Programme monitoring and evaluation practices of volunteer tourism organisations

The literature on volunteer tourism to date has tended to focus on the perspectives of the volunteer tourists. Despite volunteer tourism claiming to 'make a difference' to host communities, less attention has been paid to understanding how, and indeed if, volunteer tourism organisations monitor and evaluate their programmes. In addressing this gap in knowledge and understanding, the overall aim of this thesis is threefold: 1) To critically examine the current project monitoring and evaluation practices of volunteer tourism organisations; 2) to assess the extent to which host communities participate in these processes; and 3) to identify opportunities and barriers to improved practices.