Funworld October 2007

‘Voluntourists’
Flood Gulf Coast in Katrina’s Wake

More than 500,000 volunteers have visited the Mississippi Gulf Coast since Hurricane Katrina struck the region in August 2005. With 65,000 buildings in the region destroyed and another 185,000 damaged, these altruistic workers have not only helped rebuild the region’s structures, but its psyche as well.

So many have come from so far, it’s led to the term “voluntourist,” meaning a person who works as a volunteer during the day, then engages in traditional tourist activities—like visiting a casino—

at night. Gaming and tourism officialsalong the Gulf Coast don’t know how the region could have recovered without the volunteers’ help. Here is what a few of them say:

“It’s absolutely mind-boggling the amount of effort they’ve put into restoring our lives. To this day they continue to come in and help. They see what a long-term project this is.” —Glenn Haggerty, vice president of operations, Gulf Islands Waterpark

“A large part of this process we could not have undertaken without the hundreds of thousands of volunteers who have come down.” —Nicole Learson, director of marketing, Mississippi Gulf Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau

“It humbles you a little bit. I have a new appreciation for the people of the Coast and the hundreds of thousands of volunteers who came down here to give help to people they don’t even know. It makes you appreciate the country we live in, for sure.” —Jon Lucas, president and general manager, IP Casino Resort Spa

“Thank God for volunteers. They helped me rebuild my house. They’ve seen the beauty of this area, and they want to do whatever they can to help. They will come back, because it’s a beautiful place.” —Louis Skrmetta, president/captain, Ship Island Excursions