Volunteer Tourism Research Articles

PARTICIPATION OF VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATIONS IN PROVIDING ASSISTANCE TO INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS AS ONE OF THE MAIN DIRECTIONS OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE VOLUNTEER MOVEMENT IN UKRAINE AFTER THE REVOLUTION OF DIGNITY

The revolutionary events of late 2013 – early 2014, and especially the occupation of Crimea by the Russian Federation and the beginning of hostilities in the East of Ukraine, opened a new page in the development of the volunteer movement. The rise of volunteer activity in Ukraine was also facilitated by the unity of Ukrainian society against the background of external aggression and a number of unresolved socio-economic problems on the part of the state, this especially concerned the support of the participants in hostilities and a large group of immigrants from the East of Ukraine. It is the support of internally displaced persons (IDPs), along with the provision of everything necessary for ATO participants, that has become one of the main activities of volunteer organizations. This support became especially relevant with the beginning of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation on the territory of Ukraine in February 2022.This publication reveals the specifics of the activities of volunteer organizations supporting IDPs, which consisted in providing displaced persons with everything they need: food, clothing, hygiene products, medicines, temporary housing, as well as in providing them with legal, psychological, social support, employment, and training retraining and advanced training, at the same time, emphasis is placed on the activities of specialized volunteer and charitable organizations, among them: BF «Right to Protection», «East SOS», «Everybody can help», BF «Rehabilitation Center «Maidana Hospital», «Fund for Good Deeds», NGO «Ukrainian Association of Specialists in overcoming the consequences of psychotraumatic events».It also highlights the activities of international volunteer organizations that, after the Revolution of Dignity, actively participated in helping displaced people, providing them with both material support and comprehensive non-material assistance, including training, legal services, and psychological support. Among them, it is worth mentioning the «Red Cross Society of Ukraine», «Caritas in Ukraine», etc. At the same time, with the beginning of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation on the territory of Ukraine, international volunteer organizations temporarily curtailed their activities, instead, the role of the Ukrainian volunteer movement, which received all kinds of support from international charitable funds, and to some extent the state and local self-government bodies, increased.

ANALYSIS OF ORGANIZING THE DELIVERY OF HUMANITARIAN AID IN CRISIS SITUATIONS

The article is devoted to analyzing humanitarian logistics in Ukraine, which has developed significantly since 2014 and increased, in particular, during the full-scale invasion of 2022. Humanitarian logistics have become critical to supporting both the military and civilians affected by the conflict. The authors research the impact of various aspects of humanitarian aid, including economic factors such as reduced exports and a drop in the gross domestic product (GDP), on the volume and efficiency of humanitarian aid delivery. In particular, the impact of the closure of large metallurgical enterprises on the country’s economy is analyzed. The activities of such charitable organizations as “Come Back Alive” and “Volunteering and Help Center” were reviewed, which carry out mass transportation of humanitarian goods and provide support to both military and civilian persons. These organizations play a key role in providing the population with necessary resources, such as medicine, food, hygiene products, clothing, etc. They also actively collaborate with international partners and volunteer groups to coordinate aid and improve logistics processes. Data on the amount of support provided by category (hygiene, medicine, food, etc.) are also considered. The article provides an analysis of the logistics routes used for the delivery of goods, taking into account various factors such as the safety of the routes, the efficiency of the transportation process, and the speed of delivery. The importance of flexibility and adaptability of logistics systems in the conditions of continued martial law is highlighted. The research emphasizes the importance of cluster analysis and clustering methodologies for effective decision-making in the field of humanitarian logistics. The article also includes references to legislative acts and portals that regulate and support humanitarian aid in Ukraine. These resources provide a legal basis for the activities of charities and provide important information for donors and volunteers. They contribute to the transparency and accountability of the aid delivery process, which is critical for maintaining trust on the part of the international community and the population of Ukraine.

