TABLE VIEW, SOUTH AFRICA, February 06, 2010
/24-7PressRelease/ -- Results of an independent two year study into the personal impact of volunteering overseas have far reaching implications for voluntourism, the largest growth area in youth travel and responsible tourism.
Volunteers from a variety of countries, including the UK and USA, booked their experience with AVIVA, a Cape Town based organisation that specialises in coordinating wildlife and community volunteer projects in South Africa.
Researcher Zoë Alexander of Buckinghamshire New University commented, "The international volunteering experience significantly benefits the volunteers. Once they return home, they are happier, more positive, adventurous and confident, and certainly more in touch with their feelings than they were before their trip."
According to AVIVA Director Ed Scott, many volunteers sign up for projects without thinking about what they will gain personally from the experience, but there is no doubt that self-growth, new-found confidence and new friends can be ranked amongst the many benefits that volunteers take home.
One volunteer remarked "My confidence has grown dramatically and I take up every single opportunity now", while another summed up her experience by saying that "Living and working abroad has helped me develop personally and professionally. I know I have become a more confident and caring person and finally know what career I want to go into."
Zoë will be presenting her findings to international travel conferences and tourism authorities during 2010.
About AVIVA
AVIVA supports sustainable community, wildlife and conservation projects while providing international volunteers with a life changing experience in South Africa. For more information, please contact AVIVA at +27 21 557 4312, or email ed@aviva-sa.com
Zoë Alexander is a UK based researcher at Buckinghamshire New University. A full version of her study 'International voluntourism experience in South Africa: An investigation into its impact on the tourist', is available on request. Please email Zoe.Alexander@bucks.ac.uk
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