Volunteering and the destinations : socialisation and interaction

Volunteering has been part of the growing social and economic phenomenon because of the belief that it delivers positive effects for the stakeholders involved. This paper undertakes analysis of the impacts of the Sunflower (xiangrikuei) volunteering program. The research attempts to understand the views of the volunteers, organisers, and destination representatives from interviews, focus groups and observation. The research confirms that while volunteers and organisers do benefit from the experience, the impacts of volunteering on the destinations present a complex mixture of results. While destinations do express their benefits from working with volunteers who bring different skills and influences, they are concerned that volunteers working for a short period of time do not bring enough positive changes but rather disturb the normal local arrangement. Communication may be challenging, and conflicts may arise between volunteers and some local people. The research provides insights for improving the benefits for destinations related to volunteering.