There are many things wrong with tourism in today's society. Tourism is so widely spread that the effects are becoming even more prevalent. Tourism is seen by many as a way to have an adventure and learn about the many cultures in the world. Tourism can in fact teach better than almost any book, but the negative effects of tourism can out way the benefits. Tourism commodifies the culture, affects the environment, and can overlook or change the indigenous culture of a place (Tang).
When watching the television, one sees many commercials for trips to many exotic places. These trips promise an authentic experience and lots of exciting activities. Tourism started as a way to visit where one's ancestors came from, discover a new place to live, or to learn about a different way of life. These commercials are using tourism and the destinations' culture as a way to make a profit. They tend to overlook the real reason to visit that destination. The commercials usually promote staying in a five-star resort and visiting shopping malls and other newly constructed tourism spots, such as souvenir shops. The true reason of tourism is lost. The traveler fails to experience the history and culture that lies outside of these commercial spots (Fiaux). When tourism is commodified, there are many negative effects on the environment. Tourism uses many of the destinations resources, including natural resources. Tourism also creates a large amount of waste, alters building places within the area, and can damage many habitats of the indigenous animals. These effects are trying to be avoided, but due to the large masses of people coming to the commodified locations planning committees can only limit them and try to plan better ways to avoid more damage. These plans then alter the historical sites by having to add garbages, trails, bathrooms, and other land altering objects (UNEP). Tourists can miss the indigenous culture of a place if they focus too closely to the commercialized locations. This is the case in Salem, Massachusetts. The town of Salem has been converted into a hot spot for witch themed haunted houses. The culture of the town is lost in all the commercial promotion for haunted houses and ghost hunts. The visitor is bombarded with flyers for these attractions, but the historic sites are over-looked. This unfortunately is the case with many historic sites in the world. The tourist may miss the real learning experiences due to the humans' inherent need to make money out of every opportunity even if it means hurting the cultural aspect of a place. |