Two sides to those shiny tourist coins

by Julia D. Harrison

This winter continues to remind us of our northerly location, as we shovel more snow, and bundle up to escape the frosty northern winds. It is tempting to imagine ourselves lazing on a white sand beach, soaking up the warmth of the Caribbean sea breezes. We are an extraordinarily privileged people even to fantasize that we might experience such luxury. Being on the receiving end of the 'tourist wave,' is often, however, not such a positive experience.

Since the 1950s tourism has been supported as a 'good economic strategy,' particularly for 'developing' nations. It was assumed to be a relatively neutral option, as one author stated, because "it relied largely on natural resources already in place-e.g. sand, sun, friendly people." Local governments were encouraged to invite 'off-shore' money to put in place the necessary tourism infrastructure. Slowly, however, the real impact of this 'neutral' strategy was felt. The promised economic stablity frequently did not materialize due to the vagaries of the tourist market-places fall out of fashion, the cost of travel goes up and down with the price of oil, and there is often significant 'leakage' of profits back to those off-shore who made the initial investment, determining that local people benefit very little.

Voices from indigenous communities have begun in recent years to decry tourism, cataloguing the social, environmental, cultural, and moral devastation that it has often unleashed. As Native Hawaiian activist and scholar Haunani-Kay Trask suggests, her island home has been marketed as ever-welcoming of the tourist. But is it? Native Hawaiians themselves, and cultural expressions such as the hula, in the context of the tourism industry have become nothing more, Trask feels, than 'decorations in hotels' causing, a "collective humiliation" of her people. Jamaica Kincaid, a native of Antigua, in the late 1980s wrote of the anger, frustration, humiliation, and sense of deprivation that the presence of tourists in her home community generates. She sees tourists as individuals who are rude, arrogant and insensitive to the reality of their impact.

The loss of important indigenous cultural sites to hotel development, the devastation of food-producing local marine habitats due to toxic run-off from golf courses intended for the exclusive use of tourists; employment opportunites that are restricted to those which pay the lowest wages; the artificial inflation of housing prices by offshore purchases of land for seasonal vacation properties; the creation of parks and game preserves for tourist attractions which prohibit hunting, trapping or herding of animals central to a people's survival; the invasive behaviour of travellers who always 'want to get to know the local people'-these are some of the ugly realities of life in many tourist communities.

One of the most devastating tourism developments is the 'sex trade' found in Africa, South Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Europe. It is difficult to precisely estimate how many women, children, and men work in the trade. But, by 1985, there were between 500,000 and 1 million prostitutes 'serving' foreign visitors in Thailand-a significant increase from the estimated 20,000 prostitutes in 1957. Specialized travel agencies (and more covertly some 'reputable' companies) make significant profit on the 'sex tours' they sell to North American, European, Japanese and Australian tourists. The majority of those who are involved in the industry are forced into it, 'have' their first 'client' in conditions that most would call rape, and often live their lives as virtual slaves. The poor economic conditions of many in rural areas, the class barriers, and the relatively poor wages which so many other forms of employment in the tourist sector offer are what force young girls into it, either of their own volition or through their 'sale' to pimps by their families. Working as prostitutes, girls and women often become the major financial support for their families.

Tourism, particularly in third world countries, is far from a neutral development strategy. We, who tour, have an impact, often not a positive one, when we head to 'the islands' or other warm destinations. But as the fastest growing industry in the world, tourism is unlikely to disappear, nor is the desire to flee 'Canadian' winters. And in some way we should be thankful for this, as entire local economies have been adjusted to await our arrival. We have a moral obligation not to disappoint. But we can become more responsible tourists, reflecting on what our presence in a local community means economically, environmentally, and socially. We need to support tourism development that responds to the concerns of local communities; they have a right to be heard as we exercise our life of privilege.


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Last updated May 7, 2001