Taking the Kids: Meeting the locals in Jamaica

In fact, the program started when one Montego Bay matron started to invite visitors to come to church and then return to her home for tea. When the Jamaican Tourist Board was formed more than 50 years ago, the program was formalized. "Now we have volunteers all over Jamaica," Morgan said. "We choose people with particular skills, and there is a long waiting list."

Doris Morgan, for one, figures she has welcomed more than 1,000 visitors over the past 30 years. "I get a lot of satisfaction from this," she says, urging us to eat more.

We learn how to make Bammys; we sample Jamaican ackee and salt fish, a traditional dish. Mrs. Morgan encourages us to eat and eat some more. "I want to share my Jamaica," she says.

Last year, there were some 500 matches. The Tourist Board hopes to double that number in 2016. But most tourists, especially those arriving on cruise ships, aren't aware of the opportunity. That's why the Tourist Board has enlisted volunteer ambassadors who work on the ships to help spread the word.

All of the volunteer ambassadors are carefully vetted in advance so you don't need to worry about your safety.

It seems millennials, traveling with friends or with their families, are most interested in the opportunity. They are seeking an authentic, immersive experience and Morgan will do his best to make that happen within 48 hours. All you have to do is fill out the form on the Visit Jamaica website and indicate your preference for activity, whether you want to go on a hike, on a fishing boat, meet local craftspeople or visit a farmer or a family with kids the same ages as yours.

Increasingly, there are programs around the world that help you meet locals at no cost. You can join the Bahamas People-to-People experience, for example, or tour a Paris neighborhood, as we did with Paris Greeters, part of the international Global Greeter Network. Sign up for a tour with Greeters in the city you're going to be visiting this spring. We had a great time in Lower Manhattan walking across the Brooklyn Bridge with Big Apple Greeter, the first welcome visitor program in the United States. It now shows some 7,000 visitors a year 114 of New York's neighborhoods. The volunteers will speak your language! Take a free tour everywhere from Toronto to Tel-Aviv, Munich to Moscow, London, Zurich, Berlin and Shanghai. In the United States, you'll also find Chicago Greeter and Houston Greeters.

There are many opportunities in Japan with their Goodwill Guides.

Websites like Mealsharing.com enable you to enjoy home-cooked meals in more than 450 cities around the world. You might even be able to eat at a chef's home with Eatwith.com, or make new friends where you are traveling at Cookening.

But be prepared. These experiences are about as different from a traditional excursion or tour as you can get. Some require a contribution or small gratuity. And if you have younger kids, it's wise to make sure their presence will be welcomed.

"The volunteers are doing this because it is their passion," Granville Morgan says. "Whatever you want to see or do, we will try to make it happen."

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