Lisette Croese

Voluntourism: a Study on the Dutch Demand an Supply Side of Volunteer Holidays Lisette Croese

Voluntary work abroad has been a popular part of the Dutch tourism industry since the early 1950s. Nowadays, the demand for this form of travelling has changed together with the age of voluntary tourists. At this moment, the most potential target group for volunteer holidays are young travelers aged between 18-25 years old. Combining a volunteer project abroad with a leisure holiday is an opportunity to experience the country from a different perspective than a traditional tourist. This upcoming phenomenon in the Dutch tourism industry is called "voluntourism". The commercial travel organisations sensed that they can increase market share by implementing volunteer options along with a traditional holiday. The volunteer organisations, however, which only offer voluntary projects (not in combination with a holiday), are facing fierce competition from these commercial organisations. This report provides developments and trends of the supply and demand side of the Dutch voluntourism market. Additionally, recommendations on how to compete with the commercial travel organisations are provided to Dutch volunteer organisations.