ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to explore how various discourses are used and how volunteer travellers perceive their volunteer work at Cotlands, a non-profit organisation in South Africa. It argues that volunteer tourism, for some travellers, may significantly encompass attraction; specifically, that volunteer travellers find appeal in the notion of constructing their self-image, in light of their self-sacrifice, to their significant reference groups. The aim of employing discourse analysis was to explore the meaning informants associated with their time volunteering at Cotlands and if/how their experiences played a role in their self-construct. Four themes emerged from the analysis: personal fulfilment, detachment and reflections of returning home, distancing discourse, and preferred ways to contribute. The chapter advances the scarce research on volunteer tourism, and specifically on the notion of constructing one's self-construct and/or ethical self. In addition to the benefits created for communities, volunteer tourism experiences can also provide an opportunity to develop one's sense of self.
