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The DARKER SIDE of tourism (and how we can help)

23/4/2017

17 Comments

 
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Tourism is worth a phenomenal amount of money worldwide, in fact some countries make it their aim for it to be their number one source of income. As a tourist, we love to visit new places, maybe try new food or experience a different culture and I maintain that travel is the best form of education.

However, over the years, tourism has taken its toll and often changed the way locals think and act towards foreigners, not always for the better.

​Exploitation of animals and children, new ways of extracting money from people who appear to be “rich” purely because they are travelling, increase in trash, damage to coral and marine life, these are literally a few ways in which tourism has had a negative impact… but all is not lost, we CAN do something about it. If each and every one of us thinks about what impact their actions may have, things can improve.
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I asked some travelling friends if they would like to help highlight some of the issues and how we can all do our part when we are visiting a new country. The topics are varied, the end result is the same … read, learn, then make a difference!
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Littering our planet
By Charlie & Kristina of Map Trotting 
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​In some of the most naturally picturesque and stunning places we have visited around the world there’s always one sight that’s guaranteed to give us a sinking feeling. Litter, trash, garbage or whatever you want to call it, is never very pleasing on the eye. The real shame of it is that amongst all the natural beauty, just a few carelessly discarded wrappers, bottles or bags floating around can ruin it for everyone.

Thinking about this subject brings back the memory of a visit we made to a tiny tribal village on the banks of the Mekong River in Laos. We were on a two day slow boat tour and the guide had instructed us to buy some gifts for the children of the village the previous evening. Not wanting to give sweets to kids in a place with very limited access to a dentist, so we opted instead for some potato snacks to hand out. 

We didn’t realise that they were all individually wrapped until we gave them out and the children started to chuck the wrappers on the ground. Trying our best to pick up any stray wrappers, we both felt very guilty for causing extra litter in this tranquil spot.

Travelling has made us realise just how badly everyday waste is dealt with around the world. It really brings home the problem our planet is facing from items that won’t degrade for thousands of years if at all! Always take your rubbish with you, no exceptions!  

Child exploitation
By Stephanie Griggs from 1AdventureTraveler – an Expat Adventure Traveler
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Children at a Vietnam school
From my many world travels I will tell you story to show you how Children play a role in the Darker Side of Tourism. In some impoverished communities worldwide, there are poor people with many children, and these children have access to schools. But, instead of sending the children to school the parents send the children to the streets. The mother is around the corner begging and the father will watch the children who also relentless begging for money from tourists. Tourists will feel sad and give the children money which encourages this cycle. When I ask the children in their language why they are not in school, they shrug and look at their parent who is waiting at the side to quickly grab the money from the kids.

There is an alternative to encourage the children to go to school. On one of my Viking River Cruises, I was educated and taken to a school in a poor country. This school taught the children English, Math, Science, plus a Trade. The children learned to paint, draw, sew, cross stitch, make bracelets and more. The children proudly displayed their work for purchase. I was happy to purchase something from all the children. Now when traveling I do not to give the children who beg money. Buy items from the children instead, which gives them respect and a sense of worth. This way, more children will go to school, learn, have a better life and not be caught in the cycle of not going to school.

Human exploitation
Contribution by Marian Watson
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Tattooed face of the Chin Hill ladies from Myanmar
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Akha tribe ladies from Laos

​This is actually a public confession because I am totally guilty of what I am about to condemn. Together with many others in this world, I love taking photos of people. The more exotic and interesting they are, the better it is. But I realise it’s a gross invasion of privacy and modesty and I probably need to stop it.

Ethnic minorities have always fascinated me, so travelling to far flung places to get that unique shot of a unique face is the highlight of every trip. But I am, of course, unintentionally encouraging exploitation. Already in some parts of the world there are minority tribes who demand payment for any photos taken of them dressed in national costume. The lip-plate ladies of the Mursi and Suri tribes in Ethiopia along the Omo river have been charging tourists for quite a few years now. The long-neck ladies of the Paduang (Karen tribe) of Myanmar and Thailand sit around popular tourist areas requesting payment. I recently visited a Hmong village in Laos which had been set up purposely with village children dressed in costume displaying their local handicrafts. They were not directly asking for money for their photos but obviously we felt we had to buy their wares. In Cambodia I was harassed by a mother selling tarantulas in the market. She insisted I take a photo of her child with a live tarantula crawling up his chest which would have cost me 1 dollar. I desisted. 

