Understanding the Motivations of Volunteers Engaged in an Alternative Tourism Experience in Northern Australia

Abstract

Volunteer tourism has emerged in recent years as a means of successfully attracting new travelers to specific regions through the offering of experiences designed to meet core individual interests related to volunteering and nature conservation. This study sought to examine the motivations of volunteer tourists who participated in a Conservation Volunteer Australia (CVA), work-based, alternative tourism experience in far North Queensland, Australia. As part of this study, an exploration of individual expectations and reasons for engagement were undertaken. The data was obtained via the collection of field notes and a series of one-on-one, in-depth interviews with program participants over a 2-week period. Study results revealed that the primary motivators for program participation included (a) the desire to meet new people while traveling, (b) experiencing a unique natural environment or geographical location where few tourists had previously visited, and (c) a desire to engage in an alternative tourism opportunity to what had been previously experienced. Overall, program participants were very satisfied with their involvement in the program. It was clear from the study findings that the effort made by CVA management to provide a positive volunteer experience through the provision of a number of opportunities to become actively engaged in an alternative tourism experience, had led to the provision of many fruitful experiences for participants involved in the CVA program.

Keywords:

• volunteers
• alternative tourism
• volunteer tourism experiences
• motivations