Tourism

Tourism has developed into a fashionable leisure activity globally. Page 419 of the document highlights the concept of cost versus benefit of tourism in developing nations such as Kenya, Jamaica among others such as Jerusalem. Tourism dictates on how the locals operate especially when it comes to their resources. In the text the author notes “…the locals are denied access to their own resources in the name of developing ecotourism. ...coastal peoples are banned from their beaches….” (MacClancy, p419). The author is calling upon our blinded faces to remember that beyond the beautifully advertised paradise scenes that tourist visit; someone has paid a price, a heavy one being forced to trade the essence of her livelihoods.  However, in Europe the locals decide on what happens to their resources concerning tourism.  “… in retaliation, they persist in their traditional use of space…” (MacClancy, p421).

Another concept appearing in page two of the text pertains to sexual exploitation. The arrogant tourists tend to take advantage of the locals sexually due to their riches.  In page 420 the author clearly states, “the orgasm over, the woman is still a wealthy tourist…. She can continue to travel, picking up pretty boys as she goes; …” the author wants us to understand that the ramifications of that moment of entertaining tourist to earn a few dollars rob off that society values they hold dear, leaves indelible marks of pain and more still, little positive change occurs in the livelihood of the indigenous people. As stated, “ …he remains bound up with the daily struggle in the over competitive streets” (MacClancy, p420).

The third concept illustrated in this text is the adverse effects of tourism such as homosexuality, drug abuse and irresponsible behavior by the youths. It is pointed out that, “…some middle class locals thought tourism were seriously” polluting” their culture.” (Mac Clancy, p421). This also comes with the idea that tourism leaves some seeds behind and ultimately upsets the existing system of doing things.

Tourism has its merits and demerits. Tourism has had adverse effects on people’s cultures and these cultures merely remaining as memory in people’s mind. It has lead to corruption of morals and values and has led to an economic shift that has made a country’s resource inaccessible to their owners while forcing governments to leave its people landless in the clamor for foreign currency. However, tourism has a positive side.  It has boosted economic ways of the locals and the country as a whole. It has earned countries massive revenue instance such as Basque country in northern Spain through constructing the Bilbao (UNESCO p3-7).

In the case of this cost-benefit argument we need to agree on what amount of compromise is reasonable and what is absolutely unacceptable. In the text, the writer suggests that culture is a dynamic aspect. A question we need to rethink is; even with this dynamism,it is giving up what for what? Is this dynamism leaving us better, richer in ideas or empty, hollow and devoid of a sense of belonging?