Exploring the role of volunteer tourism in destination image formation: A case study of the European Voluntary Service programme
Author
Skouenborg, Henrik Willads
Term
4. term
Education
Publication year
2016
Submitted on
2016-02-25
Pages
80
Abstract
Denne afhandling undersøger, hvordan mennesker danner billeder og forestillinger om rejsemål (destination image formation) i en frivilligturismekontekst. Frivilligturisme betyder, at man rejser og arbejder frivilligt i en periode. Gennem et casestudie af tidligere danske deltagere i European Voluntary Service (EVS) belyser projektet, hvordan disse frivilliges opfattelser af destinationer udvikler sig før, under og efter deres ophold. Projektet anvender en mixed methods-tilgang med vægt på kvalitative undersøgelser for både at få dyb forståelse og et overblik over, hvordan danske EVS-frivillige danner deres destinationbilleder. Tidligere studier har ofte set frivilligturisme som etisk alternativ til masseturisme, mens nyere studier tager en snæver og pessimistisk vinkel med fokus på kommercialisering. Desuden har størstedelen af forskningen omhandlet frivilligturisme i det globale syd. Der findes meget lidt forskning om frivilligturisme i en europæisk, offentligt organiseret ramme, og ingen studier har undersøgt dannelsen af destinationsbilleder i denne sammenhæng. Samtidig er forskning i destinationsbilleder typisk præget af kommercielle og markedsorienterede perspektiver og overvejende kvantitative metoder. Denne afhandling bidrager ved at fokusere på en ikke‑kommerciel kontekst og ved at bygge bro mellem kvantitative og kvalitative tilgange. Resultaterne viser positive ændringer i de danske EVS-frivilliges billeder af flere destinationer som følge af deres EVS-oplevelser. Studiet peger dermed på, at EVS-programmet kan udfordre og ændre frivilliges antagelser og stereotype forestillinger om forskellige lande.
This thesis examines how people form ideas and mental images of destinations (destination image formation) in the context of volunteer tourism. Volunteer tourism refers to traveling while engaging in voluntary work for a period of time. Using a case study of former Danish participants in the European Voluntary Service (EVS), the project explores how volunteers’ perceptions of places evolve before, during, and after their stays. The project applies a mixed methods approach with an emphasis on qualitative inquiry to gain both in‑depth insight and a general overview of how Danish EVS volunteers form destination images. Earlier studies often framed volunteer tourism as an ethical alternative to mass tourism, whereas more recent work has taken a narrow and pessimistic view by focusing on commercialization. Most research has centered on volunteer tourism in the Global South. Very little work has addressed volunteer tourism within a European, publicly organized setting, and no research has studied destination image formation in this context. Moreover, destination image research has largely been conducted from commercial and market perspectives and has relied mainly on quantitative methods. This thesis addresses these gaps by focusing on a non‑commercial context and by bridging quantitative and qualitative approaches. Findings show positive changes in Danish EVS volunteers’ images of several destinations as a result of their EVS experiences. The study indicates that the EVS program can challenge and change volunteers’ assumptions and stereotypical perceptions of different countries.
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