ABSTRACT
The commodification of the encounter as well as its corollary politics are ensconced by the sentimentality which Solomon describes as the core of humanity. Moreover, the imperial project of sentimentalism worked to ameliorate the ambivalence of the colonial period by reframing the encounter as a benevolent act of compassion. The intimate encounter with local people is what distinguishes volunteer tourism from other types of travel. Host community members are aware of the structural inequalities on which the compassionate encounter is based. Indeed, the child will not make the volunteer feel guilty for the inequality of the encounter as she allows the volunteer to feel intimate with the host community. Although volunteers and host community members both felt that volunteer tourism involved a rewarding sentimental exchange, these shared perceptions emerge from different historical and geo-political contexts. Like John, most volunteers suggested that the most memorable aspect of their experience was the relationship they established with host community members.
