Applying mindfulness theory to enhance voluntourism experiences

Abstract

Though volunteer tourism has gained greater consideration in the broader tourism literature, the ubiquitous need to further investigate social interactions between residents and visitors remains strong. This research was the first attempt to apply mindfulness theory in a volunteer tourism context. The study explored the effects of volunteer tourists' mindfulness, their emotional solidarity with residents, and on-site experiences on loyalty to the destination. As such, a structural model was examined with six proposed hypotheses based on data collected from 348 Chinese residents who participated as volunteer tourists over the last two years, prior to March 1, 2020. Structural equation modelling results revealed that antecedent constructs explained between 44% and 71% of the variance in emotional solidarity, tourist experiences, and destination loyalty—as demonstrated through each of the six supported hypotheses. Additionally, emotional solidarity heightened tourist experiences and resulted in destination loyalty. Furthermore, better tourist experiences increased destination loyalty.