Observer
piece documents how affected communities are resisting tourist encroachments. Tourism--using the term loosely, by collapsing several related industries together, used to be, according to some measures, the biggest industry in the world. It's also one of the dirtiest, again if you include several related industries, like air travel, which is the fastest-growing contributor to global greenhouse-gas emissions as an industry. Tourism also thrives on big global income gaps, which to be fair, it does tend to alleviate somewhat, but not at a rate anywhere near what is acceptable, or which characterized other periods, which featured other development models.Tracy McVeigh, chief reporter
The Observer, Sunday 6 September 2009
In the brochure or guidebook they look idyllic and fascinating. Unspoilt beaches, ancient monuments and historic cities dripping with charm. But the Wish You Were Here postcard scenes of the world's tourist sites do not show you an increasingly common sight: the band of placard-waving locals who wish you weren't.
Last week the Chilean under-secretary of the interior, Patricio Rosende, travelled more than 2,000 miles to a volcanic speck in the ocean to spend two days in heated talks with the people of Easter Island. Those who live on the island, which is part of Chile and famed for its massive ancient stone statues, believe they are facing ecological disaster because of hordes of tourists. But their complaints have fallen on deaf ears and lack support from those on the island who survive on visitor dollars.
Last month, protesters resorted to blocking the airport, moving tents and trucks on to the runway and demanding that the 65,000 visitors who fly in each year, some of whom choose to stay on and work, be capped. As about 600 angry US tourists expressed their irritation after they faced the resultant flight cancellations at the airport in the Chilean capital, Santiago, the government agreed to discuss the islanders' concerns about overcrowding, the environment and controls on commerce.
"The only thing we are looking for is an answer from the government regarding the need for greater control on who comes to Easter Island," said the island's mayor, Luz Zasso. "We ask, for example, that those who arrive have a card which describes the activity they will be doing here, just like in the Galápagos Islands."
With a population of 4,900 that has grown by 29% since 2002, the island is forced to deal with more than it can handle. A similar problem led to the Pitcairn Islands, also in the Pacific, establishing immigration controls, with categories for "short-period" tourists with a maximum stay of 14 days and "long-period" tourists with a maximum stay of six months.
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