DOCSLIB.ORG

Ideology and Utopia Along the Backpacker Trail

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Ideology and Utopia Along the Backpacker Trail Responsibly Engaged: Ideology and Utopia along the Backpacker Trail By Sonja Bohn Submitted to the Victoria University of Wellington in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Sociology (2012) Abstract By following the backpacker trail beyond the „tourist bubble,‟ travellers invest in the ideals of freedom, engagement, and responsibility. Backpacker discourse foregrounds travellers‟ freedom to mobility as it constructs the world as „tourable‟; engagement is demonstrated in the search for „authentic‟ connections with cultural Others, beyond the reach of globalised capitalism; responsibility is shouldered by yearning to improve the lives of these Others, through capitalist development. While backpackers frequently question the attainability of these ideals, aspiring to them reveals a desire for a world that is open, diverse, and egalitarian. My perspective is framed by Fredric Jameson‟s reading of the interrelated concepts of ideology and utopia. While backpacker discourse functions ideologically to reify and obscure global inequalities, to entrench free market capitalism, and to limit the imagining of alternatives, it also figures for a utopian world in which such ideology is not necessary. Using this approach, I attempt to undertake critique of backpacker ideology without invalidating its utopian content, while seeking to reveal its limits. Overall, I suggest that late- capitalism subsumes utopian desires for a better way of living by presenting itself as the solution. This leaves backpackers feeling stranded, seeking to escape the ills of capitalism, via capitalism. ii Acknowledgements I am grateful to the backpackers who generously shared their travel stories and reflections for the purposes of this research, I wish you well on your future journeys. To my supervisors, Dr Chamsy el-Ojeili and Dr Patricia Nickel, thank you for your intellectual guidance that continually challenged and inspired me. Your infectious enthusiasm encouraged me to persevere with the challenges I encountered and brought much joy to the process. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to work with you both. I also am grateful to Victoria University of Wellington for granting me a postgraduate scholarship, which enabled me to undertake this work. Thank you to all the academic and administrative staff members of the SACS department who contribute to its warm working environment. To my fellow postgraduate students, thank you for much needed discussions and distractions throughout the year. Special thanks to Josh Barton, Hollie Doar, Michael Gilchrist, Garrity Hill, Owen Hughes, Ryan O‟Brian, and Jared Walton, as well as Caleb Anderson, Vanessa Bowden, and Lillian Fougere, for your insightful feedback and comments at various stages of the process. To Vicky Holben and Sophie Williams, thank you for talking me through my crises, and Vicky, for telling me to “just type faster.” Nicola and Riley Kenneally, thank you for your friendship to Freja and me. To my far-away-but-close friends, thank you for being in my heart. Mum and Dad, your travel stories first taught me to dream and then to question, and this thesis owes much to long and passionate discussions with you and with you too, Yvonne. Thank you all for your support and especially to Mum for the little and the big things you have helped with throughout the year. Most of all to Tim, thank you for being beside me always. Your love, engaging and challenging conversation, patience, humour, and meals sustain me. This would not have been possible without your hard work. Freja, your words, giggles, and tears remind me what really matters. This is for you both. iii Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................ ii Acknowledgements .......................................................................................... iii Introduction: Backpacker Dialectics ................................................................. 1 Backpacking and Globalisation ...................................................................... 2 Theoretical Approach: Ideology and Utopia................................................ 10 Methodology ................................................................................................ 18 Researcher Reflexivity ................................................................................. 22 “Rough Guide” to the Thesis........................................................................ 24 Chapter One: Freedom and Mobility in a „Tourable‟ World .............................. 26 Catalogue of Destinations: a Counter-Culture Commercialised .................. 27 Discourse Cycles .......................................................................................... 32 Contested Label, Shared Ideals: Backpacker Identity .................................. 36 Mobility as Capital ....................................................................................... 44 Solidarity of the Mobile Class ...................................................................... 48 Background of Stasis .................................................................................... 50 Conclusion: Guns and Cigarettes ................................................................. 52 Chapter Two: Engaging with the Real World ................................................... 56 Authenticity in Tourism .............................................................................. 57 Constructing the Real .................................................................................. 