Student NameBonus Optional Activity A Closer Look at Volunteer .docx

Student Name
Bonus Optional Activity: A Closer Look at Volunteer Tourism
(Voluntourism)
READING #1: What’s Wrong With Voluntourism? Everything.
This is an editorial, opinion piece about a Nicaraguan woman’s
experience as a child who had contact with voluntourists and
missionaries, and how this contact shaped her views.
What is her first memory of dealing with a [medical]
voluntourist? What makes this memory stand out in her mind?
Insert.
What did Prisca feel that voluntourists, who offered much-
needed supplies and toys, want in exchange for their generous
gifts?
Insert.
What reasons did Prisca offer as to why the voluntourists and
missionaries visiting were ‘too nice’ to the children in
Nicaraguan villages? Be thorough and thoughtful here.
Insert.
In Prisca’s opinion, what was the disconnect between
voluntourists’ desire to help while in-country and their
behavior/choices/voting strategies at home?
Insert.
Your opinion: How does thinking about the situation from
Prisca’s view impact your view on voluntourism, if at all? Find
at least one article/blog/editorial that helps you formulate your
perspective, whether or not it aligns with Prisca’s. Be
thoughtful and thorough. In what ways do approaches to
voluntourism need to be changed/developed to avoid the
experience Prisca had? This response should be a minimum of
150 words.
Insert.
Reading #1: APA Sources
Mojica Rodriguez, P. (2016). What’s Wrong With
Voluntourism? Everything. Vivala (April 18, 2016). Retrieved

from: http://www.vivala.com/womens-issues/voluntourism-well-
meaning-white-people/3942
READING #2:
Volunteer Tourism: What Are the Benefits for International
Development?
This is an editorial, opinion piece from a Jenny Morgan, who
has spent her life participating in and leading voluntourism
organizations worldwide. She speaks to the benefits of
voluntourism.
In addition to the normal tourism supply chain participants
(airlines, hotels, etc.), who are the four main ‘actors’ in the
voluntourism chain?
Insert.
Discuss the growth of voluntourism statistically. Use Morgan’s
stats from the article, and find at least one additional article to
parenthetically cite (and place in APA sources below). Why do
you think this type of tourism is growing so fast?
Insert.
According to Morgan, what are some of the direct benefits of
voluntourism to rural communities, and who is best to determine
what the needs are?
Insert.
CRITICISMS: Morgan acknowledges 5 major criticisms.
According to Morgan and the studies she cites, as the length of
the voluntourist’s trip decreases, the placements are
increasingly
________________________________________________.
Second, voluntourists are often one-___ customers so the trip
becomes more about his or her once-in-a-lifetime experience,
not the impact he or she will have on the community. Third,
because voluntourism is demand-based, their could be
un____________ development or d____________________

within the host communities for host organizations that have
fallen out of favor with travelers. High expectations of the
voluntourist exist for a particular type of experience, and it may
be hard for voluntourists to see any form of impact given the
limited __________frame. They may also take the experiences
too l____________y or think that social development and fixing
social/economic/environmental problems in the host community
is s_____________. Finally, some volunteer placements are not
well c____________________d or well o_________________d,
leaving the voluntourists wondering if the project had any real
value to the local community. If the voluntourist sees his or her
efforts as f_____________e, capacity for social movement is
limited.
Morgan concludes that perhaps the biggest criticism of
voluntourism is that many voluntourists lacked necessary
____________________ and training/instruction prior to
departure. This backfires when voluntourists become a
__________ on local resources.
SOLUTIONS: What are Morgan’s suggestions for improving the
effectiveness of voluntourism? What do YOU recommend?
Please add one more source (in-text cite and place in APA
sources) to back up your explanation.
Insert.
THE VERDICT: What changes in
view/knowledge/understanding, if any, do you have as a result
of taking a closer look at voluntourism? Why?
Insert.
Reading #2: APA Sources
Morgan, J. (2009). Volunteer tourism: What are the benefits for
international development? Voluntourist Newsletter, 6(2).

