Is tourism good or bad for the remote and third world communities?
August 24th 2008 09:25
Category: No Category
It's a hard question, from so many different ways. We hear of projects around the world trying to build up certain remote communities for tourism and to generate more income. Tourism is obviously a good solution to areas where farming no longer generate enough income for the children to go to school or even enough money for the community to build infrastructures. More public spotlight will also create more interest in other organisatios and companies to go in and explore options for their operation which will also mean more employement for the locals.
HOWEVER, for the lovers of travelling off the beaten track - this can be bad news. With the promotion of tourism, beautiful remote places will eventually no longer be 'off the beaten' track, and with more people flooding in, there will be more pollution, more rubbish and of course - more troubles.
And the trend of such mass tourism in general is the loss of the local culture as they try to adapt to what the tourists want rather than try to convince the visitors to live their way. The worst is that children grow up learning that foreign visitors bring money, and they know how to be cute and funny to get them.
This is sadly happening in Peru, a beautiful country full of history and culture, and a walk down the street of Cusco, you already feel that perhaps, your presence is actually damaging the local traditions and the children certainly are smarter than those from any other country.
Yes, they are slowly building up better facilities through the income generated by tourism, but the ugly side is leaking through the cracks of lack of tourism education allowing more and more children hawkers on the streets selling anything from finger puppets to packet smokes, just because they know they can.
This is an extremely gray area and obviously has no definite answer.
Some of the links below provide more depth into the benefits and harm of tourism in the world:
A similar question is asked on About.Com regarding Cultural Tourism in Africa and BBC News also posted something on the issue of Impact of Tourism
Click link for New Zealand's Responsible Tourism Code for the Pacific - this will apply to many other countries too
The International Institude for Environment and Development has a good paper on Tourism and Poverty
Another paper by the Overseas Development Institude of UK address the issue on The Impact of Tourism on Rural Livelihoods: Namibia's Experience
HOWEVER, for the lovers of travelling off the beaten track - this can be bad news. With the promotion of tourism, beautiful remote places will eventually no longer be 'off the beaten' track, and with more people flooding in, there will be more pollution, more rubbish and of course - more troubles.
The ladies demanded money for us to take photos of them walking around with their llama. As a result of mass tourism, poorer locals know ways to beg for money from foreign visitors.
And the trend of such mass tourism in general is the loss of the local culture as they try to adapt to what the tourists want rather than try to convince the visitors to live their way. The worst is that children grow up learning that foreign visitors bring money, and they know how to be cute and funny to get them.
This is sadly happening in Peru, a beautiful country full of history and culture, and a walk down the street of Cusco, you already feel that perhaps, your presence is actually damaging the local traditions and the children certainly are smarter than those from any other country.
Yes, they are slowly building up better facilities through the income generated by tourism, but the ugly side is leaking through the cracks of lack of tourism education allowing more and more children hawkers on the streets selling anything from finger puppets to packet smokes, just because they know they can.
This is an extremely gray area and obviously has no definite answer.
Some of the links below provide more depth into the benefits and harm of tourism in the world:
A similar question is asked on About.Com regarding Cultural Tourism in Africa and BBC News also posted something on the issue of Impact of Tourism
Click link for New Zealand's Responsible Tourism Code for the Pacific - this will apply to many other countries too
The International Institude for Environment and Development has a good paper on Tourism and Poverty
Another paper by the Overseas Development Institude of UK address the issue on The Impact of Tourism on Rural Livelihoods: Namibia's Experience
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