Thesis (Ph.D.) - James Cook University, 2005. / Typescript (photocopy) Bibliography: leaves 339-352.

Dissertation (M. Appl. Sc.) -- Lincoln University, 2008.

Thesis (M.A.)--York University, 2007. Graduate Programme in Sociology. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 87-96). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&res_dat=xri:pqdiss&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation&rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:MR38814

Volunteer tourism (voluntourism) has been described as an alternative form of tourism to mass tourism. It has been suggested that understanding the motivations of voluntourists might lead to a better understanding of the socio-cultural dimension of voluntourism sustainability. The aim of this thesis is to identify the key motives of voluntourists and how these motives affect the socio-cultural sustainability of a society. Virtual ethnography, observation, and semi-structured interviews were employed in order to collect the research data from Eden Valley – a Canadian First Nation reserve, Global Citizen Network (GCN) – a voluntourism organiser, and voluntourists who took part in previous volunteering trips. The study found that authenticity, cultural concerns, the search for unique experience, helping the ‘other’, and self-healing are the key motives that drive travellers to participate in voluntourism projects. The data collected show that voluntourism has a greater positive socio-cultural impact on targeted communities than mass-tourism. / viii, 122 leaves : ill. ; 29 cm

The objective of this research is to shed light on the phenomenon of independent volunteer traveling. It represents a form of tourism in which travelers independently organize their own volunteer efforts and typically provide assistance to local people in return for room and board. Travelers operate outside the confines of formal service organizations and various tourist groups, in conditions of close cross-cultural contact, often teaching and providing manual labor. They live with locals, speak the local language, use the same amounts of economic and natural resources that locals use, and eat, sleep, bathe and work in the same fashion as the local people do. Because this type of tourism takes place in remote Himalayan villages that are not in touristed areas, social arrangements are based on local tradition and culture, rather than on external forces. This research specifically links independent volunteer traveling with sustainable tourism development by examining its impacts. For instance, the majority of travelers in the study helped to create additional sources of income for local people by donating animals and land to families, which helped hosts to improve their living standards and boosted local economies in remote Himalayan regions, contributing towards the development of Nepal's rural communities. In addition, because of the many opportunities offered by this type of tourism, Nepali women were encouraged to eat with their families, get married at a later age, get an education and be treated more fairly in family situations, which contributed towards improving the status of women. The evidence of this research also indicates that there is a complex dynamic present in the interaction between hosts and guests when giving and receiving activities are examined. In particular, a sense of mutual interdependence and equality were maintained between hosts and guests, because no matter who was giving and who was receiving, both parties continued to feel they received more than they were able to give. Because of the joy and meaning it added to their lives, this aspect of the experience had the most profound effect on both hosts and guests, and made this form of tourism stand out against comparable cross-cultural encounters. In an era searching for improved forms of international relations, this kind of travel poses an interesting alternative, because it depends solely on the opportunity for travelers to contribute to the host culture and on the development of meaningful cross-cultural relationships. / Graduation date: 2003 / Best scan available for photos. Original has a moray pattern.

Volunteer tourism has been regarded to provide an authentic and mutually beneficial relationship between volunteer tourists and residents based on volunteering. By exploring volunteer tourists' emotional solidarity with residents, the researcher aims to uncover the social relations between volunteer tourists and residents in practice. This exploratory study was conducted in Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica during November 2012 to January 2013. Based on the two months of ethnographic field research, this research suggests that volunteer tourism may not be superior to so-called “mass tourism” in terms of building harmonious relationships between volunteer tourists and resident. In this study, volunteer tourists’ feelings of closeness were merely feelings which boosted the identity of volunteer tourists from “tourists” to “volunteers”. This article contributes to the growing body of literature on volunteer tourism by exploring the volunteer tourism experience from the perspectives of international volunteers.

Volunteer tourism as an alternative to mass tourism has grown significantly since the 1970s, sparking research interest in the subject. However, there is little research that has examined future potential volunteer tourists' various perceptions, needs and wants. The purpose of this study was to understand how and in what way various potential volunteer tourists' beliefs, including attitudes, subjective norms, self-efficacy and motivation, influence their future intended participation in a volunteer tourism experience using the revised theory of planned behavior. Moreover, the potential moderating effect of past volunteer tourism experience was examined as well. The study collected 291 usable responses from potential volunteer tourists who were active members of volunteer tourism organizations. The study used second order confirmatory factor analysis, structural equation modeling and hierarchical multiple regression analysis to test study hypotheses. The study also used meta-analysis to examine the effect size of the predicting variables and compared it with that of previous tourism research. The results of structural equation modeling indicated that two constructs, both attitudes and subjective norms, appeared to be statistically significant, while self-efficacy and motivation were not statistically significant in predicting potential volunteer tourists' intended participation. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis found a moderating effect of past volunteer tourism experience on motivation toward intended participation in a negative direction. In addition, the motivation factor "altruism" moderated in a negative direction. Meta-analysis found a large effect of attitudes, a medium effect of subjective norms, and a small effect of self-efficacy in relation to intended participation. In conclusion, the results did not validate the theory of planned behavior in the context of volunteer tourism research. Interestingly, the theory of reasoned action was found to be validated. Implications for volunteer tourism providers and organizations are also discussed. / Ph. D.

Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master of Technology: Sport Management in the Faculty of Business and Management Sciences at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology / Volunteer tourism, as a form of leisure and/or recreation, is one of the fastest growing forms of tourism globally. It has also become a critical human resource for many organisations in the Western Cape, South Africa who rely on the support of volunteer tourists. A review of the current literature showed that most volunteer tourism research studies is volunteer-tourist-centred and focus on the motivations for participation and the benefits of participation to the volunteer tourist. Very few studies consider the effect of volunteer tourism on the host organisation and within the South African context only two volunteer tourist profile studies exist. Both studies excluded host organisation factors that indicated how host organisations benefited from hosting volunteer tourists. This research study focussed on creating a comprehensive profile of volunteer tourists at SANCCOB (a non-profit seabird rehabilitation centre) in Table View, Western Cape, South Africa. The profile included demographic factors, motivational factors and SANCCOB specific information. Data were collected through an anonymous, self-administered, online questionnaire and from the data, five conclusions were made. Firstly, the demographic factors of volunteer tourists that participated in SANCCOB’s international volunteer programme was similar to other South African based volunteer tourism studies. Secondly, to experience something different and new was the most important motivational factor for volunteer tourists. Thirdly, volunteer tourists derived considerable benefit from volunteering at SANCCOB. Fourthly, volunteer tourists continued to support SANCCOB through social and financial activities after completing the programme, indicating that SANCCOB (as a host organisation) benefited from hosting volunteer tourists and that as a result, a mutually beneficial relationship exists between this host organisation and the volunteer tourist. Lastly, this study provided SANCCOB with valuable information for volunteer management, as well as future marketing and fundraising campaigns.

Volunteer tourism is a popular way for young Westerners to discover the world and at the same take on the role as an international aid worker. For a short time they get an opportunity to improve the life conditions of people in development countries and get to know a new culture. The discourse of “making a difference” is dominating the marketing and promotion of the volunteer trips, yet little research is to be found about what the volunteers contribute with and what “help”, provided by them consist of. The main purpose of this study was to explore eventual post-colonial legacies or structures in the practice of volunteer tourism by exploring how help, in the actual context is described and defined by the volunteer tourists themselves. The thesis is based on a field study, conducted during two months in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Data was collected through 14 semi-structured interviews with volunteer tourists and observations at the volunteer sites. The data was further analysed by using terms and perspectives from post-colonial theory. The analysis show that the help from the volunteer tourists principally were supposed to compensate for deficiencies in the host community and that it was directed towards individual advancement for the kids that the volunteers encountered in the projects. Tendencies that the help-actions sometimes were based on assumptions, rather than facts about the conditions in the host community were also identified. Furthermore that the actions taken on by the volunteers sometimes implied simplified notions on ways to achieve development.

South Africais a country with many well documented inequalities. To reduce some of them there are many volunteers working in the country. What is it like to observe and work with people affected by all these inequalities? The aim of this study is to develop an understanding of how volunteers experience their work with children inCape Town. The questions I intend to answer in the study are: How do the volunteers experience their work when meeting kids in vulnerable situations and seeing the situation in the country they work in? Does the volunteer work create more cross- culture understanding and do the volunteers' views change during the course of their volunteer work? What goals and/or reasons do the volunteers have for volunteering?           The study was performed inCape Town,South Africa, and consists of nine semi-structured interviews with volunteers that, in different ways, work with children.                       Previous research about volunteers suggests that volunteer work can increase cross-culture understanding but there is also a risk that it might strengthen the stigmatisation. It is also suggested that volunteer tourism is a more sustainable way of travelling than other forms of tourism. The volunteers are driven by different reasons for volunteering they can have altruistic reasons or they can be driven by more self-developing reasons. The participants in this study had different reasons for volunteering like making a change, getting new experiences etcetera. Many of the volunteers described their first encounter with the South African culture as a bit of a shock due to the extreme poverty evident in the country. They also stated that meeting the children was simultaneously a positive and negative experience, as the poverty and social deprivation affecting the children was hard to observe, yet these are still kids and they play and are happy like any other kids in the world. Many of the participants also felt that they could contribute trough their work and that they had the chance to make a difference.                       The results have been analyzed through two articles on the subject of cross-culture understanding and reasons on volunteering.     A majority of the volunteers described an increased cross-culture understanding, but seemed unaware of the risk of stigmatisation. The volunteers have both more self-fulfilling reasons for volunteering and some more altruistic reasons.