How young travellers are shaping the future of voluntourism in Malaysia

Acacia drawing colourful butterflies on the hands of children at a Syrian refugee camp. — ACACIA DIANA

For Hong Kong-based Chan Yan Yi, she would not have gotten the opportunity to discover the charms of Malaysia during her semester break if it weren’t for “voluntourism”.

It was a friend’s experience of volunteering in a sea turtle protection programme in Mexico that inspired and motivated her to similarly pledge her time to a good cause while on vacation abroad.

Chan begun perusing Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book), the Chinese equivalent of Instagram, and came across the Sea Turtle Research Unit (Seatru) programme in Pulau Redang, Terengganu.

“The eight-day programme was the best fit for me,” said Chan, who was unable to take a longer time off due to her internship at the time.

As an undergraduate student minoring in sustainability at the Hong Kong University Of Science And Technology, she explained that this “... was a good opportunity for me to get to know more about the sustainability concept I’ve learned in lectures and get a hands-on experience.”

That was how a few months ago, the 23-year-old Chan found herself boarding a plane to Kuala Lumpur from Hong Kong, embarking on what would prove to be an eye-opening journey.

Hong Kong-based Chan spent some time exploring KL before her volunteer work in Pulau Redang. — CHAN YAN YI

Altruism in tourism

Chan is just one of the many altruistic travellers who visit a destination to do charity work, in addition to doing the standard exploring.

Such form of travelling is termed voluntourism, which can be easily construed as a portmanteau of the words “volunteer” and “tourism”.

It may be a relatively modern noun, having only appeared in mainstream media in the 1990s, but it has its roots in the 1950s and 1960s overseas, when volunteering movements were introduced by organisations such as Britain’s Voluntary Services Overseas and the United States’ Peace Corps.

Traditionally, participants placed heavier emphasis on the volunteering aspect, signing up to spend months at their destination of choice to offer services such as building houses and providing medical care to local communities, receiving some allowance from the respective organisations while doing so.

Decades later, the volunteer landscape would change when the tourism spin was introduced. The visits became shorter, ranging only days. This in a way does appeal more to travellers who want to do good but are unable to commit to longer stays.

Typically, interested tourists would purchase voluntourism packages from travel agencies. But Acacia Diana, 32, went about it a little differently.

“Some people are able to pay an organisation to volunteer and travel; I took a different approach,” said Acacia. Her plan was simple but effective: reach out to a charity organisation that had done overseas trips and volunteer to go on its next mission.

Meeting the giant Aldabara tortoise in Zanzibar was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for Acacia. — ACACIA DIANA

The Malaysian photographer and visual artist shared that she was no stranger to volunteering, as she has been involved in it since her school days. In college, she also conducted clean-ups and art classes at orphanages.

“I started travelling after graduating,” she said, having saved up money doing odd jobs while pursuing her tertiary education to do so.

It was a year after she was named the 2018 Canon EOS Youth Ambassador that she decided to combine all her passions – photography, travel and volunteering – into one trip.

“Voluntourism gives such a bigger and more profound purpose to travelling,” she said. “It helps you to learn more about global issues and connect with people beyond your social circles.”Under Cinta Syria Malaysia (CSM), she travelled to Lebanon and Turkiye in January 2020, then to Turkiye and Syria in January 2022. Under another non-governmental organisation (NGO), Impactive MY, she travelled to Tanzania in July 2022.

“For the two trips with CSM, it was a winter mission. We distributed winter packs including coal, mattresses, blankets, dried food and thick clothes. We also established a couple of wells and opened a school (Sekolah Kita) in Syria,” she elaborated.

Going into a war-torn country is not without its risks. “We heard news of areas being bombed the day after we left,” Acacia said, but assured that “organisers do their best to ensure everyone’s safety”.

Anytime, anywhere

One doesn’t necessarily need to travel far from home to take part in voluntourism. Malaysian student Hon Kha Ying, 22, has been enjoying exploring local islands while volunteering. So far, she has done so in Redang in Terengganu, and in Langkawi, Kedah.

“I came across these programmes through social media,” she said, adding that she was able to secure free board and lodging by asking the respective hosts for a chance to work at their establishments.

“At Bed Attitude Langkawi, I assisted at the reception desk. Volunteers would also take turns to clean and organise the common areas.”

At Laguna Redang, Hon was part of the Underwater Photographer Department, where she was tasked with capturing the beauty of marine life like coral reefs.

“I also took underwater photos of tourists,” she added. The photos, aside from being kept for documentation, made for good memorabilia for the island’s visitors.

Hon (fourth from left, in pink) and her fellow volunteers in Langkawi. — HON KHA YING

Also in Redang, she volunteered at Chagar Hutang Turtle Sanctuary (CHTS), where the Seatru sea turtle conservation programme is held.

“My tasks included monitoring turtle nesting, protecting hatchlings, and ensuring the safety of nesting sites from human and animal threats. We also conducted educational sessions for visitors to increase awareness about marine conservation,” Hon shared.

It was at this same programme that Hon befriended Chan from Hong Kong, who was elated to have made so many new friends through it.

“They brought me brand-new insights into how I perceive the world, and how to define life,” Chan enthused.

She noted how she felt pressured by her hectic life in Hong Kong, even as a student – all in the pursuit of success. “We have to start planning to get an internship in our freshman year; I’ve done five internships during my four years in college,” she revealed.

But meeting new people from all walks of life – be it college students who do working holidays, or engineers and navigators who sail the world – has taught her to embrace carpe diem.

Growing interest

Seatru’s conservation assistant Nicholas Tolen agrees that “meeting and becoming friends with so many different people from diverse backgrounds” is one of the great things of joining volunteer programmes.