Volunteer tourists and destinations: place attachment formation among volunteer tourists

ABSTRACT This innovative study focuses on the unique and enduring emotional bond between volunteer tourists and tourism destinations. In-depth interviews with 24 Chinese volunteer tourists were conducted to construct a model of volunteer tourists’ place attachment formation, highlighting its distinctiveness. The findings show that the formation of volunteer tourists’ place attachment is characterised by a chain structure gradually formed with the transformation of time and space from functional attachment to natural attachment, social attachment, place symbol, and place loyalty with more emphasis on the last two stages. In this process, place attachment transforms from shallow to deep, from emotional to behavioural, and from physiological to spiritual. This study examines volunteer tourism and place attachment together for the first time, and identifies new dimensions and formation processes of volunteer tourists’ place attachment, extending research in the field of ‘human–place’ relationship. Its findings provide valuable insights for destination governments as well as volunteer tourism enterprises and organisations to enhance product and marketing strategies.

FROM IDEOLOGY TO IDENTITY: THE COMPLEX REALITIES OF INTERNATIONAL MILITARY VOLUNTEERS IN UKRAINE

The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has drawn international military volunteers motivated by ideals far removed from financial gain. Unlike mercenaries, who fight primarily for monetary reward, these volunteers are driven by ideological convictions, humanitarian empathy, and a quest for identity and purpose, often risking their lives to support Ukraine’s sovereignty. This study investigates the complex motivations, psychological impacts, and battlefield challenges faced by these volunteers. Through available literature review, this article synthesize findings from diverse studies to present a analysis of the motivations and mental health impacts that define this group. The analysis reveals three primary motivational themes: a commitment to defending democratic values, a strong sense of humanitarian duty, and a desire for personal transformation. Volunteers report significant psychological challenges, with the stress of modern technological warfare, exacerbated by surveillance and cyber operations, intensifying the need for resilience and tactical adaptability. The findings underscore the high psychological cost of volunteerism and highlight the critical difference between ideologically driven volunteers and mercenaries. This study contributes to conflict and military psychology by offering nuanced insights into modern military volunteerism. The findings underscore the need for legal protections, comprehensive mental health support, and post-conflict reintegration programs, aiming to support these volunteers who fight not for profit but for principle and solidarity.

Chinese voluntourist gaze: a self-reflection perspective

ABSTRACT Voluntourism, a contested form of alternative tourism, has received limited scholarly attention regarding the agency of voluntourists, particularly in non-Western contexts. This study investigates the self-reflections of young Chinese international volunteers through netography and thematic analysis of online narratives. Utilizing Urry's gaze theory as a ‘lens’, it examines how these voluntourists reflect not only on the destinations but also on themselves during their pre-trip, onsite and post-trip experiences. Three phases of the voluntourist gaze are identified: an initial ‘othering’ gaze, an evolving onsite gaze that challenges romanticization, and a post-trip reflective moral gaze. While similarities exist between the gazes of Chinese and Western voluntourists, the Chinese voluntourist gaze is uniquely nurtured by an inquiring intratourist gaze and by traditional Chinese philosophies such as Confucianism and Taoism. Notably, Chinese voluntourists exhibit a greater capacity for self-reflection compared to conventional Chinese tourists, positioning them as ‘moral pioneers’ in promoting Chinese ethical tourism by demonstrating more empathetic and humanitarian gazes.

The role of individual learner differences in explicit language instruction

AbstractAptitude–treatment interaction (ATI) research is of both theoretical and practical interest to second language (L2) learning, since it provides insights into the processes linking learner‐internal individual difference factors and learner‐external contextual variables including instructional approach—variables that jointly determine L2 outcomes. The present study employed a full range of aptitude measures mapped onto four explicit instructional conditions: auditory inductive, written inductive, mixed inductive, and mixed deductive. International volunteers (N = 136) completed online language lessons in beginners’ Polish targeting two morphological features. Participants’ phonetic and language‐analytic abilities, level of multilingualism, and age predicted L2 achievement. A cluster analysis identified four learner profiles: high aptitude, low aptitude, memory oriented, and analytically oriented. Deductive instruction seemed to neutralise individual differences in aptitude, while ATI effects were observed in the single‐modality conditions, with auditory input favouring high‐aptitude learners and written input favouring high‐aptitude, analytically oriented, and memory‐oriented learners. We discuss the theoretical and practical import of these findings by highlighting the “capital” afforded by prior language learning experience, over and above the role of cognitive ability. In addition to the inductive–deductive contrast in explicit instruction, we emphasise the importance of input modality, which has hitherto been neglected in the field.

