VACATIONS COST MORE THAN YOU THINK
You don't mean any harm.You're
just trying to have a good time. But do you know how your overseas
vacations affect people in other countries?
What's your dream vacation? Watching wildlife
in Kenya? Boating down the Amazon? Sunbathing
in Malaysia? New chances are opening up all the time to explore
the world. So we visit travel agents,compare packages
and prices, and pay our money.
We know what our vacation costs us. But do we know what it might
cost someone else? It's true that many poorer countries now depend
on tourism for foreign income. Unfortunately,though,tourism often
harms the local people more than it helps them.
It might cost their homes and lands. In Myanmar ,5200 people
were forced to leave their homes among the pagodas
in Bagan so that tourists could visit the pagodas.
In Zanzibar,a British company leased
57 sq.km(22 sq.miles) of land from the government for tourist
sites. They will include 14 luxury
hotels,three golf courses,swimming pools,a trade center and an
airport. The local people - 20 000 of them--- fear losing their
farmlands and fishing rights. Who asked the people in these countries?
No one.
Losing Their Way of Life
Tourism might also cost the local people their
livelihood and dignity. Local workers
often find only menial jobs in the
tourist industry. And most of the profits do not help the local
economy.Instead,profits return to the tour operators in wealthier
countries.
When the Maasai people in Tanzania were driven from their lands,
some moved to city slums.Others now make a little money selling
souvenirs or posing for photos. Amazon Indians in Peru may now
also be photographed performing their sacred dances.Removed from
their hunting lands,the Indians have no choice left but to "sell"
their culture.
Problems like these were observed more than 20 years ago . But
now some non-government organizations, tour operators and loval
governments are working together to begin correcting them. Tourists,too,
are prtting on the pressure.
The result is responsible tourism, or "ethical
tourism." Ethical tourism has people at its heart.
New international agreements and codes of conduct can help protect
the people's lands, homes, economies and cultures. The beginnings
are small, though, and the problems are complex.
How Can We Help?
But take heart. The
good news is that everyone-including us -can play a part to help
the local people in the places we visit. Tour operators and companies
can help by making sure that local people work in good conditions
and earn reasonable wages.
They can make it a point to use
only locally owned hotels ,restaurants and guide services . They
can share profits fairly to help the local economy.And they can
involve the local people in planning and managing tourism.
What can tourists do? First,we can ask tour companies to provide
information about the conditions of local citizens.We can then
make our choices and tell them why.And while we're abroad,we can:
★Buy local foods and products,not imported ones.
★Pay a fair price for goods and services and not haggle
for the cheapest price.
★Avoid flaunting wealth.
★Ask befor taking photographs of people.
They are not just part of the landscape!
Let's enjoy our vacation-and make sure others
do,too.