59 Utopia and Ideology in Guidebook Advice ................................................. 63 Backpacker Ambivalence: The Abyss of Authenticity ................................ 67 iv Engaging With Difference: Fitting in With Utopia ..................................... 71 Utopia and Ideology: The Fragility of the Dream ........................................ 74 Rupture: Confronted With the Self ............................................................. 78 Utopian Kernel in the Rupture .................................................................... 81 Conclusion: Back to the „Bubble‟ ................................................................. 84 Chapter Three: Responsible Backpacking for a Better World ............................ 87 Tourism and Responsibility ......................................................................... 88 Dialectics of Development in Backpacker Discourse .................................. 93 Backpacking for a Better World .................................................................. 97 Ideology: Consumption as Critique ............................................................. 99 Utopia: Reflexivity and Limitations ........................................................... 102 Globalisation: Mapping the World through Travel ................................... 108 Conclusion: Better Backpackers, a Better World....................................... 115 Conclusion: Ideology and Utopia along the Backpacker Trail .......................... 117 Appendix A: Participant Information Sheet ..................................................... 124 Appendix B: Consent Form ............................................................................. 126 Appendix C: Interview Schedule ..................................................................... 128 References ..................................................................................................... 130 v Introduction: Backpacker Dialectics As they follow the backpacker trail beyond the tourist „bubble,‟ travellers invest in the ideals of freedom, engagement, and responsibility. Although the achievement of these ideals is contested, aspiring to them is revealed as strongly in stories of failure as of success. This aspiration reveals a utopian desire for a world that is more open, diverse, and egalitarian: a world where individuals have a right to mobility, cultural diversity is celebrated, and equal opportunities are enjoyed by all. Backpackers attempt to realise this dream through two contradictory methods. The first is to strike out beyond the reach of „globalised‟ modernity and corporate capitalism, to engage in authentic and equitable exchanges with cultural Others. The second is to take responsibility for the „globalisation‟ of these Others through economic development and the spread of liberal values. The contradictory nature of these methods demonstrates the contradictory way in which globalisation itself is understood: as a force of cultural and economic homogenisation and domination, which backpackers seek to escape, as well as a driver of cultural diversity and economic opportunity for free and equal individuals. In their discourse and their practice, backpackers both celebrate and eschew these contradictory facets of globalisation, revealing their desire for a better way of living. 1 Backpacker discourse can be read as both ideology and utopia. Although it potentially functions ideologically, by reifying and obscuring global inequalities, fortifying free market capitalism, and limiting the imagining of alternatives, it also figures for a utopian world in which such ideologies are not necessary. In this thesis, I draw on Jameson‟s (2004; 2007; 2010) suggestion that ideology contains a utopian impulse, and attempt to undertake ideology critique without undermining these utopian contents. Instead, I explore how highlighting the traces of capitalism in backpacker
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Phony Colonee These Motels Contained Colonial- Themed Architecture, Featuring Red Brick Facades, Cupolas Or Turret Crowned Roofs
    n the eyes of some, it is as tacky as a plastic pink flamingo on a front lawn in a trailer park. To others, it is a fun, if idealized, throwback to a better Itime. However you view it, there is no doubt it is one of the Garden State’s somewhat underappreciated influences on the world of architecture. Known as Doo-Wop, it found a unique expression that came of age along with a generation of New Jerseyans in the motels of Wildwoods. The Wildwoods You wouldn’t know it to look at it today, but New Jersey’s Wildwoods were once, indeed, a tangle of wild woods. They sit on a six mile long barrier island near the southern tip of the state at Exit 4 on the Garden State Parkway. When one says “The Wildwoods,” they refer collectively to three separate municipalities: North Wildwood, Wildwood, and Wildwood Crest. They were founded by developers between 1880 and 1905, notably including Frederick Swope and his Five Mile Beach Improvement Company, Philip Pontius Baker and his Wildwood Beach Improvement Company, and John Burk with the Holly Beach Improvement Company. All saw the It might be hard to believe now, but The Wildwoods are named island’s potential in terms of the ideal summer resort, or “Cottage Colony.” after woods that were indeed The small fishing village of Anglesea was the first to be founded in 1880, wild. Note the tree in the followed by Wildwood in 1890. In 1906, Anglesea was then repackaged as foreground bent to grow into a letter “W”! the island’s first specifically resort town and renamed North Wildwood.
