dr Wong.
“Voluntourism is a concept that could be popular among all age groups. Almost everyone wants to help others and contribute to the world.”
It can be popular among older people if the activities are designed to require less physical strength and involve more sharing of life experiences, she added.