Included are photos of the tattooed face Chin Hill ladies from Myanmar and Akha tribe ladies from Laos. As yet both untouched by photography tourism. 

I am not quite sure when I will be able to curb this habit but I am seriously working on it!

Animal Exploitation
By Angie & Simon of Feet Do Travel
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Animal exploitation is a sad reality of tourism. Holiday makers want animal encounters and if they book a trip, they expect a “close up interaction”. Animal tourism is big business so tour companies want to ensure clients receive the full experience which often means they take matters into their own hands, and this messes with nature. It’s not OK to make a puffer fish puff up so people see what their namesake looks like; to take a water breathing creature out of its natural habitat so it can be held (would you like it if it was the other way around and your head was held under water?), It’s wrong to ride an elephant or to see a tiger, monkey, sun bear, or any animal chained up so you can pay to have your photo taken with them. Basically, a wildlife encounter should be just that… WILD. Yes, you take the chance of not seeing an animal, but that is the beauty of nature; it’s not beautiful if an animal has to endure a lifetime of being held against its will, often tortured and kept in horrible conditions, just so you can have your special time with them.
 
What you can do to help: Make sure you do your research carefully, don’t just take someone’s word for it.  Use sites such as Trip Advisor and read more than just a couple of reviews and also travel blogger posts. Remember the key thing; these animals are meant to be treated like wild animals; if you are doing something which changes their natural behaviour, then you are interfering with something you should not be eg: holding a starfish either in or out of water, feeding eagles in Langkawi or whale sharks in Cebu or sitting next to a chained up tiger.

Why you shouldn’t ride elephants
Contribution by Paul and Carole Love To Travel  
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Elephant tourism is rife in Thailand. Each elephant that you see used for entertainment has been through the crushing process. The baby elephants are taken from their families, chained in a bamboo cage where they are repeatedly beaten with sticks and hooks until their spirit is broken and only rewarded with food when it performs a certain task. The elephant that you see painting, has a mahout with a nail in the elephant's ear making it’s trunk go in different directions.  The elephants at the circus are mostly blind, as their eyes are sensitive and have been destroyed by the bright lights. 

However there is some hope. The numbers are small, but there are some responsible sanctuary’s in Thailand where they take the abused elephants and care for them, and one such sanctuary is the Elephant Nature Park near Chiang Mai. Some elephant camps call themselves sanctuary’s but don’t be fooled by this word, if they are riding elephants it is not, make sure you do your research. 

So before you ride an elephant, watch it paint or go to the circus please think again, tourists need to be educated so that they can chose to spend time with these magnificent creatures in environments where they are cared for and not abused, such as the Elephant Nature Park.
We spent the most wonderful day here, being educated about the dark side of elephant tourism. If you would like more information, do read the full post here.  

​Behaviour of tourists at sacred buildings
Contribution by Julie German
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Santorini is one of those places that live up to expectations. With its blue-blue-blue sea and the tumbling jumble of white-washed buildings it is just as pretty as it is in all the photos. No, Santorini doesn’t disappoint. What does disappoint, sadly, is the behaviour of some of its visitors. Specifically, those visitors who apparently think it is perfectly alright to stand, or worse, sit, on the roof of a church to have their photo taken. A moment’s thought will bring the realisation that the little church, with its gaily coloured fluttering bunting on its saint’s day and the carefully swept courtyard at all times, is a cherished building, a place of solace and quietude at sad times and a place of celebration in happy times. So, no, its roof really isn’t a great place for a photo. It’s especially not a great place to set up a full-blown photo shoot with a skinny model in a billowing red gown who has to cling to the crucifix for balance. You know who you are. 

Visiting under-developed countries
Contribution by Philip Moren 
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​“The trouble is, poverty is pretty”. I was shocked to hear someone say this. However, what they meant was that the living conditions and lifestyles of those in developing countries often appear exotic and fascinating to those of us living in wealthier countries. 

Much has been written about ‘poverty tourism’. Many argue that it is voyeuristic, patronising and demeaning. Poor communities are exploited for the sake of that ‘fantastic photo-opportunity’ and allow tourists to feel better about themselves. On the other hand, many tours are responsibly managed, educative and generate valuable income for local people. 