ARTICLE 1
What’s Wrong With Voluntourism? Everything.
I am the default brown girl in your dorm room pictures.
By Prisca Mojica Rodriguez
I will preface this by saying that a lot of my doctors and
dentists were white Americans, and that I have a soft spot in my
heart for those people because they are working hard to change
someone else's life. Access to medical care, good medical care,
is nearly impossible for many poor folks in Latin American
countries and the Caribbean. These doctors and dentists came
into communities that most outsiders will not step foot in
In fact, my first tooth was pulled by a white American
dentist when I was a kid growing up in Nicaragua, and I
remember the care and attention I got like it was yesterday. You
always remember your first visit to a dentist, it sticks with you.
Another time I had a huge fall off my bike, and a white
American dentist was staying at our home and he sewed me up,
giving me seven very necessary stitches. I will always
remember this. I also remember that they never asked me for a
picture. They were too busy helping people. I hold these people
who come to our countries and do that kind of work in high
regard. Voluntourists and missionaries are another story.
Gospel Outreach came to Nicaragua when I was a little girl. All
of my toys, clothes, and much of our food came from ships that
were stocked with their goods. I remember walking into those

boats and seeing piles of toys and boxes upon boxes of minute
soups. These much-needed supplies were crucial to my
childhood. We were that poor. But the people sending this very
important stuff decided that they needed to see the faces of the
lives they were changing. It was not enough to just help, they
wanted to see where their selfless donations were going.
I have many childhood memories in Nicaragua that include
voluntourists and missionaries. I remember that they were really
kind, almost too kind. When you grow up poor, you have a lot
of street smarts and reading people comes second nature. It was
like they were trying to make up for something. They really
wanted us to like them, because they loved us —
indiscriminately. It was the sort of love where they did not get
our mailing addresses or phone numbers, because it was not
about becoming lifelong friends. They loved being around me, it
was something about my poverty, brownness, and how they felt
like they were saving me. They loved that feeling.
It was as though in exchange for life-giving goods we had to
give them a life-changing experience. We had to welcome them
to our lands with our arms wide open, as though they were
blameless as to how our country was in such distress. As if they
did not inherit their comfort and safety from the presidents and
governments that they had elected who had done this to us.
They wanted us to say mil gracias to their smiling faces as if
reparations were not due, deserved, and rightfully ours.
We have always been able to see right through this facade.
Since I was five years old I saw right through it. I probably did
not have the words as a kid, but I knew you were trying to get
something out of me. I do not have fond memories of the
Beckys and Chads who came to my country and took pictures
with me so that they could hang the photos in their dorm rooms
and go on with their lives.

Those same Beckys did not stand up against Trump’s
xenophobic agenda. The Chads stayed silent during that Cinco
de Mayo party that their roommates hosted, perpetuating
problematic stereotypes about ALL Latinxs. The Beckys know
that NAFTA and CAFTA rulings keep kids like me in poverty,
but still shop at stores known for using slave labor and
sweatshops.
Those Chads and Beckys have never done anything for me.
When they're asked why they went to my country, they probably
said that they wanted to help, but after they were done planting
the trees that their church donated, they went home and did
nothing besides wear our trajes tipicos.
You left and told your life-changing story, but you’ve
dismantled nothing. You’ve helped no one but yourself. What
have you done for those brown children in your dorm-room
picture since you left? I personally resent that you have pictures
of us brown poor children, because while we probably changed
your life, you’ve done nothing for us but used our brown bodies
as a reminder of your good deeds.
http://www.vivala.com/womens-issues/voluntourism-well-
meaning-white-people/3942
ARTICLE 1
VOLUNTEER TOURISM: WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS FOR
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT?
Jenny Morgan, Program Officer, Overseas Development
Institute, London, UK
As most of our regular readers know, there is much debate over
what benefits short-term volunteer tourism can bring to
international development. As a fulfillment of her MSc in
Development Studies (2009) at London South Bank
University in the UK, Jenny Morgan undertook a study of the
volunteer tourism industry; in particular, assessing what
benefits it can bring to international development. Following a
review of relevant literature, Jenny, using both quantitative and

