INTRODUCTION
Volunteer tourism can be a tricky topic.
After all, people who travel to volunteer generally do so with the best intentions, wanting to make a positive difference in the places they visit.
However, as is a constant refrain in life, things with volunteer tourism aren’t simple as they seem.
To better understand the issues surrounding volunteer tourism, why it can be problematic, and if there is a way to ethically participate in volunteer tourism, we talked to responsible tourism expert Dr. Elisa Burrai of Leeds Beckett University.
She shared valuable insights on how volunteer tourism can go wrong and what we can do instead to make a real difference.
Below, you’ll find our conversation, where Dr. Burrai offers practical advice for anyone interested in volunteering responsibly.
DOES VOLUNTEER TOURISM HELP OR HARM?
– Q & A WITH DR. ELISA BURRAI
Note: The following responses have been edited for brevity while preserving their original intent.
1. THE BASICS OF VOLUNTEER TOURISM
Dr. Burrai, than you for taking the time to talk with us. So first of all, please tell us: How would you define volunteer tourism?
Just briefly, to put things into context: I’ve been a volunteer, and I began my research on volunteer tourism back in 2010, when there was very little known about the impacts on local communities. My research was mainly contextualized to the Global South, principally South America, and Peru more specifically.
Since then, I’ve done a lot of research. The landscape has changed a lot. I’ll try to give answers that are broad, but sometimes I’ll use examples that are more related to my experience.
With that said: The most common understanding of volunteer tourism is the combination of leisure activities with the work activities or volunteering activities.
Some packages will include more volunteering, others include more leisure activities. You could have, for example, a package that includes cooking classes, salsa classes, tours to see specific attractions, and also a few hours of volunteering. Or you could have a package that’s more structured around the volunteering work, and includes fewer leisure components.
So volunteer tourism can be different depending on the context, the destinations, and the providers of these experiences. There is a broad landscape out there.
And why has it become popular among travelers who want to make a difference when they travel?
My understanding is that we experience tourism differently these days. First of all, we’re much more aware of the impacts of tourism, both the benefits and the negative impacts. We are much more aware of the harm we might cause in destinations. We feel the responsibility of leaving something positive in the destinations that we visit. And one way tourists try to do that is by volunteering.
There is also a much more complex political scenario that might come into play in understanding the popularity of this form of traveling: it might be partly due to the fact that governments are increasingly placing responsibilities on individuals in the form of volunteering actions.
For example, in the UK in 2010, the Conservative government launched this idea of ‘Big Society’. The basic idea was that individuals are responsible for doing good for the society where they live, and leaving the government to think about other things in the meantime.
And we are always confronted with ethical decisions. Even when we walk into a supermarket and we look at coffees, for example, we might go for a fair trade coffee, because we want to do good.
So it’s part of our new liberal and consumerist societies as well. We still want the privilege of travel, but at the same time we want to do something good and feel less guilty. And so there is this feeling that you need to contribute something positive to the society when you travel.
2. THE ETHICS OF VOLUNTEER TOURISM
Most people volunteering abroad do so with the best of intentions to have a positive impact. But what are some common ethical issues with volunteer tourism that they might not be aware of?
Dependency is one of the most common issues associated with volunteer tourism. Reinforcing dependency, particularly for destinations in the Global South, on this offer of help that comes from the Global North.
The idea of ‘White saviourism’ comes into play with that. Perpetuating the idea that as Westerners, we know better. That we travel to the Global South to help them out, because we know how to do things.
This idea is linked to colonial legacies, and it can foster stereotyped representations of destinations in the Global South, and the idea of poverty that becomes an attraction in the context of volunteer tourism.
So these are some of the most common issues that can occur with volunteer tourism experiences.
Also increasing inequality. Because usually it’s the privileged who travel to volunteer in poorer destinations.
3. POWER DYNAMICS IN VOLUNTEER TOURISM
That actually leads into my next question: How do power dynamics between volunteers and local communities shape volunteer tourism?
Usually these dynamics are quite unbalanced. So usually, the volunteer is the privileged one, the one that is mobile enough to go to destinations to help. And usually it’s the less privileged who are receiving the actions of volunteers.
It’s not always like this. I don’t want to give the impression that the local communities are passive. They often have agency in terms of how they navigate the volunteer tourism industry and commercial side of things.
