Projects Abroad and the Invention of Voluntourism

This book explores the origins and development of mass overseas volunteering through the story of Projects Abroad, the world’s first company to combine being a business with large-scale youth volunteering overseas. 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 mass overseas volunteering 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 mass overseas volunteering overcame establishment obstacles and gave young people new opportunities worldwide. Projects Abroad and the Invention of Mass Overseas Volunteering is intended for students and academics, as well as for professionals in tourism, travel, and entrepreneurship. It will also appeal to readers interested in international development aid and its associated charity sector and to a whole generation of volunteers and tourists.