Monday 5 January 2009

Tourist Boom, Cultural Bang





Many countries across the world are modernising, opening up and developing their economies due to tourism.
By revealing five star beach resorts, lush golf courses and improved infrastructure, lesser developed countries have seen a huge increase in tourism over the last decade.
But what are the costs to the culture of the local people due to the new style of travelling that has evolved?
Replacing traditions with gimmicky attractions and native cuisine with burgers is just tempting the wrong kind of tourists.
Travelling is about involvement with different cultures, tasting, smelling, touching and communicating in situations different from what we are used to. This sort of travelling is disappearing under a new digital age and the much sought after home from home experience.
In the UK, the replacement of books with online maps, pod casts, digital postcards and travelling blogs makes each experience more commercial. We are no longer resorting to our Lonely Planet’s or Rough Guides for cultural experiences.
Tourism in plenty of foreign countries is increasing the gap between the rich and the poor. Changing the way we travel to adapt to different societies means the benefits of tourism could be shared by all.


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