Conservation and Environmental Contributions of Nature-Based Volunteer Tourism in South Africa

Volunteer tourism has grown into a popular alternative and more sustainable form of tourism. Volunteer tourism provides important benefits, but it is also criticised due to potential negative impacts. South Africa is a popular volunteer tourism destination, attracting people from across the globe to participate in volunteer tourism for a variety of reasons. However, limited research has been done that focus on the conservation and environmental benefits of volunteer tourism. This research set out to explore the conservation and environmental contributions of nature-based volunteer tourism in South Africa. An exploratory qualitative research approach was followed incorporating semi-structured interviews with managers at seven volunteer tourism organisations, followed by thematic analysis of the empirical data. The results indicate that nature-based volunteer tourism organisations can contribute to improved understanding of conservation and the environment. This leads to enhanced education, resulting into the protection of fauna and flora. The results provided an improved understanding of the contributions of volunteer tourism in South Africa. The study further provides recommendations for marketing, management and future research. The results of the study are valuable to volunteer tourism managers and contribute to the current discourse on volunteer tourism as an emerging market segment.