    [Show full text]
  • Promoting Alternative Tourism Models to Reduce Pressures in the Mediterranean Region
    PROMOTING ALTERNATIVE TOURISM MODELS TO REDUCE PRESSURES IN THE MEDITERRANEAN REGION June 2019 THE PROBLEM The tourism sector is amongst the highest income generators in the Mediterranean, contributing directly to regional economies thanks to sectoral synergies and powerful knock-on effects. However, as important as it is economically and socially, tourism also puts a great deal of strain on the natural, cultural and social environment. It creates a high demand for space on land and sea and leads to a high concentration of activities during specific periods and in specific geographical areas. The impacts of this dramatically affect the attractiveness of the area. Such pressures take their toll on many areas, including water and waste management and energy efficiency. Indeed, tourism worldwide is estimated to Current EU policies related to tourism only account for 5% of global CO2 emissions, 40% of partially reflect the socio-economic and which arise from air transport and 20% from environmental realities of the tourism industry, hotels and other types of accommodation. on the whole failing to take account of complex The remaining 40% is related to other types of and interconnected nature of this sector and, transport (cruises, cars, railway, etc.) and to the most importantly, of its sustainability challenges. recreational services provided by tourism1. More sustainable tourism planning and The growing awareness of those impacts has management practices would not only led to the promotion of sustainable tourism mitigate and prevent those impacts, but also as a major priority for the future of the sector; provide real opportunities to reverse those a challenge that must be taken up both for the trends.
    [Show full text]
  • How to Encourage Sustainable Tourism? a Short Guide for International Donors
    INDUSTRY REPORT How to encourage sustainable tourism? A short guide for international donors OCTOBER 2019 Sustainable Tourism Industry Report - October 2019 Sustainable Tourism: An area of Some examples of international donors are the European opportunity for International Donors Union, the World Bank, the African Development Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the Japan International Cooperation Tourism is often a key sector of the economy of countries Agency and USAID etc. where international donors are involved. This trend is expected to continue: The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) While donors have a long history of financing tourism projects, recently revised its forecasts upwards and now expects an they rarely have a defined tourism strategy. Supported tourism average annual growth rate of international tourist flows of projects are under support to local development (value chains 5% per year until 2030. Countries in development are strengthening, structuring of activities, infrastructures), the particularly concerned by the growth of these flows. preservation of cultural heritage, urban development, support to small and medium enterprises, preservation of biodiversity, International donors are public, multilateral or bilateral and the fight against the effects of climate change. Thus, most organizations. They assist developing countries and countries donors support sustainable tourism, but this action has not with economies in transition, in implementing and financing been the result of a comprehensive and coherent vision. their development programs. The mission of international donors is to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals Horwath HTL has identified key issues and recommendations set by the United Nations Organization. They grant borrowing to be considered in order to target and improve the governments loans or grants to finance economic or social effectiveness of international donors’ intervention for the development projects (access to water, energy, infrastructure sustainable development of tourism.
    [Show full text]
  • Scholarship Awards Dinner—Brian Bjarnason
    March 2011 Scholarship Awards Dinner—Brian Bjarnason TABLE OF CONTENTS On Thursday evening, January 20, I had the privilege Scholarship award……..1 and pleasure of Profile: Linda Coyle….2/3 attending the 22nd Annual Scholarships Odd Bits……………….4 and Awards Dinner. There I had a very Program committee……5 nice dinner in the company of the recipient of TALK‘s yearly award. Alina McClement is a Program reviews……....6 ‗mature student‘ who is in her second year of a Quotes……………..…..7 Bachelor of Arts Degree in English Literature with a Minor in Psychology. Buying tips…………….7 She has two adult children, one of whom is an ESL Volunteering……….…..8 teacher, the other is an electrician apprentice. When she graduates she would also like to become Pharmacy Dispensing an ESL teacher - one of the attractions is the ability Fees…………………….9 to teach overseas as well as in Canada. Her first choice of overseas postings would be Lima, Peru; Breathless Peru…….10/11 no real positive reason for that choice, just one of the places she would like to visit. Kwantlen News……….12 One of her electives is classes in Mandarin. ESL teachers do not have to be fluent in the language of the country but it would be an advantage when TALK BOARD applying for a position. Gwen Arnold Gloria Kelly She was profuse in her praises for Kwantlen. She Brian Bjarnason (P) Liz King found the small classes conducive to personal Linda Coyle Al Sabey contact and discussion and the professors to be enthusiastic and knowledgeable. All in all she is Jean Garnett Selma Swaab finding university life at Kwantlen to be a pleasant Joan Hoyles Phil Warren and rewarding experience.
