Working Vacay? OBVB Explains How "Voluntourism" Can Strengthen Communities
Outer Banks Milepost - Issue 13.2
By Terri Mackleberry
April 2024
We all know the Outer Banks runs on tourism. As of 2022, Dare County's $1.97 billion industry accounted for 45 percent of all jobs - and offset every resident's taxes by $3,700. At the same time, more people means more problems, especially for a destination built on relaxing beach vacations. How does a community feed that economic engine but still maintain its unvarnished appeal?
That's been the focus of the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau ever since COVID brought in record numbers - and a few more headaches - resulting in a Long-Range Tourism Management Plan and 19-member Task Force. Their 10-year vision? By 2033, "the Outer Banks will be idyllic island communities where residents and visitors coexist and thrive thanks to thoughtful efforts to balance and sustain quality of life with quality of place."
One of the task force's earliest and most visible efforts is a push for "voluntourism," where they invite visitors to pitch in with local nonprofits. Besides spreading awareness, they've worked with the Outer Banks Community Foundation to establish and promote a nonprofit directory that allows folks to directly engage with 90-plus organizations.
"It seems like we're increasingly running into groups or families that are asking if there are any projects or things that they can get involved in while they're here," says Outer Banks Visitors Bureau Executive Director, Lee Nettles. "In thinking more about ways the influence of tourism can do more tangible good in the community, it occurred to us that we've got the relationships with the nonprofits already - what if we could connect the visitors directly?"
We asked Nettles to help us better understand how nonprofits, volunteering and tourism fit together - and how the Outer Banks can benefit as a whole.
Complete Story
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Apr 1, 2024
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by Outer Banks Visitors Bureau
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