ABSTRACT
Whilst some argue that volunteer tourism is nothing more than neo-colonialism, we propose that it can (under certain conditions) make a positive contribution to local communities in developing countries and can also contribute to a ‘globalising, humanising civil society’. We also argue that an increase in volunteer tourism is likely to be an unstoppable trend as international travel and easy global communication make ‘do-it-yourself’ development activities ever more possible. In this chapter, we consider further the conditions required for volunteers to have a positive rather than a negative or neutral impact. At present the volunteer tourism industry is relatively unregulated and previous work (Mdee and Emmott, 2008) explored the potential for some kind of fair trade labelling in order to curb some very poor practices and profiteering. This chapter explores this idea in more detail and considers the theoretical and practical implications of three possible formats for regulation:
The discussion draws on research conducted into recent debates in the sector and an attempt by a small UK NGO, which organises volunteer travel to Tanzania, to create a Responsible Volunteering Association (ReVA).
