ABSTRACT
The early literature on volunteer tourism tended to be exploratory in that it tried to demonstrate understanding and knowledge of a new and complex phenomenon. The more recent literature has attempted to go beyond this and develop a more structured and theoretical approach. While theoretical frameworks of volunteer tourism are still in their infancy, both in terms of adopting existing theoretical frameworks and developing new ones, it is clear that the growing body of researchers (chapter authors and other academics) in this area are seeking a more critical discourse associated with volunteer tourism. Practical application is evident in many of the chapters of this book (and in related journal articles). Whilst this aids in the building of theory and critical discourses, it is unclear the extent to which knowledge transfer has taken place in a wider context, but evident that without the cooperation of individuals and organisations much of this empirical work would have been impossible to undertake. In order to build on existing results and address the gaps in the existing literature, this chapter continues by offering a structure for a future research agenda. Structuring the research agenda is divided into three sections. The first section examines volunteer tourism as part of the bigger picture and suggests five areas. The second section, critical issues in the volunteer tourism sector, introduces six areas and finally, the third section outlines four key stakeholders.