Decolonizing or Re-colonizing? Community members’ perspectives of global service learning programs

Global service learning (GSL) sits at the interdisciplinary intersection of international development and study abroad, with visiting university students engaging in community development projects. Many GSL programs assert they contribute to the development of local communities, and promote greater cultural understanding for student participants. However, GSL can be a setting where unequal power dynamics are reinforced, and local community interests and histories are overlooked or patronized. Unfortunately, despite the growing emphasis on evaluation among international development and education abroad programs, few empirical studies exist to examine the perspectives of local communities that host GSL programs. The purpose of this research is to assess community power dynamics as affected by GSL using a comparative case study of communities in Costa Rica and Kenya. A rapid ethnographic approach yielded qualitative data via semi-structured interviews, archival sources, and participant observation. A comparative analysis of these data highlights the ways local residents engage with service learning programs, opportunities provided to residents with access to programs, and obstacles to a more ethical community development. Our study finds residents in these cases value relationships with visiting students and infrastructure development within a community, however, they lament instances where students and organizations do not listen to their perspectives. Our findings will be relevant to the design and implementation of the thousands of education abroad and international volunteer programs taking place annually. Without seeking insights from local residents, global service learning may be reinforcing colonialistic patterns.

Sustainability outcomes of volunteer tourism in rural communities: empowerment and the role of volunteer tourism organizations

PurposeResearch on the sustainability outcomes of volunteer tourism (VT) in rural communities is rare. Drawing on the perspectives and theoretical concepts related to multiple forms of capital, empowerment, and sustainability, this paper presents the sustainability outcomes of VT and the role of empowerment and volunteer tourism organizations (VTOs) in attaining greater sustainability.Design/methodology/approachA total of 37 semi-structured interviews and 4 documents were conducted with stakeholders on the perceived socio-cultural impacts of VT on two farm communities in Vietnam. A qualitative thematic coding analysis was used to identify themes that explain the sustainability outcomes of VT.FindingsThe results of this study were divided into the nine themes of relationships, community resource development, job opportunities, educational effects, cultural exchanges, health, awareness of environmental conservation, physical changes, and promoting local products and tourism.Practical implicationsVTOs should involve the local community in the decision-making process for volunteer activities. It is essential to share their voices and concerns about how the VT is set up to ensure that they meet the community’s expectations. Moreover, the government can act as a bridge between VTOs and host communities, providing training and support services to locals after volunteers leave.Originality/valueThis research creates a model for connecting the sustainability outcomes of VT, empowerment, and the role of VTOs.

Sustainability in street food: Elaboration likelihood model (ELM) and image theory perspective

Street food has become an essential sector that attracts tourists' attention daily. Despite its positive impact on local development, the street food sector does not receive sufficient attention from policymakers. The contributions of the local street food industry are linked to the social, economic and environmental dimensions of sustainability. This research examined the relationship between tourists' cognitive and affective evaluations of street food in the context of sustainability. In addition, it investigated the role of tourists’ attitudes towards organic food and their pursuit of health and naturalness in this relationship. Data were collected online using a survey technique, with 343 volunteer tourists participating in the study. A convenience sampling technique was used, and the research model was analysed using the PLS-SEM technique. The findings supported that cognitive evaluations of sustainability in the context of street food influence the construction of the meaning of sustainability. In addition, the mediating effect of attitudes towards organic food and the pursuit of health and naturalness in this relationship was identified. The results provide theoretical and practical implications for the relationships explored.

Digital voluntourism and sense of place: volunteers’ responsibility towards an ‘imaginary locality’

Digital volunteer tourism (DVT) has emerged as a viable alternative to positively impact destinations when travel is impossible during times of crisis. This leaves volunteers, the ‘agents’ in volunteer projects and development work, who might often identify with a destination or specific cause, without a tangible link to the locality. Raising the important question of what role being physically connected to the locality plays in voluntourism; this study focuses on volunteers’ perception of their own impact in an out-of-reach destination. Through online fieldwork during an eight-week internship with a volunteer organisation in Fiji, this paper offers first insights into the phenomenon of digital voluntourism by discussing the role that a link to the destination and a sense of place play in still feeling to be making a difference. Furthermore, this debate reveals whether and how DVT intends to stimulate a sense of belonging of those volunteers to foster their sense of responsibility, while juxtaposing these digital programmes to in-situ voluntourism. This paper, therefore, constitutes one of the first contributions conceptualising the geography of digital voluntourism, arguing that while DVT has its merits in contributing to the sustainable development agenda, the physical distance and isolation from the place where this impact should be felt compromise their feelings of achievement and understanding of the locality even more than in usual voluntourism projects.

