Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
S
CRT, which coordinate'S the North American Network on Third World Tourism packages, such as camel-back holidays in the deserts of Rajasthan. Even among
(NANET), plans to produce a number of directories, including an Alternative Operation Peace Thr011\lh Unity. New Zealand critics of tourism (especially Third World tourism) consensus is rare. From bed G string, is rollicking in the waves and enjoying the cool breeze when
Travel Experience Guide. NANET and ECTWT are co-sponsoring an and breakfast with host families to total-immersion experiences of a nation's suddenly out of nowhere two local' youths appear on the shore and
Peace through Unity's founders are: Anthony Brooke and Gita Keiller Brooke. calmly begin to inspect the bag left there by the swimmer. Seeing this the woman
international conference, Tourism in Hawaii in the summer of 1989. Request urban, rural and tribal life, numerous varied forms and models are advocated.
"We believe': writes Gita, "that we, the people of the world, are confronted raises acry for help and begi ns to swim towards the shore. By then the youths
information from: Virginia Hadsell, Director, CRT, 2 Kensington Road, San By now, the ugly truth about international tourism is well known. We, the
with a very real and profound challenge to affirm the truer and nobler values have made good their escape. The woman rushes to the restaurants on the shore
Anselmo, Ca 94960, USA. critics, have paraded it naked before the wide world. Unprotected by the aura
we know will, when expressed in service, bring about a new and better world': and oleads with the other tourists to help her but gets no response. She sits
International Bureau of Social Tourism (BITS), Bel~ium of glamorous images created by the adman (of sun and sand, of myth and
They publish a newsletter, "Many to Many'~ which is a communicating link shore, weeping silently - her well planned holiday has come to a sad
mystery), modern-day tourism is increasingly recognised for fhe parasite it is,
BITS represents the trends of European tourism, of moderate income tourism between the peoples of the world, as well as, "an instrument for the furthering her oassoort, travellers cheques and bel ieve it or not even her clothes
far from the paradise it claims to be. Confronted by falsehoods of its own
in particular. Established as a result of the Brussels Congress in 1963, it of better human relationships based on deepening mutual understanding and has is her G
the industry responds with 'truth in advertising': the picture of a poor
coordinates member activities, and provides information on cultural matters, the aspiration to promote unity and cooperation beyond all d!fferences".
old waif replaces that of the dark-haired, sloe-eyed, nubile native away, amidst the coconut groves that line the beach atall white
as well as regarding sodo-economic impacts. We extend our warm greetings Elsewhere in this newsletter we carry their proposals for an alternate tourism. German is striking a deal with a few locals for a packet of heroin he
Write to: 4 All ison Street, Wanganui, New Zealand. Sex tours are out, mail-order brides are in. The leopard's spots
to BITS, celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. Write for their bulletin, BITS has smuggled across to India. In one of the hotels in Kovalam an Indian tourist
Information, to: Dr Arthur Haulot, Secretary General, BITS,S, Boulevard de is roughed up by a few thugs and told fo run for his life.
l'lmperatrice, 1000 Brussels, Belgium.
RESOURCES EDITORIAL Kovalam, the long sandy beach near Trivandrum, is Kerala's biggest tourist
attraction for tau rists from abroad and outside the state. But the growth in tourist
Tourism Alternatives Exchange, Issue 1, July 1988, EQUATIONS, Bangalore. traffic has resulted in it becoming a centre for drug dealers, flesh traders and
Rs. 10 in India, US $2.50 elsewhere to cover postage costs. Yet, it is hard to believe that the international tourism industry (and the
underworld dons. All this has led to the unsuspecting tourist getting a raw deal.
leconomic systems that perpetuate it) will undergo adramatic overnight
This new publication, to be issued occasionally, will incorporate serious articles, upheaval in favour of justice and truth, that somehow the milk of human Kovalam has two beaches: The Lighthouse Beach which locals call Howa
features, rese.arch reports and book reviews on Third World and alternative kindness will overflow the profitability curves. Given the impossibility of the beach (Eve's Beach) with its innumerable huts and makeshift restaurants that
tourism. Issue 1ofTAE includes a critique oftourism in Ladakh (Kashmir, India), naysayers' dream, it is evident that criticism must continue, combining pop up when the tourist season starts; and the main beach, also known as the
a debate on wildlife tourism and a review of Rosemary Jommo's 'Indigenous judiciously with confrontation and campaigns, undergirded by unassailable ITDC beach. This is acleaner beach where a tourist can enjoy the sea without
Enterprise in Kenya's Tourism Industry'. credibility, and fueled by conviction. getting his belongings stolen or the fear of being beaten up by thugs for not
paying them for the prostitutes they promise but never deliver. This beach has
The Traveller: The Travailed, audio-visual (100 slides/tape, 20 mins.), Promoting any kind of international tourism - even alternative we are
life-guards and ITDC security personnel in the vicinity. Ironically, the danger
EQUATIONS, Ban galore. Not yet priced. however faced with an inherent question of priorities: is this primarily an elitist
Eastern Mic~an University, USA zone in the main beach is close to the hotel run by the state government. A
Based on the doctoral thesis of Suhita Chopra, and produced for EQUATIONS concern? The average Asian or African has far less opportunity for travel than
part of the mai n beach is cordoned off by the ITDC for its guests..