    [Show full text]
  • Ecotourism Outlook 2019 Prepared for the 2019 Outlook Marketing Forum
    Ecotourism Outlook 2019 Prepared for the 2019 Outlook Marketing Forum Prepared by: Qwynne Lackey, Leah Joyner & Dr. Kelly Bricker, Professor University of Utah Ecotourism and Green Economy What is Ecotourism? Ecotourism is a subsector of the sustainable tourism industry that emphasizes social, environmental, and economic sustainability. When implemented properly, ecotourism exemplifies the benefits of responsible tourism development and management. TIES announced that it had updated its definition of ecotourism in 2015. This revised definition is more inclusive, highlights interpretation as a pillar of ecotourism, and is less ambiguous than the version adopted 25 years prior. In 2018, no new alterations were made to this highly cited definition which describes ecotourism as: “Responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment, sustains the well-being of the local people and involves interpretation and education.”1 This definition clearly outlines the key components of ecotourism: conservation, communities, and sustainable travel. Ecotourism represents a set of principles that have been successfully implemented in various communities and supported by extensive industry practice and academic research. Twenty-eight years since TIES was started, it is important to re-visit three principles found in TIES literature – that ecotourism: • is NON-CONSUMPTIVE / NON-EXTRACTIVE • creates an ecological CONSCIENCE • holds ECO-CENTRIC values and ethics in relation to nature TIES considers non-consumptive and non-extractive use of resources for and by tourists and minimized impacts to the environment and people as major characteristics of authentic ecotourism. What are the Principles of Ecotourism? Since 1990, when TIES framework for ecotourism principles was established, we have learned more about the tourism industry through scientific and design-related research and are also better informed about environmental degradation and impacts on local cultures and non-human species.
    [Show full text]
  • The Sexual Exploitation of Children in Travel and Tourism Creating A
    ECPAT International Creating a United Front against the Sexual Exploitation of Children in Travel and Tourism The following papers in this journal were presented at the XVIIth ISPCAN International Congress on Child Abuse and Neglect, held from 7-10 September 2008, in Hong Kong: Understanding the linkages between CST and other forms of CSEC in East Asia and the Pacific. Extraterritorial laws: why they are not really working and how they can be strengthened. Lessons learned and good practices on working with the private sector to combat CST and trafficking for sexual exploitation. June 2009 Copyright © ECPAT International ECPAT International is a global network of organisations and individuals working together to eliminate child prostitution, child pornography and the trafficking of children for sexual purposes. It seeks to encourage the world community to ensure that children everywhere enjoy their fundamental rights free and secure from all forms of commercial sexual exploitation. Extracts from this publication may be freely reproduced provided that due acknowledgment is given to ECPAT International. ECPAT International 328/1 Phayathai Road Ratchathewi Bangkok 10400 THAILAND Tel: +662 215 3388, +662 611 0972 Fax: +662 215 8272 Email: [email protected] Website: www.ecpat.net 1 Table of Contents Acronyms 3 Preface 4 Extraterritorial laws: why they are not really working and how they can be strengthened 6 2 Understanding the linkages between CST and other forms of CSEC in East Asia and the Pacific 23 Lessons learned and good practices on working
    [Show full text]
  • The History of Tourism: Structures on the Path to Modernity by Ueli Gyr
    The History of Tourism: Structures on the Path to Modernity by Ueli Gyr Various academic disciplines have repeatedly sought to re-evaluate the significance of tourism. Globalised tourism's so- cio-economic place within the framework of the leisure and holidaying opportunities on offer today has attracted particu- lar attention. Such accounts often leave out the fact that this also has a history. The present article aims to overcome this shortcoming: it seeks to present an overview of the important structures, processes, types and trends of tourism against the background of historical developments. It deals with early forms of travel in the classical world and the Mid- dle Ages, as well as the precursors of modern tourism, Bildungsreisen ("educational journeys") and the middle-class culture of travel. It then examines the boom in mass tourism in the 19th century and the unique expansion of tourism in the 1960s characterised by new forms of holidaying and experience shaped by globalisation. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Tourism as a Globalised System 2. Early Forms of Travel and Types of Journey 3. Precursors of Modern Tourism 4. The Foundations of Modern Tourism 5. The Boom in Mass Tourism in the 19th Century 6. Holidaying Practices in the Interwar Period 7. The Expansion of Tourism and Globalisation 8. Appendix 1. Bibliography 2. Notes Citation Tourism as a Globalised System Tourism is often seen as a global phenomenon with an almost incomprehensibly massive infrastructure. Its importance is evident from the fact that its influence thoroughly penetrates society, politics, culture and, above all, the economy. In- deed, this is the branch of the global economy with the most vigorous growth: the World Tourism Organisation (WTO) estimates that in 2007 it encompassed 903 million tourists who spent 625 billion US dollars.1 They thereby supported a global system with roughly 100 million employees in the modern leisure and experience industry.
