Predictors of Interpersonal Growth in Volunteer Tourism: A Latent Curve Approach

Volunteer travel has become a substantial market segment in the tourism industry. Case studies have documented the effects of volunteer travel on participants and host communities. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine the impact of volunteer travel experiences on the openness, civic attitudes, and wisdom of college participants and to elucidate predictors of positive growth in these intended outcomes. A multivariate latent growth model was tested to determine the nature of growth trajectories. Results indicate that the program had positive immediate impacts on all dependent variables. Evidence of continued growth was found one month after the experience in a follow-up assessment. Participants involved in leadership roles and those who engaged in regular personal reflection demonstrated stronger long-term growth.