Research Volunteer Tourism: dynamics between organisations and volunteers

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Research Volunteer Tourism dynamics between
organisations and volunteers

• Dr. Angela M Benson

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Volunteer Tourism

• Volunteering and tourism have established
  histories
• Academic field is embryonic
• Literature is growing
• Market led literature
• Academic primarily focused on volunteer
• Sub themes (niches) with volunteer tourism

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Research Volunteer Tourism

• Characteristics of Sustainable Tourism are
  present
• Accommodation (albeit basic), food and some
  travel are components of the experience
• Scientific teams or individual scientists are
  engaged in research pursuits
• The fostering and active promotion of learning
  and education (volunteers and local communities)
• The facilities (e.g. Research Centre) support and
  enhance the opportunities for learning and
  education (e.g. labs, library, lecture, theatre,
  computer equipment etc)
• Participants are volunteers, this may or may not
  involve payment
• The activities of the volunteers contribute
  towards conservation
• The opportunity for participants to conduct their
  own research may be available, with support from
  a scientific team, individual scientists or other
  volunteers
• Participants (volunteers) may engage in more
  traditional holiday type activities during time
  that is seen as free from research activities
•  
• Developed by the author from Benson (2004)

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Research

• Focused around trying to understand the dynamics
  between
• The organisations that recruited the volunteers
• The volunteers who paid to take part in
  (contribute to) a project

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Methodology

• Mixed methodology (volunteer aspect was
  exploratory)
• Questionnaire 15 organisations, 9 returned
• 4 case studies
• Of which volunteers were sampled from 3
• Participant observation
• Semi structured interviews (76 4)
• Company websites, company accounts, publicity
  articles, briefing documents etc

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Defining the experience

• Organisations use the terms expedition,
  volunteer trips, travel experience, conservation
  holidays (but These arent ordinary holidays
  BTCV)
• Volunteers rarely use expedition and often use
  the term work (which organisations rarely used!
• I dont see this six weeks as a holiday. I see
  my time either side as my holiday, this is
  working. (Hannah)
• Volunteers had clear ideas as to why it was not a
  holiday (e.g. companions not chosen, lack of
  freedom)

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Type of Organisation

• The company, I looked into the company as much as
  you can look into the company, find out it was a
  charity, non-profit making organisation, which is
  kind of important. (John)
• Organisational status is varied
• Issue of limited company with a charitable trust
• Volunteers are often uncomfortable with a
  charitable card
• The issue of fundraising

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Where the money goes?

• at least two-thirds of your expedition
  contribution will go directly into the
  conservation project, funding it long term and
  sustainably. (Biosphere Expeditions, 2007)
• Issue of clarity and transparency
• Ive been shown something like a pie chart of
  like a breakdown of the budget, but its still a
  bit ambiguous, its really I would like to see
  it in a bit more detail, like where the money
  goes, and what for, and you know. (Sarah)

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Importance of being a Volunteer

• All organisation use the term volunteer in
  their publicity, websites etc..
• All volunteers understood volunteering
• Yes, No, Maybe!!
• Um, thats a good question, that one! I do in a
  way. Not, I do sort of, yeah, sort of feel like
  a volunteer, but not a, not a whole bone fide
  volunteer! (Gary)
• Feel Good Factor of being a volunteer

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The Role of Research

• Role of research was not disputed
• Volunteers were frustrated
• Longevity and sustainability of a project
• Wanted to know outcome of project after they left
• Knowledge transfer from year to year
• I dont know was slightly disappointed as well at
  the amount of actual input Ive had so far. Yes,
  it would be more tangible if you could see the
  direct results of, you know, the benefits of
  being here, I suppose it would be more
  fulfilling. (Alistair)
• Someone did the octopus fishery last year and
  they said that a minimum catch size may have been
  enforced this year I havent seen anything to do
  with that. (Will)

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Quality of Management

• Majority of organisations used only internal
  quality measures
• UK offices generally seen as well organised,
  helpful
• Not a seamless transition between UK and field
  site some level of frustration mostly linked to
  poor communication
• Field site more problematic - Lack of
  communication between volunteers and field staff,
  host community engagement, rules and regulations
• I dont know. I have been told so many different
  things about them. Good and bad, about how they
  interact with the community and so on. It is hard
  to know what is true and what is not. (Kirsty)

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The Retention of Customers (Volunteers)

• Financial performance is linked to ability to
  retain customers
• Mostly positive
• Different project (this could mean different
  company)
• Without doubt. I think it is great out here. I
  couldnt recommend it more highly. (Will)
• So would I recommend this? Yes, I would. It
  would require a certain type of person it is
  not for everybody, I dont think. (Connie)

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Growing Concern

• Exactly, very much, yeah. You know, its kind of
  upsetting that you because Ive actually done
  some reading about the plane fuel and all that,
  you know, my sitting on that plane to come over
  here, how bad that is, and then its like so I
  was at odds at the start for a while that I
  wouldnt do this because of that. (Erin)
• My the disappointing thing, I would have
  thought they should be sending only people from
  the local continent to the areas. So people from
  Asia-Pacific to this project only, because I
  think there is an issue with travelling to the
  venues. I think that adds to pollution. (Linda)

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Implications / conclusions

• Dynamics are inextricably linked, difficult to
  fix one and leave the others
• Are they worth fixing.
• Organisations can / do make contribution to the
  sustainability agenda (capacity building, local
  entrepreneurial activity etc)
• Money and time, annually from private individuals
  that might not otherwise reach the pocket of the
  environment/community
• Growing concerns in the press about volunteer
  organisations