Usually, it stays almost an informal economy. For example, when families host volunteers in their houses, often the volunteers pay cash-in-hand. The families are not registered anywhere, but they work with the businesses that mediate volunteer tourism experiences; for example, language schools, tour operators, travel agencies, or any other provider that can link the demand with these hosting families. So it’s very much a kind of an informal economy.
But generally, the dynamics are not balanced. You have a privileged tourist, and not-so-privileged recipients.
Not to say that volunteer tourism always exacerbates those sort of power dynamics, but in instances where that is the danger, how have you seen volunteer tourism reinforce inequalities instead of helping?
Mainly in this movement between Global South and Global North destinations, where the sending destinations are in the Global North and the receiving destinations are in the Global South. That’s when the gap of inequality becomes bigger.
Although recently I’ve seen more south-to-south volunteering, which is something positive.
But also, I talked with some researchers that did a study on volunteer tourists that came from some destinations in the Global South to the Global North. From Africa to Italy, for example. But the narrative in some ways still perpetuated the stereotypes I mentioned before.
For example, some of the volunteer tourists mentioned ‘I’m here in Italy to volunteer, because I want to learn from them’. So it replicated these narratives of ‘the West is superior and the Global South is inferior’, this kind of inequal or unbalanced relationship.
4. IS IT POSSIBLE TO VOUNTEER ETHICALLY?
Let’s say somebody has, in the past, with the best of intentions, participated in a volunteer program where they found the dynamics questionable. What can they do to ensure they behave or act more responsibly moving forward?
I think reflection is important. We don’t reflect enough on our actions. Obviously, once they’ve already done it, there’s not much they can do to change that, but they can be aware that it is not something that they should do again in the future.
And by making others aware of their experience. For example, look at the controversies around orphanage tourism. This kind of volunteer tourism was booming around 2000, 2010. And then many volunteer tourists who had volunteered in orphanages started to raise awareness and say, ‘actually, that was not right. I did it, but it was not right’.
So now there are lots of campaigns and websites that advocate to stop orphanage tourism.
So it’s a matter of reflecting. But also being critical about international development. Don’t assume that through volunteer tourism, we’re going to change the world. Because there are still certain strong institutional frameworks. There are social and political problems that are not going to be easy to solve with a little bit of volunteering. It’s much more complicated than just a week abroad teaching English in a school.
Are there ways that even volunteering with limited time, a week or two, for example, travelers can do good?
When I did my research, many locals at these volunteering destinations told me “for us, the money [that comes in with volunteer tourism] is a job. It does help to buy a television. It helps to buy nappies [diapers]. It helps us to buy food. It helps”.
So it’s not always bad. It might not be great for the volunteers, because in the end, it’s not their volunteer work itself that helps. But the financial side helps.
So how can travelers identify responsible volunteer programs that genuinely benefit local communities rather than exploit them?
That’s a good question. The main thing is doing a bit of research about the companies that you’re thinking of volunteering with. Make sure you know exactly what they’re doing. Make sure you know where the money you spend when you purchase your volunteer tourism experience goes.
It’s not easy, of course, but understanding what’s needed in a specific place, and doing a bit of research about the receiving destination is helpful as well. Try not to select destinations based only on their tourism attractions, because they are likely to be less in need.
Although at the same time, I appreciate that volunteer tourists don’t want to go to unsafe destinations.
So again, it’s important to do research before. Be well-informed about the companies, and understand how others have experienced volunteer tourism. Because there’s so much in the media at the moment that is impossible not to see the limitations of this form of traveling.
What questions should travelers ask themselves before signing up for volunteer tourism experience?
They should ask questions about the company that’s mediating their trip. How do they operate? Which needs are they addressing? Are they addressing an issue that is local?
It’s important to consider why certain projects get more media exposure. Is it because they’re well-linked to the Western market? What about other projects that might be equally relevant or meaningful, but may not be so mediatized and linked to Western tourism?
The hope is often that, by bringing tourists to volunteer, at some point, whatever problem they are trying to address will be solved. So the idea is not to be needed, eventually. But that’s not the point of the volunteer tourism industry. Because it’s an industry, ultimately. The problems are perpetuated so that there is a constant demand.
So tourists should ask themselves questions around ‘Am I really needed? Is this a short-term problem, or is it a long-term one? How long have they been bringing in tourists for this problem? How genuine is the cause I’m working for? Are my actions going to be beneficial?’
It’s this kind of self reflection and critical thinking that you have to mobilize.
So if you were going to go on a volunteer tourism experience, how would you go about researching?
