Third International Conference on Tourism & Leisure Studies

Abstract

This study identifies the social impacts caused by foreign volunteers in certain sectors of the city of Guayaquil. The basic problem of this research was the few information and records of volunteer tourism in Guayaquil and its impact on the social aspects. Volunteer organizations that focus on social, health and educational areas with overseas participants were included in the investigation. The research was descriptive cross-sectional, since the specific properties, characteristics and important details of the analyzed case were specified. It also describes volunteer’s trends and the data was collected once (Hernández, R., Fernández, C., & Baptista, L., 2010), thereby the design allowed to elaborate the volunteer profile of Guayaquil through the application of the surveys, as well as the study of variables of social impact through interview interpretation. The results obtained on the surveys identified that helping depressed societies and visiting different countries were the principal motivations of the volunteers, while the benefits obtained by the visitors were knowing new cultures and learning a new language. The interviews threw the number of direct and indirect local beneficiaries who were helped by the foreign volunteers in social, health and educational areas in the city of Guayaquil. The practical approach refers to incentive this type of tourism in a wide array of locations due to its multiplying effect, taking into consideration adverse situations which could generate negative impacts. We conclude that volunteerism enriches the volunteer and the natives establishing a personal relationship, being unable to obtain with other tourists profile.