Protecting the voluntoured: an exploratory human rights impact assessment for ethical voluntourism in Nepal

Abstract

Voluntourism has become increasingly criticised in recent years with reports asserting it does more harm than good. As part of wider shifts in the sector aiming to minimise harms and maximise benefits, ‘ethical voluntourism’ has emerged in Nepal aimed explicitly at overcoming the harms of orphanage voluntourism. Despite good intentions, however, the rights of the voluntoured remain unprotected.