
Projects Abroad and the Invention of Voluntourism
Peter M. Slowe(Author)
Routledge (Publisher)
1st Edition
Will be published approx. on 14. September 2026
Book
Hardback
172 pages
978-1-041-37983-6 (ISBN)
Description
This book explores the origins and development of voluntourism through the story of Projects Abroad, the world's first voluntourism company. Written by the founder himself, it examines how a single entrepreneurial idea transformed international volunteering, youth travel and development work across the globe.
The book offers insights into the creation and growth of a pioneering global business and the challenges of turning an unconventional idea into a successful enterprise. It explores how voluntourism disrupted the self-satisfied worlds of charities and governments involved with international development aid and introduced new ideas into youth travel and tourism. Through detailed case studies and candid accounts of both mistakes and achievements, the book shows how the reality of voluntourism overcame establishment obstacles and gave young people new opportunities worldwide.
Projects Abroad and the Invention of Voluntourism is intended for students, academics, as well as for professionals in tourism, travel, entrepreneurship. It will also appeal to readers interested in international development aid and its associated charity sector and to a whole generation of voluntourists.
The book offers insights into the creation and growth of a pioneering global business and the challenges of turning an unconventional idea into a successful enterprise. It explores how voluntourism disrupted the self-satisfied worlds of charities and governments involved with international development aid and introduced new ideas into youth travel and tourism. Through detailed case studies and candid accounts of both mistakes and achievements, the book shows how the reality of voluntourism overcame establishment obstacles and gave young people new opportunities worldwide.
Projects Abroad and the Invention of Voluntourism is intended for students, academics, as well as for professionals in tourism, travel, entrepreneurship. It will also appeal to readers interested in international development aid and its associated charity sector and to a whole generation of voluntourists.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Academic and Undergraduate Advanced
Illustrations
25 s/w Abbildungen, 25 s/w Photographien bzw. Rasterbilder
25 Halftones, black and white; 25 Illustrations, black and white
Dimensions
Height: 216 mm
Width: 138 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-041-37983-6 (9781041379836)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Peter M Slowe is a businessman and distinguished academic specialising in political and military geography. He has a BSc from Bristol, a DPhil from Oxford and an honorary PhD from New Buckinghamshire and is the author of numerous publications, including the seminal Geography and Political Power. He founded Projects Abroad in 1992, inventing the voluntourism sector and sending over 160,000 young people to work in developing countries as volunteers.
Content
Prologue 1. The Origins of Projects Abroad 2. Entrepreneurship and Start-Up 3. Early Years: The Reality of Business 4. Expansion and Diversification 5. Accelerated Growth 6. Running a Global Business 7. 'We Can Do Anything We Want' 8. Worthwhileness and Hubris 9. Decline and Rebuild