    [Show full text]
  • GRAND TOUR of PORTUGAL Beyond Return Date FEATURING the D OURO RIVER VALLEY & PORTUGUESE RIVIERA
    Durgan Travel presents… VALID 11 Days / 9 Nights PASSPORT REQUIRED Must be valid for 6 mos. GRAND TOUR OF PORTUGAL beyond return date FEATURING THE D OURO RIVER VALLEY & PORTUGUESE RIVIERA Your choice of departures: April ~ Early May ~ October $ $ TBA* for payment by credit card TBA* for payment by cash/check Rates are per person, twin occupancy, and INCLUDE $TBA in air taxes, fees, and fuel surcharges (subject to change). OUR GRAND TOUR OF PORTUGAL TOUR ITINERARY: DAY 1 – BOSTON~PORTUGAL: Depart Boston’s Logan International Airport aboard our transatlantic flight to Porto, Portugal (via intermediate city) with full meal and beverage service, as well as stereo headsets, available in flight. DAY 2 – PORTO, PORTUGAL: Upon arrival at Francisco Carneiro Airport in Porto, we will meet our Tour Escort, who will help with our transfer. We’ll board our private motorcoach and enjoy a panoramic sightseeing tour en route to our 4-star hotel, which is centrally located. After check-in, the remainder of the day is at leisure. Prior to dinner this evening, we will gather for a Welcome Drink. Dinner and overnight. (D) DAY 3 – PORTO: After breakfast at our hotel, we are off for a full day of guided sightseeing in Porto, Portugal’s second largest city, situated on the right bank of the Douro River. Our tour begins in the Foz area near the mouth of the river. Next, we will visit Pol ácio da Bolsa (the stock exchange) , the Old Trade Hall, the Gold Room, the Arabian Hall, the Clerigos Tower, and Cais da Bibeira.
    [Show full text]
  • Ecotourism – Sustainable Tourism in National Parks and Protected Areas
    Ecotourism – Sustainable Tourism in National Parks and Protected Areas Banff National Park in Canada and Nationalpark Gesäuse in Austria – a Comparison TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 Introduction...................................................................................................... - 6 - Executive Summary................................................................................................ - 7 - 2 Tourism ........................................................................................................... - 9 - 2.1 Definition and Evolution of Tourism.......................................................... - 9 - 2.2 Trends in Tourism .................................................................................. - 10 - 2.2.1 Growth of Mass Tourism................................................................. - 12 - 2.2.2 Contemporary and Alternative Tourism........................................... - 12 - 2.3 Growing Environmental Consciousness in Tourism ............................... - 13 - 3 Sustainable Development.............................................................................. - 14 - 3.1 Sustainable Development – Development for Future Generations ........ - 15 - 3.2 Sustainability as a Key Element............................................................. - 15 - 3.3 Sustainability in Tourism ........................................................................ - 16 - 3.4 Sustainable Tourism and its Role in Sustainable Development ............. - 17 - 4 Ecotourism ...................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Three Perfect Days
    No matter how many passport stamps you’ve collected, visiting Costa Rica presents a challenge. What seems so small and straightforward on paper—a traveler-friendly nation that’s dwarfed by West Virginia—feels larger than life once you’re on the ground. The seas on either side are separated by rugged mountain ranges, complete with fire-spitting volcanoes and mist-shrouded cloud forests. And the country’s dozen or so distinct ecological zones— which are heavily protected and together account for 5 percent of the world’s biodiversity, including jaguars, sloths, and more than 1,200 species of butterfly—are also home to an abundance of microclimates, each of which has little regard for your plans. It excites the imagination, but also forces hard decisions: Absorb the culture of bustling San José, spy on treetop monkeys on Volcán Arenal, or dive into the cobalt-blue Pacific on Guanacaste’s Gold Coast? You’ll be in a rush to do it all, but remember to slow down. It’s only then that you’ll discover the state of being known as pura Three vida—the true source of Costa Rica’s wealth. Perfect Days Costa Rica By Peter Koch Photography by Matthew Johnson 56 57 56-69_HEMI1019_3PD_3_R1.indd 56 06/09/2019 10:11 56-69_HEMI1019_3PD_3_R1.indd 57 06/09/2019 10:11 DAY 11,260-foot-tall volcano, loom- original intent was to give all with embroidered first com- ing over the skyline. San José is Costa Ricans access to high- munion dresses, Technicolor perched at 3,845 feet above sea brow culture; admission was floral displays, and growers of level, in the mountain-fringed just one colón.
