An investigation into the experiences of volunteer tourists in Kenya

Abstract

The aim of this dissertation is to investigate the experience of the volunteer tourists, how they perceived their relationship with the community and the company as well as their thoughts on the use of their time and money, and how they saw changes as a result of their contributions. The paper seeks to understand the concept of volunteer tourism seen from the volunteers' point of view. The primary research was conducted focusing on the experiences and perceptions of the volunteers. The study used a qualitative research method and conducted semi-structured interviews either over Skype or in person. The collected data was then manually coded through a thematic analysis for further research and discussion. The results indicate that as a whole, the volunteers had positive experiences in regards to relationships with both community and company. Much of the literature stresses the importance of this and the findings show that actual experiences contribute towards positive relationships. The opinions were more diverse in terms of use of funds and time as well as the impacts they saw. An explanation of the findings was provided to create an understanding of them. The most surprising theme that emerged from the research was the effect choices made by the company had on the perceived impression of the locals towards the volunteers. The volunteers felt stereotypes were enhanced and this was one of the biggest challenges they faced during their projects. It is hoped that the findings from this study will provide a wider understanding of the individuals' situation in volunteer tourism. Furthermore, this study may provide encouragement for similar studies to be conducted in order to gain a deeper understanding of the volunteers' experience across the world.