. THE TOURISM PARADOX: IS TOURISM KILLING ITSELF? Since the 1970s, in many countries with low service costs and abundant sunshine, tourism development has been based on the three S’s: “sea, sand and sun”. This is also known as mass tourism: large numbers of tourists coming to stay in cheap resorts located in coastal areas. In Thailand, this type of tourism has been developed in areas such as Pattaya, Phuket, Koh Samui and along many of the pleasant beaches in southern Thailand. Unfortunately, mass tourism provides little contribution to the local economy. It creates low-paid employment, and 80% of the profits are made outside the tourism area by foreign tour-operators, hotel owners and suppliers of imported goods for tourists. Moreover mass tourism, if not adequately controlled, destroys the environment. It can cause the depletion of water resources and the contamination of rivers and beaches. It can also lead to a rise in prices that put land and other resources out of reach for the local people. Mass tourism also encourages acculturation, social disruptions and, often, prostitution. The environmental damage is quite visible in Thailand. High productions of waste with little collection systems, especially on the southern islands, have led to the creation of huge dumping sites in the middle of the forests. Plastic garbage covers the beautiful beaches where tourists enjoy bathing, and are affecting the coral reef and marine fauna (causing turtles to become endangered). Cultural damage is perceived in some hill-tribe villages in the northern mountains, where tour companies have turned these villagers into “zoo” characters. In the long run, mass tourism can snowball into a vicious circle, destroying its very assets - a friendly culture, rich biodiversity, pristine beaches, beautiful landscape - that attracted visitors in the first place. There is also risk of lowering the quality of service, which will lead to the need of lowering prices to attract more tourists from less demanding segments of the market. Fortunately, there is another path: the way towards “sustainable tourism” through “responsible travel”. This path recognizes that businesses and communities depending on tourism need to protect the resources upon which they rely, such as natural landscapes, prosperous and friendly local communities, and traditional cultures. In the world market, there is a growing demand for this type of tourism, especially among educated, affluent travelers from North America, Europe and increasingly Asia. These consumers are more and more aware of social and environmental issues, wishing to contribute towards the conservation of culture and ecological assets when they travel. Tapping this market makes sense from a business perspective: it will help attract wealthy travelers, increase the quality of the local tourism while taking the path towards sustainable development. Within the growing market for responsible travel, sustainable ecotourism is especially interesting for Thailand: this type of tourism relies specifically on the appreciation and respect of local nature and culture. Ecotourism is a growing economic sector that can contribute to rural development, increase the welfare of local communities and provide incentives for environmental conservation. With its exceptional wealth of natural sites and myriad of cultures, Thailand could become one of the world leaders in ecotourism. Yet Thai ecotourism development is still far from reaching its potential and lacks international recognition.
Posted on: Sat, 13 Dec 2014 01:21:03 +0000
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