Narrative Inquiry on Global Citizenship through International Volunteering Experiences

Narrative Inquiry on Global Citizenship through International Volunteering Experiences

Detection of cefiderocol and aztreonam/avibactam resistance in epidemic Escherichia coli ST-361 carrying blaNDM-5 and blaKPC-3 from foreign fighters evacuated from Ukraine.

Genomic surveillance detected clonal Escherichia coli sequence type-361 isolates carrying blaNDM-5, blaKPC-3, blaCTX-M-15, and rmtB1 from a patient in Ukraine and four wounded foreign soldiers evacuated to Germany. Isolates were non-susceptible to carbapenems, aminoglycosides, and cefiderocol and aztreonam/avibactam due to a PBP3 YRIN insertion and the blaCMY-145 AmpC β-lactamase. Coordinated surveillance efforts across civilian, military, and veteran healthcare systems are essential to prevent further spread as international volunteers return home after medical evacuation from Ukraine.

Sociopolitical, clinical, and ethical challenges of sustainable fracture care in Haiti.

In low- and middle-income countries such as Haiti, musculoskeletal injuries are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Untreated injuries can contribute to decreased mobility, leading to disability and reduced productivity for individuals. The accessibility of timely fracture care poses a substantial challenge in Haiti, where socioeconomic instability and recent surges in gang violence exacerbate an already strained healthcare infrastructure. This manuscript delves into the intricate barriers to sustainable fracture care in Haiti, shedding light on the sociopolitical landscape and clinical challenges that influence the delivery of orthopedic services. The ethical considerations in providing fracture care in Haiti are multifaceted, including classic medical principles, self-preservation in the face of violence, issues of justice in resource and service allocation, and concerns of nonmaleficence in the context of international volunteers. These ethical dilemmas arise from the complex interplay of limited resources, the dangers posed by the current sociopolitical climate, and the involvement of international aid in a vulnerable healthcare system. To address the clinical and ethical conflicts of providing fracture care in Haiti, solutions include education and training of Haitian orthopedic surgeons, capacity building of healthcare facilities, and establishing ethical standards for international volunteers. This comprehensive approach is vital for advancing sustainable fracture care in Haiti and other resource-limited settings.

Enhancing memorable volunteer tourism experiences through mindfulness: A case of short‐term volunteer tourists

AbstractVoluntourism has been increasingly researched in tourism studies. However, the need remains to better understand what drives memorable experiences in such a context. This research applied mindfulness theory in the setting of voluntourism. The influence of mindfulness among voluntourists was studied along with dimensions of memorable tourism experiences (MTEs, i.e., hedonism, involvement, meaningfulness, knowledge, novelty, and local culture) and revisit intention among voluntourists. A structural model was employed with twelve hypotheses pertaining to data collected from 342 Chinese residents who had prior voluntourism experience before data collection in March 2020. For data analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were used to test relationships between variables. Data analysis demonstrated that mindfulness significantly influenced all six dimensions of MTEs in this study. Four of the dimensions of MTE (i.e., hedonism, involvement, meaningfulness, and local culture) significantly influenced revisit intention.

