There are multiple definitions of social tourism, but in general social tourism initiatives facilitate access to tourism for those who otherwise could not participate in vacationing for leisure because of their financial circumstances. In certain countries, participation in travel is valued to the extent that mechanisms exist that make travel possible for population groups on low incomes, such as the unemployed, persons with disabilities, youth, and seniors. Walter Hunzicker first defined social tourism, in 1951, as “the relationships and phenomena in the field of tourism resulting from participation in travel by economically weak or otherwise disadvantaged elements in society” (1951:1).

More recently, Lynn Minnaert and colleagues defined social tourism as “tourism with an added moral value, which aims to benefit either the host or the visitor ...