Ecotourism
April 28, 2023
What is ethical tourism?
Over the past few decades, tourism has been on the rise due to advances in travel technology. For most people, summer and spring breaks are filled with trips to sandy beaches and relaxing resorts.
However, the negatives that can come with this increase in travel have recently been highlighted by the locals of highly traveled areas. To try and counter this a new way of traveling has been proposed by those concerned about the impacts of tourism: ethical tourism.
As this form of tourism is new, there is no hard definition quite yet.
“Ethical tourism is the practice of considering the consequences of one’s actions and participation in visiting a location that might otherwise benefit from less tourism. It’s the ability to recognize how tourism has negatively impacted a location and making decisions that help to build up the community rather than disrupt it,” Marnie Kazarian, a teacher in the Bellevue school district, said.
For some, ethical tourism might mean something slightly different.
“It’s basically just like visiting new places, respecting the cultures, religions, and values of specific communities, and making sure that you’re protecting the environment as well as preserving those cultures,” junior Jenna Collins said.
While exact definitions may differ, the gist is the same.
“At its core, an ethical tourist is someone who is aware of the consequences and privileges of their actions as a “visitor” on the local environment, whether that includes the local people, physical environment, or wildlife,” MAHB Stanford, Does the Ethical Tourist Really Exist?
https://mahb.stanford.edu/recentnews/ethical-tourist-really-exist/
Impacted areas
When the world shut down amidst the pandemic, the ethical questions surrounding tourism may not have been on the forefront of everyone’s mind.
But as tourism once again establishes itself after COVID restrictions have lifted, the devastating effects of it have reappeared as well, making ethical tourism more important than ever.
“Some effects of tourism are overconsumption of goods and services ahead of the needs of a community, disruption of peace among locals, appropriation, lack of respect for locals and customs of locals, and disruption of natural sites,” Kazarian said.
These effects result from tourists being uninformed of the culture in the places they visit and intruding on local land. But, even if tourists stay in resorts far away from local areas for the entirety of their visit, they still negatively impact the workings of the country in ways that may not be obvious at first glance.
One of the most egregious examples is Hawaii, a state that is often considered one of the best places to vacation.
“Resorts, hotels, and tourists are using all the good water and the scarce resources that Hawaii has, leaving the natives with contaminated water,” sophomore Neela Ortega-Misaengsay said.
With concerns about the environment growing as well, the effects tourism has on the planet have been called into question.
“I recently visited Hawaii and they recently implemented a ban on spray bottle sunscreens because it was damaging the coral reefs. The ban is a step to try to preserve a lot of wildlife there that is being damaged by tourists,” senior Bauer Hanson said.
While environmental impacts can be seen more clearly, cultural impacts may not be as visible.
“Excessive tourism has watered down cultural identity. When tourists would visit Hawai’i, there was a gross misrepresentation of the local culture. Everything on the islands has become commercialized to accommodate the tourist’s palate, while also excluding locals in the process” Kazarian said.
This includes commonly attended shows such as hulas and luaus.
Corporations and tourism
Hawaii is full of resorts and hotels from big chain hotels like Hilton, Marriott, and Disney. While it’s clear that these companies have been making lots of money from a large number of yearly tourists to Hawaii – now 9.2 million – it raises the question of whether these corporations are truly helping Hawaii.
Hotels create jobs for locals and generate tax revenue, which in turn can help the local economy.
“One reason Hawaii is such a common tourist destination is that it has big giant resorts that bring a lot of people. Instead of exploring Hawaii, these resorts have their own nice pools, private beaches, and good food all in one spot.” said senior Bauer Hansen.
However, what serves as a dazzling and accommodating living space for tourists can sometimes be the opposite for locals.
Water usage in hotels, restaurants, and other attractions built for the enjoyment of tourists, has caused natural bodies of water to become polluted, contributing to the already ongoing water crises and shortages.
Not only that, the continuing mistreatment of the environment by tourists and corporations has led to the extreme degradation of the land, with many endangered species being put at a higher risk of extinction, showing how externally owned corporations have harmed both the animals and people of Hawaii.
Despite the amount of money generated by tourists in Hawaii’s hospitality industry, it’s important to recognize that a very little amount of that money actually contributes to Hawaii’s local economy. Most of the money that hotels make goes to helping the corporations themselves, not the local economy. As a result, many native Hawaiians face homelessness, with nearly 50% of natives on the island of Oahu being homeless, despite only making up 10% of the population.
How to be an ethical tourist- Rachel
With about 917 million tourists visiting new places in 2022, tourism will always be a popular part of society. However, there are many ways individuals who are traveling can ensure they act in a respectful and responsible manner.
“It is important to research an area before you visit it. You can learn what ethical things there are to do, and how to partake in the culture beforehand,” Hansen said.
As tourists, people can choose specifically where to stay and what activities to engage in. Each choice can craft the ethical nature of the trip.
“If you just stay in your resort and visit all of the typical touristy places, you end up getting the white-washed version. But, the further you get from those touristy places, the more authentic experience you get,” Collins said. “It depends on the person and how willing they are to immerse in another culture and learn about it.”
When individuals don’t take the time to educate themselves about a foreign culture, they often act in an unethical manner. For example, aspects of culture can be exaggerated, misinformation can be spread, or culture can be treated as entertainment.
“Unfortunately, tourism can lead to cultural appropriation of a specific area. There are people who take my culture and mock it,” Ortega-Misaengsay said. “However, there’s also a lot of cultural appreciation. I really value the people who take time to learn and are respectful of others.”
By being an ethical tourist, travelers can ensure they are not damaging the cultural or environmental scene of Hawaii or any other tourist location.
“There are safe ways to visit Hawaii, but you need to attempt to understand our culture and society. Make sure you’re not harming the environment,” Ortega-Misaengsay said.
Junior Jenna Collins recently visited Hawaii and saw the impacts of tourism on the natural environment first hand. Today, Hawaii is taking steps to prevent further environmental damage.
“When I went to a National Park on my trip to Hawaii, there were a lot of signs that said things like “leave it the way you came”, and asked tourists not to take rocks or damage any plants. So it’s just beneficial to go on trips ethically and think about the impacts of your actions,” Collins said.
While a popular destination for vacation among Liberty students, Hawaii is just one example of many locations that suffer from unethical tourism. With the number of tourists rising every year, natives urge tourists to follow in Collins path and obey the rules and guidelines of their region.
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