Volunteer tourism programs: A stakeholder matrix

Abstract

As the volunteer tourism phenomenon grows, there is an urgent need to understand the operating environment of the programs delivered by tour operators. While previous researchers have proposed linear approaches to classify volunteer tourism programs and program participants, the present paper proposes a more sophisticated matrix-based approach. This is constructed around two factors, namely the depth of commitment shown by volunteer tourists and their contributions to the host community. When data about the volunteer tourism programs is incorporated, the matrix presents an information source that volunteer tourists and host communities can use to make informed decisions about participation. It also provides a potential input for the operators of sending organisations to evaluate their positioning within the wider industry context and align their program portfolio mix with their organisational objectives and competitor offerings.