Characterizing and Shaping the Formation Process of Embodied Experience of Chinese Outbound Volunteer Tourists

ABSTRACT

Volunteer tourism has been increasingly developed as an experiential mode of alternative tourism option. Apart from the western sources of volunteer tourists, potential market from mainland China is gaining more academic and marketing attention, with its distinctive characteristics of volunteer spirit and embodied experience. This study presents a qualitative content analysis of the collection of online travel notes provided by Chinese volunteer tourists between January 2016 and June 2019. Based on the Embodiment Theory (ET), this study elucidates the characteristics and the formation process of the embodied volunteer tourist experience, especially the components during their stay in the destinations. The content-analyzed components were further verified by an Exploratory Factor Analysis to extract the determinants to the embodiment of volunteer experience. Confirmation Factor Analysis was then performed using a sample of 211 volunteer tourism participants to create a relational structure of the dimensions of volunteer tourist experience. These results shape and advances the theoretical understanding of the volunteer tourist experience by Chinese participants, and provide practical implications to the planning, organization, and management of volunteer tourism destinations.

摘要

作为一种新兴的替代旅游方式, 志愿者旅游已经成为当前旅游发展和研究的前沿课题。中国潜在志愿旅游者因其独特的志愿精神和具身体验特征, 越来越受到学术界与市场的关注。本研究首先选取2016年1月至2019年6月期间中国志愿旅游者的网络游记为分析文本, 运用内容分析法, 基于具身理论, 对志愿旅游者具身旅游体验的特征与形成过程进行理论构建, 重点关注旅程中的具身体验构成。其次以211份志愿旅游者为样本, 运用探索性因子分析和验证性因子分析进行理论检验, 最终形成志愿旅游者具身旅游体验各维度的关系结构。本研究深化了志愿旅游体验的理论研究, 同时也为志愿旅游目的地的规划, 组织和管理提供了实践启示。

KEYWORDS:

• Chinese volunteer tourists
• content analysis
• embodied volunteer experience
• embodiment theory
• online travel notes
• volunteerism
• volunteer spirit

关键词:

• 中国志愿旅游者
• 内容分析
• 具身旅游体验
• 具身理论
• 网络游记
• 志愿旅游
• 志愿精神

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jiamin Lu

Jiamin Lu holds a Master’s Degree in Sustainable Tourism from the Department of Geography and Resource Management, The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Her main research interests include sustainable tourism and volunteer tourism (E-mail: [email protected]).

Chung-Shing Chan

Chung-Shing Chan is Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography and Resource Management, The Chinese University of Hong Kong. His doctoral research investigates the potential of green resources for city branding in Hong Kong. His teaching and research interests include place branding and marketing, sustainable tourism and eco-tourism (E-mail: [email protected]).

Joanna Cheung

Joanna Cheung received her PhD from the University of Hong Kong with research focus on volunteers’ behaviour. She was involved in various events such as the XXIX Olympics and Paralympics Equestrian Events held in Hong Kong in 2008 and the 5th East Asia Games in 2005 as a core volunteer, which paved the way for her continued interested in volunteering (E-mail: [email protected]).