Factors Influencing marine wildlife voluntourists’ satisfaction and post-experience attitudes: evidence from Southern Africa

Abstract

Marine wildlife voluntourism (MVT) is a niche with potential that warrants research on the dynamics underpinning MVT experiences, to steer sustainable development. This study investigated influential factors in marine wildlife voluntourists' satisfaction and post-experience attitudes, through structural equation modelling (SEM). Southern Africa was the location of the research, given its growing popularity as an MVT destination and its need for marine conservation efforts. From June 2019 to June 2020, a questionnaire survey was administered to 142 tourists at three MVT organisations in South Africa, Mozambique and Madagascar. SEM identified ecocentric motivations and the perceived ethical conduct of MVT organisations as positively influencing satisfaction and post-experience attitudes towards education, the environment, compliance and advocacy, volunteering, citizen science, career choices, and paying for conservation. This study emphasised the importance of coupling the right tourist mindset with ethical roundness to make MVT a successful form of tourism with multiple direct and indirect benefits.