ABSTRACT
The increasing interest in volunteering and the benefits of participating in voluntary activities and projects in a local community are now well documented (e.g. Wearing, 2002; Simpson, 2004; Wearing et al. 2005 ). There is also a growing body of literature on the value of volunteering to the host community. Often viewed as an essential part of modern life, international volunteering is increasingly recognised for its contribution to the welfare of communities. Volunteers are drawn to projects in third world countries, engaging in activities such as restoration of buildings, cultural preservation or teaching in schools. Nepal provides a good example of this because there is a ballooning desire for English language teachers to help out in schools or hostels. Organisations have sprung up to recruit volunteers who can speak English fluently and although there is a preference for native language speakers, such organisations accept volunteers from all over the world. Following a brief review of the literature on contemporary volunteer tourism and volunteers’ experiences, this paper presents some results from an ethnographic study of volunteers working in social and educational projects within the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. Fieldwork shows that they are drawn to Nepal for a variety of reasons, but largely for the experience of living ‘authentically’ in a developing country that is a world away from their own culture. They are attracted to the fact that whereas tourists are confined to the tourist route of hotels, tour guides and the tourist bubble, volunteers get a genuine experience of what it is like to live in and around Kathmandu. The Kathmandu valley in Nepal is a very popular destination for volunteer tourists. First, there are many NGOs and other voluntary agencies offering the opportunity for volunteers to participate in a community-based project in the valley. Second, Nepal, often described as the ‘land of Mount Everest’ and the ‘land of cultural diversity’, is known to draw visitors both because of its natural attractions and its cultural heritage. Nepal undoubtedly is one of the world’s greatest trekking and white-water rafting destinations attracting visitors interested in outdoor recreational activities. The Everest region is the main trekking destination east of Kathmandu and the most popular. Moreover, the Kathmandu valley
has a plethora of heritage sites, including Newari traditional villages and Hindu and Buddhist holy places. The artistic richness of the valley is reflected in the Unesco World Heritage sites such as the ‘Monkey Temple’, the Durbar squares of Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur, Bodhnath, the Pashupatinath Temple. Visitors are attracted from all over the world, with most arrivals originating from India, the UK, Germany, Holland, the USA, South Korea and Australia (Shrestha, 2002).
