Perceived impact of volunteer tourism on host communities in Lubbock, United States: A qualitative exploration

Volunteer tourism is a popular trend with millions of people participating in various volunteer activities. Although volunteer tourism is frequently promoted as a way to improve host communities, little is known about how it is perceived to impact host communities. Hence this study explored the perceptions of volunteer tourists regarding the impact of their activities on the host community; investigated the alignment between volunteer tourists’ perceptions of impact and the actual needs and concerns of the host community; gathered insights into the factors influencing volunteer tourists’ perceptions of impact. The Qualitative study sampled ten voluntourists through purposive and snowballing sampling techniques. Findings revealed that, Volunteers reported both positive and negative effects of voluntourism, including community bonding, environmental conservation, dependency, and cultural insensitivity. This study highlights a critical tension between voluntourism’s potential for positive community engagement and its susceptibility to perpetuating neocolonial narratives evidenced by uneven power dynamics and cultural imposition.