ABSTRACT

The floods of Hurricane Katrina brought many aspects of New Orleans to the surface. Volunteer tourists – that is, tourists who travel to a destination to work there without pay in response to a perceived social or environmental need – seek to understand the sense of New Orleans through its cultural traditions and engage with these cultural traditions to understand the city, its people and its landscape on a deeper level. Volunteer tourists examine the cultural traditions of New Orleans, such as what it means to be from the southern United States, multigenerational living, community, the role of levees, family and land, to understand the city. By becoming familiar with New Orleans through talking to residents, spending time in neighbourhoods and rebuilding homes, they understand more than what they can see. These experiences allow volunteer tourists to understand not only the city but also its sense of place. As witnessed by the stories presented in this chapter, many volunteer tourists gain a holistic sense of New Orleans and become advocates for the community’s continued rebuilding.