The Potential Impacts Volunteer Tourism can have on a Destination
Author: Tamara Heal
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Volunteer tourism is a relatively new concept and is increasing in popularity. Volunteer tourism is when tourists decide to travel with the intention of providing aid, sometimes using skills they possess, such as building skills. Due to the fact that the aim of volunteer tourism is to provide aid, it is perceived that volunteer tourism has an overall positive influence, however just like all forms of tourism, there are also negative influences caused by volunteer tourism. This paper will discuss the potential negative and positive impacts that volunteer tourism can have upon a destination.
Key words: volunteer tourism, positive impact, negative impact, destination, volunteers
Volunteer tourism was introduced as an alternative to mass tourism in the 1980s and is now considered a niche form of tourism (Novelli, 2005). Volunteer tourism most commonly takes place in less developed countries (Robinson et al, 2011), with the volunteers usually being from more developed western countries (Benson, 2011). Wearing (2001, p.1) defines volunteer tourism as people "who volunteer in an organised way to undertake holidays that may involve the aiding or alleviating the material poverty of some groups in society, the restoration of certain environments or research in to aspects of society or environment". Some of the most common activities for volunteer tourism include: teaching in schools, harvesting crops, planting trees and offering health related services.
The host destination and the people that live there may benefit from volunteer tourism socially, economically and culturally (Zhao and Ritchie, 2007). The destination may benefit from new buildings being built and a clean supply of water may be provided. The destination may benefit economically due to the increase in tourism and tourists spending their money there in locally owned restaurants and shops causing less leakage than there would be from conventional mass tourism. The volunteers can also teach the locals some of the skills they possess, such as teaching them how to build buildings such as houses, therefore making the community less reliant on volunteer tourists and being able to improve their community themselves (Benson, 2011). The destination may benefit both socially and culturally by locals being taught about different cultures, and learning about different ways of life from the volunteers (Hannam, 2010).
Volunteer tourism may also have a positive impact on a destination due to tourists returning home and informing others about their positive experience, therefore encouraging them to participate in volunteer tourism (Brown, 2005). Also volunteers may then inform others about the problems and issues of the destination, raising the awareness of those problems (Benson, 2011).
Volunteer tourism not only has positive impacts on the destination and its community but also on the volunteers themselves. Volunteers can return with a greater cultural awareness (Singh, 2004), a feeling that they have made a difference to the destination (Jamal and Robinson, 2009) and inspired to participate in more volunteer work when they return home (Lyons and Wearing, 2008). If they return home more inspired, they may participate in more volunteer tourism closer to home meaning more destinations will benefit.
As well as the positive impacts, volunteer tourism can also have negative impacts. Hannam (2010) stated that there are two types of volunteer tourism: 'volunteer minded' and 'vacation minded'. Those that are 'volunteer minded' are more likely to have a positive impact on the destination as they are more interested in the 'volunteer' side of the holiday. Whereas those who are 'vacation minded' are more interested in the 'vacation' side of the holiday and likely to cause more harm than good. Tourists may participate in volunteer tourism purely for selfish reasons such as improving their CV to make themselves more attractive to employers (Ramrayka, 2001) or being more 'vacation minded' and wanting to participate more for the 'vacation' than the 'volunteering'. They may also not possess the sufficient skills for example building skills, and consume time by having to be helped by others that do possess the necessary skills (Lew et al, 2008). Hostility from locals may arise due to the fact that the volunteers come to the destination and are doing jobs for free that the locals could easily do themselves whilst being paid for it.
Another potential negative impact that may be caused by volunteer tourism is the using of the host destinations resources by the volunteers (Lyons and Wearing, 2008). Whilst the volunteers are there, they will need to be fed and watered as well as using other facilities. As the destinations popular with volunteer tourism are usually less developed countries, they generally have less resources, and having more people as well as the locals using those resources could put a strain on the destination and limit the resources.
Another negative impact is the impact on the environment. As most volunteer tourists are from more developed western countries, it will most likely be necessary for them to travel a distance to the less developed countries that are popular with volunteer tourists. Therefore this will cause a negative environmental impact. To combat this, volunteers could volunteer for volunteer projects closer to their home, minimising their environmental impact. They could also instead of travelling to the less developed destination, they could send money, which would still be benefitting the locals but minimising their own environmental damage.
References
Benson, A. (2011) Volunteer Tourism: Theory Framework to Practical Applications. Oxon: Routeledge.
