ABSTRACT

Discussing tourism, and indeed consumption generally, as part of a moral strategy for making a positive difference to the world, is a relatively recent phenomenon. The 1980s witnessed the rise of ethical consumption (Nichols and Opal, 2005), and it is doubtful anyone seriously considered their holidays a moral intervention into the world’s problems until the 1990s (Butcher, 2003). Today ethical consumption and ethical tourism are prominent. Gap years are no longer about dropping out, but instead about signing up to global citizenship and contributing to wellbeing through caring for children or assisting community development projects as a volunteer tourist (Lyons et al., 2012). Niches such as ecotourism have morphed into markers of moral intent (Butcher, 2003, 2005). A range of tourisms-responsible, green, ethical, community etc.—proclaim their moral stance in relation to the environment and also development issues (Butcher, 2005). They do this typically through a discourse that draws heavily on personal qualities such as care, awareness of others and responsibility.