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Drammehkangi
Sweden
40 Posts |
 Posted - 31 Dec 2010 : 03:30:18
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Toubab...you wrote, ”uncertain of their meaning in relation to The Gambia”. Local authentic experience as a tourism product is what tourism is all about. Yes, a visit to a local compund is an exceptional experience for tourists!! Here I share with you an interesting research finding that seems to be contrary to your assumptions. Lagerkvist, (1999) writing in the context of Africa, suggests that the African community is the attraction in Africa and travel where tourist can live and mixed with the local people is an example of the concepts that tourists are interested in Africa. For instance, The Maasai villages in Kenya. They have become a major attractions for the tourism sector in that country, as a result of community tourism.
You have missed the ”local authenticity” approach I suggested. Tourists seek adventure outside of their daily routines. We often missunderstand that simplicity, or out ignorance follow the metaphor of development with its global hegemony to a purely western genealogy of robbing people of different cultures of the opportunity to define the own forms of social life. Yes, we will put them decent places, and not where they can find cockcraches.. but, am telling you, tourists are seeking for experience out of the ordinary.What we need is technicians to put these things place.
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toubab1020
12311 Posts |
Posted - 31 Dec 2010 : 15:52:10
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| I understand what you are saying and Maasai in Kenya are maybe the exceptions,and have understandably become famous,this has resulted in an increase in tourism which the Kenyan authorities have no doubt sought to develop further, I have never been to Kenya but from that which I have seen on the TV appears to be a much different place than The Gambia in west Africa, I have seen development in the western sense there and a willingness to work hard and develop the COUNTRY.In Australia the original peoples were forced into a section of Australia that no one wanted,the western socially aware government of the day didnt like that and gave these peoples brick houses food money,did these peoples want these things no, they wanted the way of life that their forefathers had roaming and living off the land,in consequence they used the wood in the houses to build cooking fires and the facilities and money to buy drink and become drunk most of the day,yes a faliure of western interferrence (sorry influence !) that said the problem has been noted and these people given some of their traditional lands back,a case of one size dosn't fit all model. |
"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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Drammehkangi
Sweden
40 Posts |
Posted - 01 Jan 2011 : 02:04:28
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Happy New Year Toubab.
Well, even with the Massai (was just an example in the context of local authencity), they are still not an exception. The Massai as an attraction did not only provide opportunities for linkages with other sectors in their economy, but also consequences of asocial, cultural, and environmental problems. Kenya’s tourism industry was founded on the country’s rich wildlife resources and beach tourism along the Indian Ocean. Their industry has always been firmly nature based with wildlife, the scenery including mountains and beaches being the major attractions. The diversification strategy they tend to adopt seem to either focus primarily on policy proposals at the regional or state level, or merely focus on suggestive planning practices.
Kenya had maintained an open door policy for foreign investment, particularly strong in the development of accommodation facilities, tour operating and travel (Kareithi). Safari tourism was encouraged by through the creation of national parks and reserves that were nearer to Massai communities. The influence of tourism on Massai who happen to live near the safari parks, has not been positive or at least that the Massai have not benefited from this development as much as they could have (Forsyth). Becuase of bad planning, the Massai have been transformed as tourism exihibits to entertain the tourist, no matter what the result is on the country's image, on the business future, and on the local people with regards to their psychology and cultural reference marks. They needed good technicians to put the concepts place.
The case of Australia can be related to the fact that many tourism policies of many central governments are developed without the involvement of local communities and fail to cater for the aspirations of the locals. There is extensive literature on community-based participation in tourism development planning, as this is key to sustainable tourism development. Ofcourse, “they wanted the way of life of their forefathers” (Australians). Certainly, any solution to tourism developement must not only consider the participation of these groups, but also integrate their values into the strategies. The practical implications of a participatory approach in development suggests that :
“It will have to begin with the people who know most about their livelihood systems. It will have to value and develop their knowledge and skills, and put it into their hands the means to achieve self development and will require a reshaping of all practices and thinking associated with development”.
Locals involvement is therefore essential at the implementation stage in terms of management and in participating in the benefits, both individually and collectively. It is a necessary component for a successful tourism strategy. Simply giving people “brick houses, food and money” (in the case of Australia) is not the solution. The economists will then argue to ask, what about the, “opportunity cost”... when ”the original peoples were forced into a section of Australia that no one wanted”. Surely, they also needed good technicians to put the concept in place.
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Edited by - Drammehkangi on 01 Jan 2011 02:10:48 |
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