Ramrayka, L. (2001) Charities urged to woo gap volunteers. The Guardian, 16th August.
Zhao, W. and Ritchie, J.R.B. (2007) Tourism and Poverty Alleviation: An Integrative Research Framework. Current Issues in Tourism, 10(2&3)
Key words: volunteer tourism, positive impact, negative impact, destination, volunteers
Volunteer tourism was introduced as an alternative to mass tourism in the 1980s and is now considered a niche form of tourism (Novelli, 2005). Volunteer tourism most commonly takes place in less developed countries (Robinson et al, 2011), with the volunteers usually being from more developed western countries (Benson, 2011). Wearing (2001, p.1) defines volunteer tourism as people "who volunteer in an organised way to undertake holidays that may involve the aiding or alleviating the material poverty of some groups in society, the restoration of certain environments or research in to aspects of society or environment". Some of the most common activities for volunteer tourism include: teaching in schools, harvesting crops, planting trees and offering health related services.
The host destination and the people that live there may benefit from volunteer tourism socially, economically and culturally (Zhao and Ritchie, 2007). The destination may benefit from new buildings being built and a clean supply of water may be provided. The destination may benefit economically due to the increase in tourism and tourists spending their money there in locally owned restaurants and shops causing less leakage than there would be from conventional mass tourism. The volunteers can also teach the locals some of the skills they possess, such as teaching them how to build buildings such as houses, therefore making the community less reliant on volunteer tourists and being able to improve their community themselves (Benson, 2011). The destination may benefit both socially and culturally by locals being taught about different cultures, and learning about different ways of life from the volunteers (Hannam, 2010).
Volunteer tourism may also have a positive impact on a destination due to tourists returning home and informing others about their positive experience, therefore encouraging them to participate in volunteer tourism (Brown, 2005). Also volunteers may then inform others about the problems and issues of the destination, raising the awareness of those problems (Benson, 2011).
Volunteer tourism not only has positive impacts on the destination and its community but also on the volunteers themselves. Volunteers can return with a greater cultural awareness (Singh, 2004), a feeling that they have made a difference to the destination (Jamal and Robinson, 2009) and inspired to participate in more volunteer work when they return home (Lyons and Wearing, 2008). If they return home more inspired, they may participate in more volunteer tourism closer to home meaning more destinations will benefit.
As well as the positive impacts, volunteer tourism can also have negative impacts. Hannam (2010) stated that there are two types of volunteer tourism: 'volunteer minded' and 'vacation minded'. Those that are 'volunteer minded' are more likely to have a positive impact on the destination as they are more interested in the 'volunteer' side of the holiday. Whereas those who are 'vacation minded' are more interested in the 'vacation' side of the holiday and likely to cause more harm than good. Tourists may participate in volunteer tourism purely for selfish reasons such as improving their CV to make themselves more attractive to employers (Ramrayka, 2001) or being more 'vacation minded' and wanting to participate more for the 'vacation' than the 'volunteering'. They may also not possess the sufficient skills for example building skills, and consume time by having to be helped by others that do possess the necessary skills (Lew et al, 2008). Hostility from locals may arise due to the fact that the volunteers come to the destination and are doing jobs for free that the locals could easily do themselves whilst being paid for it.
Another potential negative impact that may be caused by volunteer tourism is the using of the host destinations resources by the volunteers (Lyons and Wearing, 2008). Whilst the volunteers are there, they will need to be fed and watered as well as using other facilities. As the destinations popular with volunteer tourism are usually less developed countries, they generally have less resources, and having more people as well as the locals using those resources could put a strain on the destination and limit the resources.
Another negative impact is the impact on the environment. As most volunteer tourists are from more developed western countries, it will most likely be necessary for them to travel a distance to the less developed countries that are popular with volunteer tourists. Therefore this will cause a negative environmental impact. To combat this, volunteers could volunteer for volunteer projects closer to their home, minimising their environmental impact. They could also instead of travelling to the less developed destination, they could send money, which would still be benefitting the locals but minimising their own environmental damage.
References
Benson, A. (2011) Volunteer Tourism: Theory Framework to Practical Applications. Oxon: Routeledge.
Ramrayka, L. (2001) Charities urged to woo gap volunteers. The Guardian, 16th August.
Zhao, W. and Ritchie, J.R.B. (2007) Tourism and Poverty Alleviation: An Integrative Research Framework. Current Issues in Tourism, 10(2&3)