by Aavishkar, this audio-visual examines the impacts on rural life in Khajuraho. the average European or North American. But given the possibil ity that
irked many social activists in the city because they felt that it was discriminatory
ramed for its erotic temple sculpture, this small village in Centrallndra is now critical consumer (or alternative tourist) could turn out tomorrow's conscious
to the local population and was ':<\partheid by ITDC': But after a while, the hue
crusader for Third World causes, alternative tourism might well olav a crucial
a maior tourist resort. Decreed by government as an urban area to facilitate and cry in the local media died down. The cordon still exists.
role in shaping a new worldview.
2,700 residents have today been pushed to the It is only recently that the beach resort has become a major tourist centre
available from EQUATIONS. Moreover, in countries like ours, where a diversity of
due mainly to the ethnic problems in Sri lanka which has diverted alarge chunk
landscapes, religions and lifestyles co-exist, not always in harmon"
Tourism - Its Effects on Women in Goa, Bailancho Saad (A Women's of tourists towards Trivandrum and from there to Kovalam. The growth potential
Collective), 304, Prema Building, Rua de Ourem, Panaji, Goa-403 001, India. of the tourist trade is expected to be so heavy that from October to May the
are minimal, and vast amounts of scarce public resources need not be
ITDC is planni ng to operate charter flights from abroad to Trivandrum. Water
Inter Cultural Travel: Education Services, Sri Lanka The sexist and racist advertising indulged in by the Tourism Department of the squandered on creating exclusive (defined as 'useless for most') facilities.
sports will be the major attraction for the foreign tourists. While the tourist
Government of Goa and the hoteliers has, besides distorting the image of The Club of Rome warned us fifteen years ago of the consequences of
10: ES has brought out the first issue of 'Sri Lanka Profiles' - a quarterly that promotion agencies are busy planning for the growth, the resort has developed
women in Goa, led to sexual harassment. The bookiet is a report to the people exponential economic growth, yet tourism has paid little heed. Though the into one of the major vice centres of the state, the source for drugs like heroin
"gives readers in the First World nuances ofthe reality in Sri Lanka beyond the
of the consequences of such tourism promotion: prostitution, nudism and boom years are not yet over, there are signs that all is not well. The client is
black and white presentation of news reaching them': This first number profiles conrd. owrif'di
temporary or seasonal employment. Copies available from Bailancho Saad, the mindless member of a bovine herd, driven at the will of the
the issues at stake in the Uva province - a potential tourist zone. Subscriptions Imnlino it, nIIP<;tirmAhh" nml1llrt Frnlnov shrieks its shrill protest,
the police constables were on the payroll of the hotel owners and gave them for keeping constant contact with other clearing houses.
tipoffs about raids. As soon as the state elections were announced, the police
were ordered to stop all activities and the flesh trade has begun once again. Welcome to ocr place:
But investigating the call-girl racket, reveals that even government run hotels One of the most crucial cond itions for realisi ng the 'aims and aspi rations' of
(there are two of them in Kovalam) have links with the flesh traders. Nl:W TOURISM would be the emergence of small places, run on a family basis,
Tourists h:lVe now started a new racket whereby they sell off their cameras, which would welcome smaller groups of people and give them an experience
VCRs orothervaluables and lodge a report to the police station that they were to the country and its people in some particular way: e.g. through art~
stolen. All they need is a FIR from the police registering the case. Since the farming, trekking experiences etc.
goods are covered by insurance companies back home, a FIR from India gets
them their money and at the same time they can spend the money got out of It is hoped that this particular aspect of tourism will grow and expand within
selling the items in India for their holiday. each country, finding its own unique expression and providing welcome work
With all its natural beauty Kovalam could turn into a haven for tourists if the
authorities were to give attention to the law and order in the region. The police
Soa~ lAl~y~ eM"loy ~The cw~. Lc:x:al
NEW TOURISM also to introduce:
force, badly equipped and short of manpower and pressurised from the top, ;>~Ie Rhb\A) be~r i1'lcM yOA vJhat-s wrovu, wtf11.
is fighting a losing battle. The drug racket that is destroying the youth in the
new types of re-creation for people who are tired and weary: who may ile t>lac.e. YrM Cd'1 alLUalfs ~,~ wltt1 it1ei('
state and the call-girl racket that is prevalent on the beach has to be curbed
need a 'sabbatical' or post-operative recuperation. CD~p laiAts (~~,..
