Sin, Harng Luh (2021) Volunteer Tourism/Voluntourism - Contributions by Harng Luh Sin. In: Correia, Antonia, and Dolnicar, Sara, (eds.) Women's Voices in Tourism Research: Contributions to knowledge and letters to future generations. University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia, pp. 419-425.

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Abstract

[Extract] I often start lectures that I give on volunteer tourism or voluntourism. Voluntourism as a term is often associated with negative associations of the commercialization of short-term international volunteering, and has been critiqued substantially in both popular and academic literature. Volunteer tourism however, was more commonly used in earlier academic literature and while critically discussed, is a far more neutral term to use. However, this area of study has evolved to use both terms substantially. Both terms are hence used interchangeably in this paper – reflecting not just the similarities in fact between what both describes, but also in recognition of the role that popular media critiques had on shaping this field of study by sharing my first ever international volunteering experience – it was in 2002; I was an undergraduate student from the National University of Singapore; and together with 41 other school mates, we went to Guangxi in China to volunteer in two then remote villages. People often ask voluntourists what they achieved in their stint overseas, and at times some would proudly detail what they did – teach English, build schools, dig wells, and other do-good, feel-good activities that fulfils one’s stereotypical ideals about what poverty alleviation and pro-poor development in the Third World looks like.

Item ID:	73859
Item Type:	Book Chapter (Teaching Material)
Copyright Information:	Women’s voices in tourism research by The University of Queensland is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.
Date Deposited:	05 Oct 2023 02:14
FoR Codes:	35 COMMERCE, MANAGEMENT, TOURISM AND SERVICES > 3508 Tourism > 350801 Impacts of tourism @ 30% 44 HUMAN SOCIETY > 4406 Human geography > 440608 Recreation, leisure and tourism geography @ 40% 35 COMMERCE, MANAGEMENT, TOURISM AND SERVICES > 3508 Tourism > 350803 Tourism management @ 30%
SEO Codes:	11 COMMERCIAL SERVICES AND TOURISM > 1104 Tourism services > 110402 Socio-cultural issues in tourism @ 50% 28 EXPANDING KNOWLEDGE > 2801 Expanding knowledge > 280106 Expanding knowledge in commerce, management, tourism and services @ 50%
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