Paved with Good Intentions: Moral Evaluation of Volunteer Tourism as Social Action.

The article examines how volunteer tourists justify their participation in a criticized practice while maintaining their moral self-worth. Focusing on volunteer tourism, which combines volunteering in the Global South with leisure travel, the study analyzes 48 in-depth interviews to identify three main justifications used by volunteers: the organizational justification, which emphasizes the role of reputable organizations; the material justification, which highlights the provision of beneficial tools to local communities; and the suspending justification, which deflects criticism by asserting the moral value of taking action. Through these justifications, volunteers articulate their intentions and outcomes, allowing them to navigate the moral complexities associated with their actions and sustain their self-worth despite awareness of potential negative impacts. [Extracted from the article]