qualitative questioning, questioned the four main actors within
the volunteer tourism chain: sending organizations;
previous/current volunteers; partner organizations and host
organizations/projects. In total, Jenny conducted 42 surveys
over 2 months, and what follows are the major findings from her
study.
Context
International volunteering is part of the wider international
development agenda and international volunteers are often
considered development workers in their own right.
Traditionally, international volunteering opportunities have
tended to be long-term skills-based placements, run by
development agencies, humanitarian organizations, NGO’s,
educational institutions, and religious groups. However, a
rejection of mass-tourism and demand for more authentic and
meaningful forms of travel has resulted in a surge in demand for
short-term volunteer opportunities from individuals who are
unable to commit long-term but wish to ‘give something back’
during their leisure time. My research has shown, perhaps
unsurprisingly, that the main motivations of volunteer tourists
include a desire to help, the possibility of a unique travel
experience, and personal development.
Volunteer tourism offers hybrid options posed to meet the
demands of tourists
Volunteer tourism offers new opportunities for the tourism
industry. Its development has created the need for partnerships
beyond the traditional tourist supply chain. In addition to the
normal supply chain participants (i.e. airline companies,
accommodation providers, etc.), there are four main actors
within the volunteer tourism chain: sending organizations;
volunteers; partner organizations, and host
organizations/projects. The diversity and breadth of the
volunteer tourism sector makes it very difficult to establish a
clear business model. Volunteer tourism offers hybrid options
posed to satisfy the demands of tourists, and volunteer

placements tend to be flexible to ensure ultimate convenience.
Copyright © PLAY it Forward Adventures, All Rights Reserved
In 2008, the market for volunteer tourism in Western Europe
(which is dominated by the UK) grew around 5-10% from the
previous five years (2003-2008) and in 2006 it was worth
approximately US$150 million (Mintel 2008). This growth has
been facilitated by the sheer number of sending organizations
involved, the variety of destinations and types of projects
available, and the increasing range of target markets – short-
term volunteering opportunities are now easily accessible. My
research found that many of the sending organizations are
commercial (profit-based) organizations with the newest
additions being conventional tour operators. Commercial
organizations cite reasons for moving into the sector as 1)
having identified a worthwhile project in a country they were
already operating in, and 2) in response to consumer demand –
to the joint benefit of the sending organization, the volunteer,
and the local community. However, critics suggest that the
financial motivation of such commercial organizations prevails
over any consideration of their development impact.
Africa, Asia and Latin America are the most popular destination
regions. The most common duration is 1-2 weeks, with most
volunteers being students, and those taking a career gap. The
most popular types of projects were education and training,
construction, and working with children.
Benefits
If short-term volunteering opportunities are well-organized and
thought out, tourists can use their leisure time and discretionary
resources to great advantage.
Volunteer tourism is seen (Coghlan 2007; Ellis 2007; Lyons
2008; McIntosh and Zahra 2007; Mustonen 2005; Wearing
2001) to have strong links with sustainable tourism (sustainable
tourism products are defined by Mintel (2005) as ‘products
which operate in harmony with local environment, community
and culture, so that these become permanent beneficiaries);

offering a sustainable alternative to the consumptive trends of
mass tourism and creating a mutually beneficial relationship
between the host community and the volunteer.
Short-term volunteering opportunities allow more people (who
would otherwise be unable to commit time) to participate in
volunteering overseas. The sending organizations questioned as
a part of this study sent on average over 1000 volunteers each in
2008. If these short-term volunteering opportunities are
properly conceived and well-organised, the leisure time and
discretionary resources of these tourists can be used to great
advantage.
Copyright © La Confluencia, All Rights Reserved
The majority of sending organizations (that responded to this
study) confirmed that they chose placements in discussion with
local partner organizations, NGOs/charities, and local
community representatives, which could suggest active
consideration of local development needs or just the necessary
means for sending organizations to secure placements.
Host organizations/projects assert that volunteer tourism has
great impact on the local community, particularly in more
remote, rural areas. My research found that direct benefits to
the community include increased manpower and direct financial
support through placements. Indirect benefits include increased
local employment (facilitated by the injection of revenue) and
improved facilities (schools, parks and daily activities).
Although volunteers may have some prior awareness of global
development issues, the majority of respondents felt that
providing tourists with opportunities to live and work amongst
people from societies and cultures very different to their own
has the potential to increase cultural understanding, social
awareness and sense of global responsibility. A strong message
coming out of the research was that volunteer tourism provides
host organizations/projects with a voice; a means of spreading
their message and inspiring long-term social movement and
activism. Volunteers take their experiences home with them,