“We have volunteers, both Malaysian and international, who travel solely to Redang to join our programme, and some volunteers who also stay at traditional tourist resorts on the island before or after their volunteer slot,” he said.

Though hailing from the United States, Tolen is highly familiar with the islands in Terengganu, having been part of the team behind the Perhentian Turtle Project in 2015 and later continued working in the state after completing his postgraduate studies at Universiti Malaysia Terengganu’s Institute Of Oceanography And Environment (INOS) in 2021.

One of the tasks in his current role is instructing conservation interns how to best manage the volunteer groups that they receive over the course of the season.

“The total number of volunteers varies per season, we usually have fully booked volunteer slots during the more popular school holiday and vacation months,” he said, adding that the number of volunteers each week has increased “... from a maximum of eight individuals in the past to between 16 and 20 pax today.”

While Seatru was previously in charge of the volunteer programme at CHTS, it is now managed by Conservation Management Solutions (CMS) – a startup company also by INOS, which Seatru is under. CSM has expanded CHTS beyond the volunteer programme by, over the last two years, opening it to day trips from tourist who stay at hotels on the island, or as part of a snorkelling trip package.

“These day trips involve a conservation briefing at the ‘Outdoor Classroom’ and a donation fee for a ‘nest excavation experience’, in which tourists are shown how we excavate turtle nests to examine hatching emergence and success,” explained Tolen.

Efforts like this could encourage day-trip tourists to return as volunteers in the future, especially knowing that they can dedicate a portion of their holiday to giving back to the local community while enjoying the island’s charms.

However, Tolen gave a gentle reminder to those who are interested in voluntouring to manage their expectations. “Because most tourists are stepping into a completely new and different experience than their usual lives, they should be mindful that most grassroots conservation programmes don’t offer five-star accommodations and amenities.”

Planting padi is one of the voluntourism activities by Borneo Eco Tours in Sabah. — Sabah Tourism Board's website

The bright side

Voluntourism is a rewarding and enriching experience, but there are always two sides to every coin.

It is not exempt from being scrutinised for its negative impact – from shoddy workmanship to participants who care more about furbishing their social media with exotic people and places than doing any actual charity work.

However, as someone who is actively involved in voluntourism for the right reasons, Hon is of the opinion that when implemented thoughtfully, voluntourism can provide meaningful support to communities.

“Successful programmes involve collaboration with locals, focus on sustainability, and ensuring volunteers have the right skills. It’s crucial for travellers to choose reputable organisations that prioritise community needs,” she added.

Accountability also lies with the organisations, as fellow voluntourist Acacia highlighted: “I hope that the organisations who conduct voluntourism are capable of doing their due diligence, background checks on volunteers, and follow up on the causes they are aiding.”

Of course, the downside doesn’t negate the fact that voluntourism does have positive effects, if everything is done by the book.

One state in Malaysia serves as a testament: Sabah, which is often visited for its natural wonders.

“Sabah has gained recognition as a destination for ecotourism and sustainable travel thanks in part to volunteer tourism,” said Sabah Tourism Board chief executive officer Julinus Jeffrey Jimit in regard to how it has helped shape the Bornean state’s tourism sector.

“Travellers who are concerned about the environment and social responsibility are drawn to programmes that involve conservation and community projects,” he said.

They get to appreciate the state’s beautiful natural landscape, while also helping the locals in activities such as planting padi and teaching English in rural villages, and working on coral reef conservation projects on Pom Pom Island.

“In addition to promoting biodiversity, initiatives like the restoration of Kinabatangan’s floodplain forests and also other parts of Sabah which are rich in flora and fauna have generated income for the surrounding communities via homestays and community-based tourism,” said Jimit.

He added that volunteers also get the opportunity to stay with the locals and learn their way of life. “For example, the local community along Sungai Kinabatangan has benefitted from voluntourism in conserving the surrounding ecosystem and local heritage. In 2021, Batu Puteh, Sandakan was recognised as one of UN Tourism’s best tourism villages.”

Tolen briefing the volunteers at CHTS. — PATRICK LEE

Broadening the mind

Gaining a close understanding of the local culture and lifestyle is definitely something that Chan appreciates about voluntourism.

Chan, who met up with a Malaysian friend once she arrived in KL and also spent a few days exploring the city with tour guides prior to heading to Redang, shared her amusement of learning how different things here are compared to back home in Hong Kong.

“Coincidentally, the weekend before my arrival, Malaysia crowned her new King. This political structure piqued my interest in different ideologies, prompting me to take a course this semester about peoples and cultures in South-East Asia,” she said.

While out and about in KL, Chan also bumped into Datuk Jimmy Choo and managed to have a little chat with the renowned Malaysian designer. “It means so much to me as someone who is going to work in the fashion industry,” she enthused.

Meanwhile for Acacia, she was able to “understand the local way of living on a deeper level” when she stayed with locals in Tanga, Tanzania. “While Malaysians eat rice, they eat starch or flour with vegetables,” she shared.

“Forging these connections across borders helps to overcome our own prejudices and discrimination, while also widening our world perspective,” she continued.

After completing their missions, Acacia said that she and the other volunteers were free to explore at their own pace, visiting places like Istanbul to experience ancient landmarks like the Hagia Sophia and Sultan Ahmet Mosque (also known as the Blue Mosque), and the island of Zanzibar, where she was “mesmerised by the beautiful old doors, blue sea, and small alleyways with street shops selling local trinkets”.

For anyone interested in voluntourism, Acacia advised: “Find causes that resonate with you. If you can, seek to add value beyond the programme and keep in touch as well. Treat it as forming a relationship, not as a touch-and-go trip for your own satisfaction.”

Hon volunteered as part of Laguna Redang’s Underwater Photographer Department. — HON KHA YING