Analysis of Alternative Tourism - Essay Example

Analysis of Alternative Tourism Introduction Under conditions of modern globalized world there are many different options for development of various human activities. Cultural interchange between different countries and the ability of one country to support developing nations by means of tourism cannot be denied as a perfect alternative of economic and social development of the country. Nevertheless, it should be mentioned that there are numerous forms of tourism nowadays. Alternative tourism is positioned as a part of sustainable tourism. This niche of tourism comprises cultural tourists, environmental tourists, geotourists, pop culture tourists, disaster tourists and so on. These tourists want to gain more profound experiences in the countries of their destinations. In such a way, tourists are able to get acquainted with the authentic experiences of source cultures and be involved in the culturally-marked activities of the local communities. Very often alternative tourism is criticized for a major focus of tourism developers on financial gains and not cultural interchange between the tourists and the local communities (Shilling 2007; Tappe, 2011). Further on the paper is focused on alternative tourisms, mass tourism and sustainable tourism. Mass tourism, alternative tourism and sustainable tourism There is a need to create sustainable places for tourism and it requires cooperation of tourism developers and community developers. Alternative tourism is more specific than mass tourism due to abundance of cultural traditions and customs, which are available for tourists. In the mass tourism the visitors are looking for the sun, the sea and sand. Therefore, they do not have culturally-specific needs and they need only to have rest. The key concepts of mass tourism are focused on reduction of direct participation and communication with the locals. Tourism developers are interested in promotion of interaction between tourists and locals, which is absent in mass tourism. For this purpose place development is required and it should be noted that money expenditures should be invested in this aspect of tourism. Alternative visitors as a rule prefer spending their money in local districts and not in the greater region. In order to correlate the needs of alternative visitors and the interests of the local communities, it should be mentioned that careful planning is in need (Crabbe, 2010). Tourism developers of alternative tourism usually consist of families, friends and representatives of the communities, who are caring about the environmen. The concept of alternative tourism is usually used by tourism developers or governmental representatives. Ordinary tourists would hardly use this term. Natural environments or marine protected areas are of great importance for alternative tourists. Cultural interchange, participation in local traditions and customs are very important for visitors, especially when they come to underdeveloped regions. Pros and cons of alternative tourism Unfortunately, alternative tourism can be intimidating for natural wildlife, disturb water quality, threaten communities, and disrupt local culture. Therefore, the major challenge of tourism is that it can destroy the resources, on the basis of which it is created. Consequently, both tourism developers and local communities should keep in mind their mutual coexistence and mutual help in the name of alternative tourism promotion and development. Tours of special interest belong to the sphere of alternative tourism. There is an evident shift in the field of tourism from Fordism to more specific scale of modes of production and consumption. Nevertheless, very often alternative tourism prevails over mass tourism. In case tourism is in the hands of indigenous population, it can lead to their marginalization. “Sustainable tourism” may be often considered by tourism developers as “hijacked by many to give moral rectitude and ‘green’ credentials to tourist activities”. Therefore, sustainable tourism can be also considered as the one focused more on financial gains and profits. In accordance with Scott and Selwyn (2010) “while many tourists will only pay lip-service to ‘green holidays’, as equally will sections of the tourism systems; but this may not ultimately detract from the importance of green tourism” (Scott and Selwyn, 2010). Very often it is suggested that an option to gain benefits is a positive outcome of tourism. Thus, it is better to equip locals and outsiders in such a way that financial gains would be higher (Lord, Mensah, and Putrevu, 2011). Mass vs alternative tourism The question of alternative tourism occurs. On the example of Canada it is clearly seen that tourism is the largest part of the economy. Mass tourism in this country is beneficial, but mass tourism to the underdeveloped places is a challenging question. The communities are employed in the field of tourism and they get their salaries. Unfortunately, this money is rarely spent on local tourism development (Cukier, 2005). More often money spent on tourism fills in the pockets of the governmental representatives, but the local communities suffer from inefficient financing. Alternative tourism is beneficial in case it brings money for improvement of underdeveloped areas in the country and the region develops and becomes more attractive for visitor. There is a cultural interchange between those, who come to visit the country and the locals (Golja and Nizic, 2010.). On the other hand, privacy of the local and underdeveloped destination is under question. Very often flaws of the local territories become known to the public. In the places of mass tourism, for example in London, the massive flow of tourists prevents a proper trafficking in the country. Very often tourists do not show a proper respect to the places of their visiting (). Thus, they can speak in a loud voice in the churches, litter there or take pictures of the sacred ceremonies. Need for sustainability in conventional mass tourism On the example of tourism in Dominica Weaver illustrates the option of making alternative tourism more ‘circumstantial’ (Weaver, 2006). In case the underdeveloped or remote region experiences low rates of visitation, alternative tourism is an option to make that place more popular (Hudson and Lee, 2010). Dominica is a perfect option for a mass tourism, because this destination may bring potential financial benefits. The governmental regulations in this country, such as the Hotel Aids Ordinance 1958, decrease taxes imposed on hotels with more than 10 bedrooms. Unfortunately, local communities and political instability in the country contributed much into alternative tourism failure in the country. As the alternative for the tourism development, this country uses the Kastarlak Report, which outlines options for tourism development. Moreover, alternative tourism should be considered in the context of “national resources, including culture and heritage”, because they are key elements and assets in the field of tourism (Copeland, 2011). It is positioned as a more sustainable form of tourism in comparison with mass tourism. Economic well-being of the country should not prevail over social and environmental well-being. In accordance with the governmental representatives, ecotourism is the central issue in terms of alternative tourism. The countries, where ecotourism is the most popular form of tourism, are the Caribbean, South Africa, Indonesia, and Fiji. Unfortunately, there are a small percentage of small-scale ecotourism operators and ecotourism is positioned as a part of mass tourism. The main goals of ecotourism should be developed in compliance the needs of public agencies and private entrepreneurs: “Some claim that cruise ships and enclave resorts, which restrict tourists' activities to within the resort premises, may be less detrimental in terms of environmental degradation and cultural contamination” (Hashimoto, 2002). In India ecotourism is the fastest developing form of tourism and tourist areas deal with the development of destination areas in the country. Very often mass tourism is considered to be an unsustainable one, because: “"boom and bust" tourism paths paved by the ill-conceived and unplanned/ uncontrolled mass tourism, promoted for short-term profit maximization at the cost of degradation in Environmental quality” (Moli, 2003). Conclusion In such a way the industry of tourism is intimidated. Different nations are challenged by the question: whether to gain profits or sacrifice environmental quality and cultural heritage, which will halt development of the tourism industry. In spite of all bitter lessons, humans are following their line and very often are not afraid of destructive consequences of their activities. There are numerous social and environmental problems in the field of tourism and these conflicts require development of appropriate strategies to manage the environmental quality and advance the opportunities of local travelling. The field of tourism should be positioned as environmentally- and socially-friendly sphere of human activity directed on financial advancement of the country and cultural interchange between the visitors and the local communities. 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