and the majority of host organizations/projects confirm that
volunteers tend to stay in touch when they finish the placement
and return home, even actively fundraising on their behalf.
Criticisms
Despite these benefits recognized, volunteer tourism has come
under intense criticism from academics, development
organizations and long-term volunteering agencies. First, as the
length of the trip decreases, volunteering placements are seen to
be increasingly designed with the convenience and motivation
of volunteer tourists in mind, rather than focusing on the
communities they are supporting(Brodie 2006 in Frean 2006;
Callanan and Mustonen 2005; Tourism Concern 2007).
Emphasis on the experience of the volunteer and not the impact
on local communities is problematic.
Second, sending organizations confirm that volunteer tourists,
in a business sense, tend to be one-off customers (they are not
expected to provide repeat business for the organization as in
many cases trips are considered to be a once in a life-time
opportunity), so the priority is attracting volunteers rather than
upon the impact that they have on host communities.
If a volunteer sees their efforts as futile then any capacity for
social movement is limited.
Third, the tourism industry is cyclical and demand-led and the
popularity of destinations will vary over time. As a result, if
there is disproportionate concentration on certain types of work
or people, volunteering opportunities may cause uneven
development (Simpson 2007), and/or create dependencies within
host communities for services and products they are not in a
position to support long term – it is unknown whether there are
any contingencies in place for host organizations/projects
should they fall out of favor.
Fourth, the emphasis on the experience of the volunteer is
problematic. Sending organizations risk creating/reinforcing
high expectations amongst volunteers regarding what can be

achieved in such a short space of time. Host
organizations/projects confirmed that volunteer tourists are
limited to more simple tasks, small in scale, with minimal
impact. Though volunteers may have good intentions, and while
volunteers can gain a lot from their experiences, there is
concern that they may take experiences too lightly and
(depending on prior knowledge and experience) assume that
development is simple, ‘something that can comes from
outsiders (rather than local people and governments) and that
can be done by unskilled, but enthusiastic Westerners’ (Simpson
2007). Short-term volunteers have very little time to adjust and
truly understand the country and its culture and risk causing
offence to the local community.
Fifth, related to this emphasis on the volunteer, placements are
criticized as being repetitive and inconsistent - due to having
been set up for volunteer tourists rather than as part of a long-
term development strategy. My research found that not all
volunteering placements are well conceived or well organized,
and that sometimes there was a real lack of guidance for
volunteers by sending and partner organizations. There was
concern felt by volunteers whether projects were ultimately of
real value to the local community. If a volunteer sees their
efforts as futile then any capacity for social movement is
limited.
Work needs to be done to achieve an appropriate level of
standards and ensure that volunteer tourism positively benefits
international development
Finally, this study found that the majority of volunteers did not
have relevant qualifications or experience prior to volunteering,
nor did they receive any training or instruction prior to
departure. Host organizations/projects confirmed that if a
volunteer possess specific skills, they do their best to utilize
them, however If un-skilled workers frequently require
assistance, they can risk being a burden on local staff and
becoming a drain on local resources. The notion that ‘doing
something is better than doing nothing’ is undermined when

volunteer tourism has negative effects on the local community.
Conclusion and Lesson Learning
The longer a volunteer can commit the more meaningful their
contribution is seen to be
Ultimately, this study found that the longer a volunteer can
commit, the more meaningful their contribution was seen to be;
as short-term placements are typically small in scale, benefits
tend to be limited. However, it is increasingly recognized that
tourism can contribute to the reduction of poverty in less
developed countries - a principle export in a third of all
developed countries, it is the primary source of foreign
exchange amongst the least developed countries (UNWTO
2006). Therefore, the role and potential benefits of volunteer
tourism should not be discounted, particularly as there is always
likely to be a level of demand for short-term volunteer
placements.
Copyright © La Confluencia, All Rights Reserved
Nevertheless, a number of recommendations can be made to the
volunteer tourism industry as a result of this study.
· In order to maximize the potential benefits of volunteer
tourism for international development (sustainably in the long
term), work needs to be done to achieve an appropriate level of
standards and ensure that volunteer tourism is correctly
managed at all levels of the chain.
· Sending organizations have a major role to play, not least by
educating volunteers. Volunteers need to be made aware of the
complexities of development, and what can be achieved,
realistically, in the short-term – whilst working to change the
perceptions of the local community as being ‘subordinate’ or in
need of being ‘helped.’ In fact many tour operators already have
responsible tourism policies that cover interaction with local
staff and impact on the environment that should be publicized
and widely communicated.
· Volunteer placements need to be aligned with the development
policy of the host region, and local communities should have a

