chapter 7

• It is possible to combine mass tourism with alternative forms of tourism
• Tourism is acknowledged for its tremendous economic and social benefits but a wide range of serious problems cannot be ignored
• Tourism creates huge economic leakage as the most investment of tourism is coming from western multinational companies (MNEs) in which the income from tourism sector would flow back
• Between the 1970s and early 1980s new forms of tourism emerged in developing countries as an alternative solution to the "undesired" type of tourism "the mass tourism" or "the conventional/commercial tourism" or "the traditional tourism"
• These forms of tourism appearing in different names and various models, served a more sensitive approach giving priority to natural and cultural resources at the front line of planning and development
• Mass tourism

  An offspring of industrialization and democracy, good student of consumption and globalization
• Mass tourism has developed in Western societies since the 1950s, in a period of strong economic growth
• The globalization of tourism is primarily the result of continued growth in international tourist flows that spread first to the oldest tourist destinations (Western and Mediterranean Europe) to emerging destinations, from the center to the periphery, until the borders of the world
• Mass tourism


  The epitome of aggressively large-scale sold standardized packages standing in stark opposition to elite or luxury tourism
• Elite or luxury tourism was triggered as a wanted strategy to diversify the coveted-by-all 3S tourist product meant to keep at bay the mass by creating up market facilities such as golf grounds, marinas, exhibition centers, so as to attract less low budget visitors and more high spend visitors
• Most countries bordering the Mediterranean basin are known as mass tourism coastal destinations (with a high variety of coastline they do not manage to rank very high when it comes to receipts or expenditures made by tourists
• Mass tourism is part of a historical construction
• Mass tourism matches the emergence of the middle class and the democratization of tourism in the rich countries
• There are economic, social, cultural and ecological consequences caused by this massive concentration of visitors
• While the overall volume of tourism revenues is interesting (in terms of jobs and economic growth), there are also problems locally (revenue leakage, distribution)
• Alternative tourism


  Tourism that is alternative to large numbers of visitors, clumsy and unregulated development, environmental destruction, social alienation, and homogenization
• Mass tourists


  Enjoy the convenience of not having to make their own travel arrangements, not having to spend a large amount of money or time, not being obliged to learn a foreign language in order to buy goods and enjoy services in their tourist destination
• Mass tourists are ready to abandon the genuine authentic local cultural contact, and the Third World or Old World seemed to provide these benefits to them
• Alternative tourism was used as a hope for proving consistency with natural, social and community values, as alternative tourism could have less negative effects on destination areas, environment and population without diminishing positive economic effects
• Alternative tourism emerged as a weapon to combat mass tourism negative effects on natural resources
• Forms of alternative tourism

  • Soft tourism
  • Small-scale tourism
  • Green tourism
  • Nature tourism
  • Integrated tourism
• Alternative tourism crew rapidly and out of the need to remedy mass tourism's negative impact on the environment and society, which could affect the attractiveness of a given destination from a long term prospective
• Alternative tourism emphasized the idea of preserving social, natural and historical assets of tourist destinations. Hence, it was considered as the main factor in tourism development. As a consequence of alternative tourism, the concept of sustainable tourism was used as the main goal for tourism development
• Alternative tourism


  Tourism that respects the values of local people and nature, favoring encounters and exchanges and building experiences
• Alternative tourism is a consumer choice that is outside regular tourism channels
• Since the consolidation of mass tourism in the late 1970s, there have always been some significant tourism practices which have not followed the usual lines of purchase and consumption of institutionalized tourism (tour operators, travel agencies, etc.)
• This kind of tourism has often been epitomized by drifters, hippies, or adventurers; however, the demand for differentiated and individualized experiences has slowly spread, apparently discerning these consumers from "tourists"
• Generally, alternative tourism involves traveling with the minimum possible
• Factors supporting the alternative approach

  • Economic issues like the fact that economic growth did not solve the poverty problem
  • Environmental issues referring to mass tourism influence on the environment
  • Political issues reflecting the political economy of the international tourism industry which turned to be a natural continuation of historical inequalities between the First World and the Third World
  • Social issues including the new traveler market of post-modern culture
• No universally agreed or widely adopted definition, nor any explicit lines between its different forms have been made
• Alternative tourism


  A process which promotes a just form of travel between members of different communities. It seeks to achieve mutual understanding, solidarity and equality amongst participants
• Alternative tourism


  Forms of tourism that are consistent with natural, social, and community values and which allow both hosts and guests to enjoy positive and worthwhile interaction and shared experiences
• The tourism industry turned to be a natural continuation of historical inequalities between the First World and the Third World, and social issues including the new traveler market of post-modern culture
• Polar Opposites


  Mass tourism vs Alternative tourism
• Alternative Tourism Definitions


  • No universally agreed or widely adopted definition, nor any explicit lines between its different forms have been made
  • The alternative approach should have fewer and less severe negative effects on destination areas and their populations, and would still enjoy the positive economic effects, so as to appear as the optimal solution
  • "Alternative tourism is a process which promotes a just form of travel between members of different communities. It seeks to achieve mutual understanding, solidarity and equality amongst participants" (Holden 1984)
• Alternative Tourism Definitions


  • Eadington and Smith (1992) defined alternative tourism as "forms of tourism that are consistent with natural, social, and community values and which allow both hosts and guests to enjoy positive and worthwhile interaction and shared experiences"
  • Initially the emphasis was on the interaction between hosts and guests
  • Now it is more broad to include environmental considerations
  • Defined on its opposition (as an alternative) to mass tourism (e.g. Kripendorf)
• Benefits of Alternative Tourism
• Characteristics of Alternative Tourism
• Forms of Alternative Tourism
• Alternative Forms of Tourism