So what should you do when visiting poorer countries? Having toured the shanty towns of Lima, the slums of Delhi and tribal villages in Africa and south-east Asia, here are my tips.
  • If taking an organised tour, choose a company that invests in the local community.  
  • Dress appropriately – don’t wear anything that accentuates your relative wealth. Only take a small bag with you.
  • Don’t take a big camera otherwise you are likely to give the wrong impression. Instead, take a good quality compact camera and ask permission before you take any photographs.
  • “Spread the love”, as one tour guide called it. This means putting a little money into the local economy by buying souvenirs. Their quality doesn’t really matter - you are helping people to survive.    
  • Don’t buy from children, unless you know they are not skipping school. Indiscriminate buying from ‘cute’ kids can encourage their parents to keep them out of education.
  • Don’t give to beggars except in special circumstances. To do so simply fosters a culture of laziness and dependency.
  • Don’t give children sweets/candies. Poorer communities rarely have access to properdental care. Pens, pencils and exercise book are a better choice. 
  • Interact with the locals. They are not animals in a zoo. Accept their hospitality, if offered. 
  • Donate to local community projects if invited to do so.
  • Consider a child/student sponsorship programme.  
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What effect is tourism having on UNESCO World Heritage Sites?
By Tracy from Tracy's Travels in Time
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What do Venice, Dubrovnik, the Great Wall of China, Machu Picchu and the Galapagos Islands all have in common? Not only are they all designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites but they are also sites already restricting or planning to restrict visitor numbers. Why – what has changed that these sites are having to respond in such a drastic manner? 
A good example to examine is Cinque Terre. In the last few years this set of five fishing villages on the Liguria coast in Italy has hit the spotlight – it seems to be the place everyone wants to visit in Italy – 2.5 million visitors seem to have agreed in 2015 alone! At the very least overcrowding must be an issue never mind the impact of all the transport needs of people getting to and from these small villages.

Last year we visited Dubrovnik – famed for its beautiful walls. We weren’t the only ones though – on any one day, 2 or 3 cruise ships moored in port and regurgitated up to 3000 tourists all eager to see this beautiful city. Now Dubrovnik old city has two SMALL entrances – the Pile Gate is where most people enter and exit. The result one day last summer? A near crush with thousands of people trying to get in and out through that little gate – it was one of the most terrifying things to observe.

What can we do as tourists to lessen the impact of our desire to visit these beautiful places? I have no answer to this but clearly something needs to be done. UNESCO itself have acknowledged the problem and their sustainable tourism programme aims to ensure a shared responsibility for conservation of sites and for sustainable development through tourism management.
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Perhaps drastic measures are sometimes the only answer. Thailand recently closed access to a number of islands due to the shocking impact of tourism which was had brought the local environment to the brink of destruction.

If we want to ensure the survival of these beautiful places for future generations, the hard truth may be that restrictions or a total ban may be the only answer if more sustainable ways of managing tourist numbers cannot be introduced. What do you think?

​Has this blog shown you a different way of thinking? Had you considered some of these subjects before now? Do you have any issues you have discovered which you wish to discuss? Please share in the comments below.

​If you like this post, please Pin and share it!
Many of us love to travel, but as tourists we need to consider what impact we have on the places we visit and how we can minimise this. We asked our friends to give their take on the Dark Side of tourism and what we can all do to help.
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17 Comments
Stephanie (1AdventureTraveler) link
23/4/2017 05:10:10 pm

Wow...a wonderful collaboration post on the Darker Side of Tourism that us as travelers need to read and try to help. All it takes is just a few of us to try the tips mentioned above and educated others. This way we can save the Children from being exploited, the UNESCO sites from ruin, Human and Animal exploitations, and the Respect we need to give to special buildings. Also some education to the local & tourists not to litter on the ground and not to throw trash including plastic into the ocean. Great Article. I pinned this for others to see. Thanks for sharing! #feetdotravel

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tracy collins link
23/4/2017 08:17:21 pm

Excellent post - lots to think about and lots we can all do to help combat the darker side of tourism. Thanks for including my bit too!

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Lisa
23/4/2017 09:31:08 pm

Well done to you for highlighting these problems.
I totally agree with you all points you have made.

I also have come across similar things you have pointed out through the darkside of tourism.
Begging by young children in the streets, with parents watching close by. I never gave them money. All to sad & shocking people try to live like this. Children perfoming in the streets in thailand acrobatics tourists throwing money at them. But at 10,11pm in the evening, all i could think was she should be in bed,not perfoming in the streets!
Any animals perfoming upset me, i can't watch just pass by, certainly not pay & watch, they should be in there own wild environment.

