After the 2004 tsunami hit Southeast Asia hard, many travelers decided to put the worst-hit countries on their list of destinations – not to explore, but to help out.

According to this MSNBC article, a growing portion of travelers are willing to travel just to volunteer one’s help for a cause. According to their survey, twenty percent had already taken a volunteer vacation, and nearly two-thirds were interested in doing so themselves.

The idea of incorporating volunteer work into travel isn’t new, but the scope of such efforts is expanding rapidly. “There’s been a huge upswing in the wake of September 11, Hurricane Katrina and the 2004 tsunami,” says Kimberly Haley-Coleman, executive director of GlobeAware.org in Dallas. “For the first time, many people who were writing checks felt a real human connection with those in need.”

At the same time, says David Clemmons, founder of San Diego-based Voluntourism.org, the idea of civic engagement is being raised everywhere from public schools (as a graduation requirement) to the current presidential contest: “Volunteering is becoming more in tune with the mainstream. People are ready to get out there and do something.”

A number of sites dedicated to voluntourism are beginning to spring up. Just in time, too: the idea is gaining vast appeal to “gap year” students who want to take a break from their studies, but plan to use that time to help the less fortunate.