To the statement "The tourism is the only way to development of the Third
world", I replied that I did non agree. Here are my reasons.
There are two types of tourism. The first is international, the second
internal. The first type is important and heuristic. International tourism
caters, for the most part, to tourists coming from rich, Northen,
countries. They expect, and get, top-quality hotels, food and exotic sites
and landscapes. However, these have a price. The hotels do not belong to
local companies, but to Northern multinationals. They were built using
imported material, are staffed, at least in the upper echelons, by
foreigners, and were built because of favourable tax laws, passed just for
them by compliant governments. Benefits are not re-used in the country, but
exported, while salaries for the local work-force remain low.
The food that is presented is never completely locally-produced, but
imported at great cost to the host country. Even the fresh water is often
diverted from agricultural use for the hotels (pools, showers, gardens,
golf-couses), as tourism is often branded a national priority, following
the lines dictated by the World Bank or similar agencies in the context of
structural adjustments of the economy.
As for helping national culture, it is probably the contrary that is being
done, with a global "Macdonaldization" of culture, arts and handicrafts.
To end, the whole industry is often in the hands of the Power structure
(government ministers, deputies and followers), and thus the system works
for itself and for personal profit.
As for internal tourism, it functions using the local facilities, or family
networks. The input of capital may be important, but it is in local
currency, and insufficient to launch any major development of a whole
country.
Perhaps the statement should read : "Tourism in one of the causes of the
persistence of underdevelopment in the Third World".
Regards
Michael Davie
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Michael F. DAVIE [log in to unmask]
Professeur
Directeur du DEA "Espaces, Societes et Villes dans le Monde Arabe"
UMR 6592 URBAMA (Urbanisation dans le Monde Arabe)
Universite Francois-Rabelais
23 rue de la Loire, B.P. 7521, 37075 Tours Cedex 2 (France)
Tel : (+33) 02 47 36 84 67 Fax : (+33) 02 47 36 84 71
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