Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 23.2
Aims and conflicts of actors/interest groups.
It is precisely within these local communities
and tourist-receiving nations that the negative
effects associated with tourism are most apparent
and are at their most acute. Sustainable approaches
to tourism are therefore high on the agenda in
host areas, where there is least power to generate
them, and are least demanded by consumers and
the industry, where control is focused.
A further problem lies in a lack of consensus in
the definition of sustainable tourism. This arises
from varying perceptions of tourism by those
involved (see Box 23.2) and goes hand in hand
Box 23.2
Perspectives on tourism
There are major difficulties in reconciling the
perspectives of various tourism interest groups, as each
has its own interpretation of any given situation. A report
on all-inclusive resorts by McNeill (1997) clearly
illustrates this problem. On the one hand, a
spokeswoman for the pressure group Tourism Concern
claimed that 'all-inclusive resorts deny the local economy
the opportunity to become involved in tourism', while a
director of one of the Caribbean's leading all-inclusive
operators countered with the assertion that they employ
many local staff, buy 'huge quantities of food and drink
from local farmers' and 'alone provide 10 per cent of
Jamaica's foreign currency earnings'. Tour operators
believe that such all-inclusives offer the best value for
money for holiday makers—an important motive in the
choice of destination and type of holiday (Callaghan
et
al
. 1994)—and therefore in providing tourist satisfaction.
Although operators suggest that all-inclusive clients are
more likely to spend money on local sightseeing and
souvenirs, thereby bringing benefits to the host
community, professional tourism experts from the
Tourism Society believe that all-inclusive holiday makers
may enjoy a convenient and high-quality experience but
lose their independence and often fail to venture outside
their resort. This conflict of views sheds little light on the
real level of sustainability within a sector of the tourism
industry that is growing in terms of both the number of
establishments and their geographical spread.
Sources:
Callaghan
et al
. 1994; McNeill 1997.