Lets hope more fellow tourist's read your comments & have different views.

Thanks for being honest & open bringing this to our attention.

Lisa. Xx

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Paul and Carole link
25/4/2017 06:45:12 pm

This is an excellent collaborative post highlighting some differences that we can all make. Your so right to say read, learn and make a difference, education is key. Thanks for including our experience.

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Sonali Chauhan link
5/5/2017 05:22:03 am

Really nice post which inspire a lot.

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Uncover Travel link
5/5/2017 06:02:35 pm

Excellent post about some very important issues!

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Jane @ Raincity Librarian link
6/5/2017 04:03:54 am

I couldn't believe the behaviour of some of my fellow tourists when I was travelling through Asia - they would enter a temple or shrine and talk loudly, take pictures of people praying, not observe any of the rules regarding shoes or clothing, and simply treat the locals like they were exhibits in some kind of theme park. So sad to witness, and it made me feel so terrible to be associated with people who seem to have so little respect for other cultures and religions. :'(

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Travel Lexx link
6/5/2017 06:04:27 pm

A very timely and important post highlighting some of the pitfalls faced tourism. Striking a balance between sustainable tourism and being detrimental to the local way of life/culture/wildlife is very difficult. I think limiting visitor numbers can be a good thing but continuing educating people is even more important. For example, travel agents should be giving people a list of things they are discouraged from doing at the point of sale - such as riding elephants etc. Very thought-provoking and well presented. Thanks, Angie

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Sina link
6/5/2017 06:05:40 pm

That's such a great post and it reminded me of a few things I came across when I was travelling in South America. Litter seems to be a huge problem in Colombia (and other countries in South America) and it made me sad to see this in such a beautiful country. Luckily, I didn't come across a lot of animal exploitation yet. I thought, it's actually being handled quite well on the Galapagos Islands where the wildlife is wandering around free but you have to keep a distance of at least 2 meters. Seeing all these elephants getting tortured in Asia, just so they can be used for tourism, is heartbreaking though. I hope this has an end soon! But as with the other aspects, it's all about education and showing respect for every countries culture. Thanks for sharing!

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Sandy N Vyjay link
7/5/2017 01:37:37 pm

This is indeed a thought provoking post.Kudos to you for spreading the awareness of these undesirable offshoots of tourism. All the points raised here need to be addressed by all stakeholders including travelers so that we maintain the sanctity and purity of the places that we love.

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Ava Meena link
8/5/2017 09:05:56 pm

This is a really great collaborative post; I'm impressed on how it touched on so many different aspects of dark tourism. I definitely learned quite a bit of useful info that will improve my travels.

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Shona @ paraphernalia.co link
10/5/2017 02:07:07 pm

An excellent collaboration! Every contribution highlights issues that need to be addressed. Like with most things education is key so sharing this type of info makes a huge difference. Well done, Angie and each of the contributors, for putting it together!

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treadtheglobe.com link
10/5/2017 03:50:44 pm

A really fabulous and thought provoking article. Many people traveling over look these kind of things and don't understand the effects. A great read - thank you we can all learn from this

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Carmen Baguio link
11/5/2017 12:47:18 am

This such an important post. It especially bothers me that way some people treat sacred areas. Taking pictures during a mass or wearing skimpy clothing in a temple just isn't right.

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Only By Land link
12/5/2017 02:34:09 am

You have covered so many angles of the darker side of tourism here. A new one for me, but having read your paragraph on Santorini, makes perfect sense. People hanging or climbing on important landmarks for Instagram pictures, I'll pay more attention to what I'm liking on Instagram in future. When I was in Western Sahara and Maurtiania, the amount of empty water bottles dumped in the desert is unimaginable. I asked a trader on the bus why don't you recycle these, his response was, it's cheap plastic, not worth anything.

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Travel4lifeblog link
14/5/2017 05:34:48 am

What a great collaborative post! Thanks for sharing a very useful and educational post with us. In the past (many many years ago) we made some unethical choices while travelling and we are not really proud about it nowadays. But we now always make sure to think first before we travel or book with a company. We are currently looking to go explore the amazon but we want to make sure that we won't be trapped in a zoo type experience wher you can hold wild animals for example. This is the beauty of blogs and social medias, it will hopefully educate more travellers :) keep up the great work!

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Agness of eTramping link
22/5/2017 09:16:55 pm

This post was an awesome read! I am especially concerned about the litter issue.

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