Now that I know more about the volunteer tourism industry, I would first of all try to avoid going abroad to volunteer. I would visit destinations to experience them, but not for volunteering.
Instead, I would be involved in volunteering in the city where I live, or not far from it. Because I know the setting there, I know the culture and the needs.
Many volunteer tourists haven’t done much volunteering work back home. So while their intentions are good, they lack that background. And that’s when things go wrong as well, because they go volunteer abroad, and it’s the first time they’ve worked with kids, or in hospitals or prisons.
If someone still wants to go abroad to experience volunteer tourism, then I would definitely consider volunteering for conservation and nature projects rather than volunteering with people. I think that way the harmful impact can be minimized.
And for somebody who wants specifically to help the local population in the place they’re visiting, is there any way they can do that ethically? Even if not through volunteering, is there some way they can still have a positive impact on the community?
Perhaps. I don’t want to be black and white here. The industry is very broad. There are very small scale projects and very big companies that have different projects all over the world. So again, I would do a bit of research.
And it helps if you have already arrived in the destination. For example, I met many backpackers who, when they stopped in a place, they would ask whether they could volunteer in specific projects. That way, they would actually have a better understanding of the project, what they could do and who’s benefiting from their actions.
So try to be as informed as possible in terms of needs, who you’re helping, who’s being impacted, what sort of harm are you leaving behind as well.
5. VOLUNTEER TOURISM AND THE ENVIRONMENT
We’ve talked about the effects of volunteer tourism on the local populations, but we haven’t really discussed the environment. What role does climate change play in volunteer tourism, and how can travelers be mindful of their impact on the environment when participating in volunteer tourism?
It’s a really interesting question, because people are wondering more and more about this, especially after COVID. During COVID, obviously, people couldn’t travel, so volunteer tourism stopped, and many destinations began accepting e-volunteers. So people could volunteer from their homes in the UK, to read stories to children, for example. I find that quite an interesting way of volunteering.
Obviously it takes away the tourism element of it. But certainly, that could be good for the environment, because there’s no planes or flight element involved.
In the future, there might be volunteer tourists traveling from what have in the past been considered receiving destinations, to go and help other destinations in the Global North as they become more and more impacted by the effects of climate change, such as, flooding, natural disasters, and wildfires.
So there might be a reconfiguration of volunteer tourism, in terms of which are the sending and receiving destinations. But it hasn’t happened yet. It’s something that we might see in a few years time.
6. RESOURCES FOR TRAVELERS INTERESTED IN VOLUNTEERING
Do you have any resources, books, or organizations, websites you would recommend for travelers who want to learn more about ethical volunteering?
Regarding the issues with orphanage volunteering that I mentioned before, there are some very useful websites. One is called orphanages.no, and the other one is called stoporphanages.org. Both are useful resources to understand a little bit more about the harms of volunteering in orphanages.
Also, a few years ago, I bought a book called The Green Traveler by Richard Hammond. I found it really helpful. It’s more about responsible tourism in general, but there is information about volunteering as well in the book, so it’s quite a useful resource.
And finally, I talked to a woman who has a very small micro-company that’s called TSAP Travel. They operate only in Madagascar, and they seem to be quite focused on local needs. I haven’t traveled with them. But in terms of operating on a micro-scale and not wanting to grow bigger, because they want to stay focused on local needs, I thought it was pretty good. So it’s worth checking into that.
About Dr. Burrai:
Dr. Elisa Burrai is a Senior Lecturer in International Tourism Management and Responsible Tourism Management at Leeds Beckett University. She joined the School of Events, Tourism and Hospitality Management in 2014 after completing her PhD on residents’ perceptions of volunteer tourism in Cusco, Peru.
Dr. Burrai’s research focuses on responsible tourism, volunteer tourism, and the intersection of tourism and international development.
Her academic journey includes degrees in Modern Languages from the University of Pisa, Italy, and an international MA in Tourism Management completed in Nuoro, Italy. Dr. Burrai has published extensively on topics such as the ideology of responsible tourism, destination stakeholders’ perceptions of volunteer tourism, and moral assemblages of volunteer tourism development.
She is also the co-chair of the ATLAS Special Interest Group on Volunteer Tourism and a fellow of the Royal Academic Society and of the Higher Education Academy.
Dr. Burrai’s current research interests extend to the nexus between tourism and migration, climate change, and critical tourism ethnographies. Her work challenges conventional notions of responsible tourism and volunteer tourism, contributing to a more nuanced understanding of these fields.