platform to clearly state their development needs. Sending
organizations should then work alongside local and national
development actors to ensure that the work is not futile and that
specific development needs are being met.
· Arguments regarding the extent of any benefit versus potential
damage to the host community prompts consideration of
whether or not negative elements of this nature could be
minimized if the industry were suitably regulated. Existing
guidelines (Tourism Concern; Comhlámh) need to be developed
(in collaboration with ‘traditional’ volunteering organizations
and development agencies).
· Finally, when evaluating the effectiveness of volunteer
tourism, it is important to recognize what the “success” is being
based on: whether it is the experience of the volunteer, or what
the placement itself brings to the host organization/project and
the local community (as these results can be very different).
Literature reviewed placed a lot of emphasis on the benefits
accruing to the volunteer rather than the host community. It is
also important to distinguish between one-off projects that have
a clear and tangible result and are easier to assess in terms of
success, and those placements, which are based within
organizations or part of a long-term program.
References
Callanan, M. and Thomas, S. (2005) Volunteer tourism:
Deconstructing volunteer activities within a dynamic
environment in Novelli, M. (Ed) (2005) ‘Niche Tourism:
Contemporary issues, trends and cases’ Oxford: Elsevier
Coghlan, A. (2007) ‘Towards an integrated image-based
typology of volunteer tourism organization’ Journal of
Sustainable Tourism Vol. 15, No. 3, pp.267-28
Comhlámh (UDb) ‘Volunteer charter and sending organizations
code of good practice: Short term volunteering for long term
development’ [Online] Available
from: http://www.comhlamh.org/assets/files/pdfs/Code-of-
Practice%5B1%5D.pdf[Accessed 05 October 2008]

Ellis, S. (2007) ‘Voluntourism: Pros, cons and possibilities’
[Online] Available
from:http://www.energizeinc.com/hot/2007/07feb.html [Accesse
d 14 March 2008]
Frean, A. (2006) ‘Gap years create new colonialists’ The Times
newspaper, 15 August 2006, London [Online] Available
from:http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/holiday_type/gap_
travel/article609259.ece [Accessed 05 October 2008]
Lyons, K. D. (2003) ‘Ambiguities in volunteer tourism: A case
study of Australians participating in a J-1 visitor exchange
program’ Tourism ResearchVol. 28, No. 3, pp.5-13
McInotsh, A. J. and Zahra, A. (2007) ‘A cultural encounter
through volunteer tourism: Towards the ideals of sustainable
tourism’ Journal of Sustainable Tourism Vol. 15, No. 5
Mintel (2005) Travel and Tourism Analyst ‘Sustainable
Tourism’ February 2005
Mintel (2008) Travel and Tourism Analyst ‘Volunteer Tourism
– International’, September 2008
Mustonen, P. (2005) ‘Volunteer Tourism: Postmodern
Pilgrimage’ Journal of Tourism and Cultural ChangeVol. 3, No.
3, pp. 160-174
Simpson, K. (2007) ‘Is voluntourism doing any good?
No!’ Wanderlust Travel Magazine Issue 88, June/July 2007
[Online] Available
from http://www.wanderlust.co.uk/article.php?page_id=88 [
Accessed 14 December 2008]
Tourism Concern (2007) ‘Gaps in Development: An analysis of
the UK international volunteering sector’ London: Tourism
Concern
UNWTO United Nations World Tourism Organization (2006)
‘Tourism and least developed countries’ A sustainable
opportunity to reduce poverty’ Madrid: UNWTO
Wearing, S. (2001) ‘Volunteer Tourism: Experiences that make
a difference’ Oxon: UK: CABI Publishing

http://www.voluntourism.org/news-studyandresearch62.htm

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