Integrating voluntourism, community-based tourism, and regenerative tourism for increased responsibility

Abstract

This study integrates the concepts of voluntourism, community-based tourism, and regenerative tourism to explore their potential for fostering responsible tourism practices. The starting point was to examine how voluntourism, often criticized for its unethical impacts on local communities and environments, can be reimagined within the principles of community-based and regenerative tourism, but it was expanded during the research process to accommodate the three tourism types equally. The study emphasizes that when these three frameworks align, they can shift from short-term, self-serving actions to sustainable initiatives that contribute positively to the environment, the society, and the economy. Using a comprehensive literature review, the study synthesizes key concepts and frameworks from the three tourism models and identifies the roles and responsibilities of stakeholders involved. The stakeholder mapping process highlights the contributions of tourists, local communities, businesses, governments, intermediaries, as well as nature and culture, focusing on the collective responsibility to ensure the responsibility of tourism. By comparing these roles across tourism models, the study identifies shared characteristics and potential areas for improvement, stressing the importance of collaboration in creating a more ethical tourism ecosystem. The results suggest that integrating voluntourism, community-based and regenerative tourism principles can significantly enhance the responsibility of stakeholders. This integrated approach benefits both the host communities and visitors in the long term. This study contributes to the theoretical understanding of responsible tourism and offers practical insights for stakeholders seeking to align their actions with more ethical practices and the goals of sustainable development.