Giovanna Nigro nigrogiovanna@libero.

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Tourism and world peace chapter 4

Turgut Var and John Ap

Tourism contributes to
The promotion of goodwill Understanding Peace between the people of different nations Vehicle of international understanding

The World Tourism Conference in 1980 recognized tourism as a vital force for world peace
Tourism has the potential to be the largest peace movement in the history of mankind because tourism is a multidisciplinary force involving: - Cultures - Traditions - Economy - Heritage - Religion

There has been very little research on the relationship between tourism and peace
Actually, peace is an intangible attribute and it is very difficult to establish, through empirical data, the relationship between tourism and peace

Two levels of analyses

Socio-cultural level: tourism is considered as a cultural broker, it provides an opportunity for mutual understanding Political level: tourism is a promoter of national integration and international understanding and peace.

Three levels of international relations generated by world tourism

At the non-governmental level private citizens of different nations come into contact; On the public level of international relations, the different governments discuss on matters essential to the industry On the sector-government level, national governments meet private investments

NEGATIVE ASPECTS
Dann describes that tourism as - a form of new imperialism; - capitalist exploitation; - Promoter/servant relationships Other critics underline the fact that - tourism reinforces stereotypic images of people and cultures

but
despite the negative aspects the tourism-peace relationship is only considered from a single (LIMITED) point of view

Summing up
The two main positive aspects of the relationship tourism-peace are
The promotion of cultural exchange as a means of breaking down the barriers between peoples of different nations The development of greater understanding between individuals or people of different nations resulting from this exchange

However

All that glisters is not gold!!

The positive and negative impacts of tourism

chapter 5
Brian Archer and Chris Cooper

The positive and negative impacts of tourism have to be analysed on four different levels
Economical Political Socio-cultural Environmental and ecological

Economic effects
International tourism creates a flow of
foreign currency

Balance of payments

Government revenue employment

Business turnover

Household income

Domestic tourism is a form of invisible export.

It redistributes currency spatially within the boundary of a country

Tourism is one of the major resources in outlying regions of a country

The introduction of a tourist industry in such areas can have a greater effect on the welfare of the resident population than the same amount of tourism might have on the more developed parts of the same country

The development of tourism requires new infrastructures and facilities such as

Highways Airfields Hotels Restaurants Shops

As tourism keeps on growing

Land in particular is required and land prices rise Residents are left landless with only low paid work available

Political effects
Tourism is often considered as an important force for peace BUT Where the discrepancies between tourists and residents are very great the political (and social) consequences may be severe

As regards employment
Respectable posts in hotels and establishments are occupied by foreigners possessing the necessary knowledge The lower paid jobs are reserved for indigenous population

Such discrepancy may cause resentment and alter international relationships

Socio-cultural effects
One of the major stimulants to the development of tourism is the existence of differences between cultures BUT

This fact may also cause serious misunderstandings

Tourists behave differently during the holiday causing problems of

Prostitution Drugs Gambling Vandalism robbery

Another problem is the so-called demonstration effect

Desire among local people to work harder or to achieve higher levels of education in order to emulate the way of life of tourists

However, local culture and customs may be exploited to satisfy the visitors producing what McCannell calls staged authenticity
All tourists look for authentic experiences but what they find out, what they experience, is only the front region

The back region is protected by the indigenous. What they show is not the real authentic face of their culture but simply a staged authenticity

Environmental and ecological effects

Carrying Capacity
Physical Capacity: limit on actual number of users that can be accommodated in a region
ie, number of roads, size of parking lots, etc.

Ecological Capacity: max level of users in an area, before ecological damage is incurred

Determining Carrying Capacities

Number of visitors Quality of resource mgmt design Number of area residents and their needs
Related to quality of life

Number of other users of the resources

ie, industrial users and farmers/ranchers

Environmental Impacts
Air Pollution Noise Pollution Crowding Vegetation/Wildlife harm Historic site deterioration

Mass Tourism vs. Green/Eco

Mass Tourism Large Unplanned Uncontrolled Poor labor education Scattered dvlpmt. $$ to multi-national Benefits?

Alternative Small Scale Planned Controlled Preservation Local Development $$ to local people Shared Benefits