Conflicts With Indigenous Peoples

This report from the BBC is perhaps an extreme example of how the development of tourism can impact a native or indigenous peoples.  Anthropologists have for many years pointed out the negative effects such encounters have but one has to ask to what end does "protecting" such fragile societies serve?  Are they truly guinea pigs as the article suggests and who are we to say what is best for them?

Closer to home we encounter these conflicts often as a new resort or destination is developed in a small town or rural area or even when a quaint part of a city is "discovered" by the travel industry.  Don't we all want to be the last one to visit and close the door behind us?

Annals of Tourism Research

If anyone is interested here's the link to the latest issue of Annals of Tourism Research the leading journal in our field.

Appropriate Tourism Promotion

I suspect this link will generate some interesting commentary, so lets have it!  Now, just like the "large person" post earlier I'd like you to really focus on the ethical issues of touirsm promotion, not the visceral reaction to it.

Promoting Travel to the US Again

Some years ago the US Department of Commerce had a budget to promote international travel to this country.  However, during the Clinton administration that program was cut and the responsibility shifted to the travel industry rather than our Federal government.  I suspect the rationale for such a cut was that people were dying to come here anyway so why spend the money that did not directly have a local constituency here.  From what I understood the industry initiative didn't work as well, and then 9/11 came along followed by massive and burdensome changes in security and visa regulations for international visitors to say nothing of many new fees.  The net result was a significant drop on international arrivals and the economic impact they have.

Please click on the title of this post and read the news release.  Do you think this new approach will work?  Why or why not?  Is the fee structure fair and/or appropriate?  Will "educating" potential visitors work?  Feel free to and any other comments you have.

Large airline travelers

Here's a brief article from last Sunday's NY Times travel section. It raises a number of complex questions facing the increasingly stressed transportation industry. It shouldn't take more than a few minutes to read but think about its implications for: 1) Airline policy, 2) Discrimination, 3) Passenger rights and 4) Ethical behavior.

As an airline exec what would you do?

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