The Relative Importance of Volunteer Tourism (Sustainable/Pro-Social Form of Tourism) Motivation Factors for Young Tourists: A Descriptive Analysis by Continents, Gender, and Frequency

Heesup Han, Soyeun Lee, Bo Meng, Bee-Lia Chua and Hyungseo Bobby Ryu
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Heesup Han: College of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Sejong University, 98 Gunja-Dong, Gwanjin-Gu, Seoul 143-747, Korea
Soyeun Lee: College of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Sejong University, 98 Gunja-Dong, Gwanjin-Gu, Seoul 143-747, Korea
Bo Meng: Department of Tourism Management, Shanxi University, No. 92 Wucheng Road, Taiyuan 030006, Shanxi Province, China
Bee-Lia Chua: Department of Food Service and Management, Faculty of Food Science and Technology, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor 43400, Malaysia
Hyungseo Bobby Ryu: College of Health Sciences, Food Franchise department, Kyungnam University, 7 Kyungnamdaehak-Ro, Masanhappo-Gu, Changwon-Si, Gyeongsangnam-Do 51767, Korea

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 10, 1-21

Abstract: Volunteer tourism is a vital formation of altruistic and sustainable tourism. This research is aimed to empirically find the relative importance of the motivation factors and the motivation realization factors for young tourists participating in the global volunteer tourism programs. The differences in the study variables across continents, gender, and frequency of participation were also scrutinized. A quantitative research approach that utilized the survey method was employed. The outcomes showed that personal development was the most vital motivator for global volunteer tourism. On the other hand, the young tourists felt that they most realized the factor of a new experience through their recent international volunteer tourism experience. The motivation factors and the motivation realization factors were consistent across the continents. Furthermore, the mean differences in the motivations, the motivations’ realization, satisfaction, and the behavioral intentions were revealed to be non-significant for the genders and the frequency of volunteer participation. By grasping the young volunteer tourists’ motivations and the experience evaluations, the volunteer programs can be advanced in consonance with their necessities and demands, which enhance the volunteer tourism experience.

Keywords: volunteer tourism; sustainable/altruistic tourism; motivation realization; gender; frequency; continents; relative importance (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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