    [Show full text]
  • Sindh Coast: a Marvel of Nature
    Disclaimer: This ‘Sindh Coast: A marvel of nature – An Ecotourism Guidebook’ was made possible with support from the American people delivered through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the responsibility of IUCN Pakistan and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of USAID or the U.S. Government. Published by IUCN Pakistan Copyright © 2017 International Union for Conservation of Nature. Citation is encouraged. Reproduction and/or translation of this publication for educational or other non-commercial purposes is authorised without prior written permission from IUCN Pakistan, provided the source is fully acknowledged. Reproduction of this publication for resale or other commercial purposes is prohibited without prior written permission from IUCN Pakistan. Author Nadir Ali Shah Co-Author and Technical Review Naveed Ali Soomro Review and Editing Ruxshin Dinshaw, IUCN Pakistan Danish Rashdi, IUCN Pakistan Photographs IUCN, Zahoor Salmi Naveed Ali Soomro, IUCN Pakistan Designe Azhar Saeed, IUCN Pakistan Printed VM Printer (Pvt.) Ltd. Table of Contents Chapter-1: Overview of Ecotourism and Chapter-4: Ecotourism at Cape Monze ....... 18 Sindh Coast .................................................... 02 4.1 Overview of Cape Monze ........................ 18 1.1 Understanding ecotourism...................... 02 4.2 Accessibility and key ecotourism 1.2 Key principles of ecotourism................... 03 destinations ............................................. 18 1.3 Main concepts in ecotourism .................
    [Show full text]
  • FARM TOURISM and RURAL DEVELOPMENT. a SUCCESSFUL COMBINATION? a LOCAL EXPERIENCE∗ Antonietta IVONA University of Bari, Italy
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by OpenstarTs FARM TOURISM AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT. A SUCCESSFUL COMBINATION? A LOCAL EXPERIENCE∗ Antonietta IVONA University of Bari, Italy 1. Introduction Most people consider the territory as a substratum almost inert and inorganic, as a simple stage for communities and human activities. Actually a territory as a region, is a whole and an organic structure with human and physical elements; one acts on the other (Bissanti, 1978). The knowledge of availability of landscape resources (landscape as a combination between human and physical tracts that bestows to a territory typical features), affects, for example, the economic and social development of a community but the use of resources depends on that development. The different distribution of men and their activities on space have a precise functionality and a particular aim: to emphasise resources and territories. Tourism is one of those activities that use and waste the territory; it, always, needs new and incontaminated spaces. At the same time it reproduces processes of urbanisation and thus typical features of places become less evident. An often notable change derives from territorial potentialities, whose consequence is that "space is not only visited; but it is also organized (remodelled, restructured) and also consumed" (Lozato-Giotart, 1999, p.20). There are three big areas in which changes take place: - life style and welfare of host community (probably a loss of cultural heritage occurs); - functional, productive and assimilative power of ecological system; - nature, with a change of the ecosystem. Careful tourism planning imbued with the principles of sustainable development, should prevent or restrict the pollution of sites made fragile by an excessive tourist crowd.
    [Show full text]