Index
ATLAS Special Interest Group
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Index
Proposal for New ATLAS Special Interest GroupThe concept of volunteering has a long and established history in many subject areas; the volunteering literatures closest to (and often overlapping) tourism are: Leisure (Parker 1992; Stebbins 1992; Stebbins and Graham 2004); Sport (Sport England 1996; Cuskelly and Harrington 1997; Gratton and Kokolakakis 1999; Coleman 2002; Sport England 2003) and Events (Johnston, Twynam et al. 1999; Solberg 2003; Ralston, Lumsdon et al. 2005). The volunteering experience from these subject areas tends to be from the concept of 'traditional volunteering'. The notion of traditional volunteering is supported by Cnaan et al., (1996) who outline four key dimensions: free choice, remuneration, structure and intended beneficiaries. The definition offered by Stebbins and Graham (2004:5) is built from these four dimensions
Volunteering is uncoerced help offered either formally or informally with no or, at most token pay done for the benefit of both other people and the volunteer
Volunteering in tourism also has examples in the literature from this traditional route. For example Graham and Foley (1998) discuss volunteers working in museums in Glasgow and similar work has been done by Orr (2006). Unlike volunteering in other sectors, the opportunities available for volunteering in the tourism domain usually encompass the notion of 'payment' ((Wearing 2003; Benson 2004; Tourism Research and Marketing (TRAM) 2008). The extent to which this influences the concept of 'volunteering' from both the demand and supply side has yet to fully theorised.
The growth in volunteer tourism has produced a range of resources and publications from descriptive books that offer lists of companies offering volunteer projects; to an extensive range of websites offering information, support services and projects. More recently academic activity has grown with the emergence of academic books, journal articles and the recently launched (2007) Journal of International Volunteer Tourism and Social Development.
This sector has seen a proliferation of organisations moving into this market place. Whilst many of the volunteering opportunities are often linked to charitable organisations, it is also evident that some of the growth in this sector is by profit-making companies, and whilst some of these can be linked to social entrepreneurship others are purely commercial. The projects on offer are wide ranging: social, community conservation, ecological health and educational. The marketplace is already becoming segmented with programmes being directed towards, individuals, families, groups, students (in particular the gap year students), career breaks and the corporate market. With an ever growing myriad of pricing structures, for example, organisations are now advertising: free projects (although you have to buy your own flights); discounted projects; and low cost projects, whilst other organisations just quote a price.
There are concerns that this growth brings ethical and moral dilemmas. Volunteer tourism has tended to concentrate on international tourism from rich western countries (UK, USA and Australia) to developing countries. To what extent is it beneficial to host communities? Do volunteers possess the skills to 'make a difference'? Or is any advice/help better than not at all? To what extent is volunteer tourism subject to 'green wash' marketing by industry in order to capture a larger percentage of the travel market?
The voice of the volunteer will be important in such (and many other) discussions; already there is growing evidence that volunteers are concerned over what their payment contributes towards. Does it aid host communities development? Concerns over the type of organisation they travel with and the extent to which these organisations consider surplus profits or the triple bottom line. The role of fundraising within the payment made to organisations and the extent to which this is ethically sound are all part of a growing rhetoric by volunteers.
Consequently, the Volunteer Tourism Special Interest Group's overall purpose is:
To provide a network for critical discussion on volunteering within the tourism sector
Main Aims:
Possible topics:
Refinement of the above topics and identification of additional topics will be developed through SIG meetings
Main Activities:
up
References
Benson, A. M. (2004). Research Tourism: professional travelling versus useful discovery. Niche Tourism: Contemporary Issues, Trends and Cases. M. Novelli, Elsevier: Butterworth Heinemann.
Cnaan, R. A., F. Handy, et al. (1996). "Defining who is a volunteer: conceptual and empirical considerations." Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly 25: 364-383.
Coleman, R. (2002). "Characteristics of volunteering in UK Sport: Lessons from Cricket." Managing Leisure 7(4): 220-238.
Cuskelly, G. and M. Harrington (1997). "Volunteers and Leisure: evidence of marginal and career volunteerism in sport." World, Leisure and Recreation 39(3): 11-18.
Graham, M. M. and M. Foley (1998). Volunteering in an Urban Museums Service: A Definitional Reassessment. Tourism and Visitor Attractions: Leisure, Culture and Commerce. N. Ravenscroft, D. Philips and M. Bennett, Leisure Studies Association.
Gratton, C. and T. Kokolakakis (1999). "Show of hands." Leisure Management 17(10).
Johnston, M. E., G. D. Twynam, et al. (1999). "Motivations and Satisfaction of Event Volunteers for a Major Youth Organisation." Leisure/Loisir 24(1-2): 166-177.
Orr, N. (2006). "Museum Volunteering: Heritage as 'Serious Leisure'." International Journal of Heritage Studies 12(2): 194-210.
Parker, S. (1992). "Volunteering as Serious Leisure." Journal of Applied Recreation Research 17(1).
Ralston, R., L. Lumsdon, et al. (2005). "The Third Force in Events Tourism: Volunteers at the XVII Commonwealth Games." Journal of Sustainable Tourism 13(5): 504-519.
Solberg, A. H. (2003). "Major Sporting Events: assessing the value of volunteers' work." Managing Leisure 8(1): 17-27.
Sport England (1996). Valuing Volunteers in UK Sport: a Sports Council Survey into the voluntary sector in UK Sport. London, English Sports Council.
Sport England (2003). Sports volunteering in England 2002. Sheffield, Leisure Industries Research Centre.
Stebbins, R. A. (1992). Amateurs Professionals and Serious Leisure. Ulster, McGill - Queens University Press.
Stebbins, R. A. and M. M. Graham (2004). Volunteering as Leisure/Leisure as Volunteering. Wallingford, Oxon, UK, CAB International.
Tourism Research and Marketing (TRAM) (2008). Volunteer Tourism: A Global Analysis, ATLAS Publications.
Wearing, S. (2003). Volunteer Tourism, CABI publishing.