Perceived impact of volunteer tourism on host communities in Lubbock, United States: A qualitative exploration

Perceived impact of volunteer tourism on host communities in Lubbock, United States: A qualitative exploration

Volunteer tourism in farm communities: interrelationships between capital, empowerment and sustainability

Volunteer tourism in farm communities: interrelationships between capital, empowerment and sustainability

Policies and cost analyses of voluntary assisted dying (VAD) laws – a mapping review & analysis

ObjectivesTo investigate the current literature on healthcare policies and cost analyses around international Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD) laws. The study design is a mapping literature review following Preferred-Reporting-Items-for-Systematic-Reviews-and-Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.MethodsOriginal research articles published between January 1990 to March 2023, investigating the financial cost and healthcare budget effect of VAD laws internationally. Citations were screened for relevance and eligibility, and any non-full-text research that did not explore cost analysis was excluded. The following data sources were screened: MEDLINE, PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL and any relevant international health authority annual reports were also reviewed.ResultsOf the 2790 screened articles, eight studies met the inclusion criteria and three were included in the mapping review. The reviewed studies included prospective studies, two Canadian and one US. Only one of the Canadian studies provided a cost analysis using data from current VAD laws. All three studies showed VAD laws would reduce healthcare spending, with the US approximating $627million in 1995. Canada approximating $17.1 to $77.1million in 2017 and $86.9 to $149.0million in 2021, overall, leading to an average percentage reduction in costs of approximately 87% compared to original costs of end-of-life care.ConclusionThis review identifies a scarcity in cost-analysis literature and provides a summary of the latest international VAD laws, from which a potential cost reduction is apparent. The absence of retrospectively collated financial VAD data highlights a need for future research to inform policymakers of the economic factors affecting current policies with a need for annual fiscal reports and to optimise future legislative frameworks internationally.

The Role of the New Media in Spreading the Culture of Volunteering in the Iraqi Society: Facebook as a Model

Volunteering is considered and continues to be the cornerstone of building society, spreading love, and fostering social cohesion among its members. This practice varies from time to time and from one community to another. Sometimes it decreases, and other times it increases. It can take the form of monetary donations or other charitable deeds. Volunteering is a humanitarian act closely tied to all the meanings of goodness and pure, righteous deeds for the sake of Allah. It is connected to the religious aspect, as Allah says: 'So whoever volunteers good, it is better for him. So volunteering has become a necessity among life's necessities due to its social message aimed at participation in building, developing, and strengthening the foundations of society. Consequently, the culture of volunteering has become an integral part of the cultures of developed societies, representing a system of principles, ethics, standards, and practices that encourage initiative and positive actions that benefit others (1). At the global level, volunteering has received increasing attention from the United Nations through its programs and institutions that provide assistance to the poor, marginalized, afflicted, and refugees. December 5th has been designated as International Volunteer Day as a tribute by the international organization to the significant role that volunteering can play in all areas of humanitarian and developmental work (2). In this research, the study indicates a significant increase in the number of donors among both young and adult individuals. The study seeks to shed light on the role of new media in promoting a culture of volunteering within Iraqi society, especially among the audience in Thi Qar province. The aim of promoting the culture of volunteering through new media platforms is to instill positive values of volunteering, encourage active participation in volunteer programs at the individual, institutional, and community levels, and extend this to regional and international levels. It emphasizes that volunteering is not merely about good intentions; rather, it has evolved into a professionally performed activity that employs new skills in management, finance, service delivery, and communication with others. The study emphasizes the importance of setting performance standards and evaluation criteria to develop, renew, and innovate new mechanisms for volunteering (3).

Is an International Volunteer Job Helpful for My Future Career?

Is an International Volunteer Job Helpful for My Future Career?

International Chinese Teacher Volunteers in Thailand Security Risk Analysis

With the improvement of China's comprehensive national strength and the concept of a community of a shared future for mankind, the demand for international Chinese teacher volunteers as cultural communication ambassadors is increasing. And the accompanying outbound security risks are also worth paying attention to. In this paper, questionnaire survey and data analysis are used to investigate the safety risks faced by international Chinese teachers in Thailand. The investigation found that the volunteers of international Chinese teachers in Thailand mainly face personal safety risks, and there are still aspects of safety protection that can be improved and strengthened. The factors affecting the safety of the volunteers in Thailand mainly come from the social factors, the intercultural communication of the cultural factors, and the belief value of the unrest and mysterious religion brought about by the numerous political parties in Thailand. Based on the above research results, the country, school and individual finally put forward suggestions to solve the risks, and the multi-party linkage is more conducive to cross-cultural communication, and lays a foundation for the subsequent high-quality development of Chinese teaching.