Exploring Volunteer Tourism for Happiness in Fiji: A Decolonising Methodology Perspective

This doctoral research explores the meaning and role of volunteer tourism (VT) in shaping the happiness of Indigenous Fijians in rural communities. It examines how happiness is represented in tourism marketing and how it is conceptualised and experienced by iTaukei(Indigenous Fijian) communities. The study generates an Indigenous Fijian understanding of happiness, grounded in relational, spiritual, cultural, and ecological values, and reveals how these values shape local perceptions of well-being in both tourism and non-tourism-dependent settings.

Drawing on the Fijian Vanua Research Framework and the talanoa method, the research was conducted remotely in collaboration with two Indigenous Fijian research assistants across four villages. Data was collected through storytelling dialogues, photo elicitation, and semi-structured online interviews with stakeholders, including volunteer organisations, partner organisations, and past volunteers. This triangulated approach enabled a holistic understanding of VT’s role in relation to local happiness and well-being.

Findings indicate that the tourism industry has significantly influenced emotional expression in Indigenous Fijian communities, where friendliness and smiling are deeply embedded cultural traits, but also reflect colonial legacies and economic pressures. Tourism campaigns such as ‘Bulanaires’ romanticise poverty and commodify happiness, contributing to emotional labour – particularly for women. The performance of the ‘Bula spirit’ emerges as both a source of pride and a coping mechanism within a challenging tourism economy.

The study also reveals that happiness for Indigenous Fijians is relational and communal – centred on kinship, land, spirituality, caregiving, and social responsibility. Women’s roles in caregiving, cultural transmission, and volunteer hosting are shown to be significant yet undervalued forms of labour. Generational differences were noted, with youth navigating tensions between tradition, consumerism, and aspirations shaped by urbanisation and digital access.

While VT was valued for its contributions to infrastructure, education, and cross-cultural exchange, it also imposed ethical and emotional costs. Hosting responsibilities often placed unacknowledged burdens on women, while the short-term nature of projects limited lasting outcomes. Power imbalances, idealised portrayals of village life, and limited local control over programme design raised concerns about representation, sustainability, and safeguarding.

This thesis contributes to critical debates on ethical and decolonising approaches to tourism by offering a culturally grounded, gender-sensitive, and community-led understanding of happiness. It challenges Western individualist models and underscores the need for VT frameworks that centre Indigenous voices, redistribute power, and promote transparent, inclusive, and accountable practices. It also demonstrates the feasibility of remote, decolonising fieldwork through cross-cultural collaboration, offering methodological insights for research in hard-to-reach contexts.