immediately if Kovalam has to develop into a major tourist centre without new types of holiday-camps (children and grandparents together, tours
destroying the social fabric of the capital city and the populace of the beach. and expeditions to suit different needs and remedy various
'deficiencies')
Ayyappa Prasad new and alternative ways of helping children and youngSTer
THE SUNDAY OBSERVER - 26 April 1987 problems (drugs, first time offenders, victims of abuse of
6 3
Buildings on beaches
INDIA tI.. News Shabby
& Views
Symbolism
PANjlM The famous Master Plan which generated so much controversy has A study group was formed to analyse the positive and negative effects of tourism
been given aqu iet burial by the Goa government. At a meeting of the Steering on environment. The group made adetailed study of the master plan for tourism We seem unwilling to learn from the experience of other countries that have
Committee for the Master Plan it was quietly decided to abandon it. prepared by the Dept. ofTown &Country Planning. It was felt that (a) the master The government's decision to make AIDS testing compulsory for all foreign
suffered from the depredations of a particular kind of tourism. Close on the heels students coming to this country is political symbolism at its shabbiest. While
The Tourism Department and the town planners who together produced the plan is based on inadequate data of the effects (costs & benefits) of tourism of the proposal to licence Las Vegas type of casinos, we now have the
on Goan economy (b) the master plan emphasises 'layout' of tourism ;mnollncing this measure, Miss Khaparde, Minister of State for Health and
Master Plan, suddenly discovered six months after the Plan was fornlllbtprl level inter-ministerial" decision to permit buildings on beaches upto 200 metres went on to clarify that the test would take place within a month
that it was not in consonance with the state Regional Plan. development rather than the 'need' of tourism (c) the master plan is likely to of the shorel ine. The relaxation of the current restriction from 500 to 200 metres
render the Goan economy weak and vulnerable to international business a student's arrival. Neither tourist\ embas?y or high commission staff, nor
In fact, areas proposed to be earmarked for various categories of hotels and (high-tide width) will be applicable in five places, three of which are already accredited journalists would face such tests.
fluctuations (d) the master plan will result in an undesirable land utilisation developed tourist spots - Goa, Mahabalipuram and Trivandrum. Most beaches
beach development had been identified for ,entirely different purposes in the pattern (e) the master plan demands unreasonable sacrifice on the part of the Such selective screening of students is not only discriminatory, it will also
Regional Plan. The Master Plan cannot be implemented as it violates the are less than hal f-a-ki lometre wide at high-tide, and so new constructions will
local population to satisfy the demands of tourists (0 tourism as contemplated in all likelihood lead to disappearance of stretches of beaches in the notified be utterly ineffective in checking the spread of the AIDS virus. For example,
directives contained in the Regional plan, which is a statutory document. by the master plan may also open the floodgates of moral pollution to monstrous it is well known that a growing section of tourists are attracted to places like
places. The Government will no doubt argue that given the scarcity of land,
The Committee, therefore, very solemnly decided that it was not necessary proportions. The main theme in the exhibition, therefore, has been the master such a decision is essential for the further growth of tourism in these areas. If Goa for reasons that are only too obvious. As a result activities like local
to earmark any specific areas for tourism development, and that every case must plan, five-star tourism and the costs of tourism. seafront tourism is all that important, an alternative policy could well be to prostitution catering to new demands are beginning to grow at an alarmim!
be on its own merit. The study group also decided to undertake a promote tourism in other coastal areas which remain undeveloped. It is difficult rate. AIDS, after all, is no longer considered adisease that is soecific toa
The Committee admit1ed that the Master Plan had been drawn up on to understand the contribution of tourism to to believe that only five places on tl-.~ Indian coast have such a potential. The sex. But any attempt to screen tourists would prove disastrous
insufficient data, and that even the statistics on which the Plan was based were thrown light on the following issues: (1) The benefits of tourism to newly announced relaxation will surely lead to the establishment of five-star as a whole.
not to be trusted. populaton has been marginal (2) The drug problem and commercial life-style hotels on the seafront. And such hotels will only make more stark the picture Editorial, TIMES OF INDIA, March 22, 1988
At the same time, the Committee felt that the a{'\\Jt>rnmt>nt a result of tourism (3) The earnings of local population are largely of islands of wealth that already holds in most of these places. As it is, many
to divert resources for a comprehensive by tourism (4) The coastal population is unaware about the of the existing hotels in Mahabalipuram and Trivandrum regulate access to
government's tourism plans (5) Traders have benefited, producers have suffered "their" beaches, although beaches have always been considered common land. Letter in INDIAN EXPRESS, March 8, 1988
HERALD, April 21, 1988 and traditional occupations are adversely affected. The most serious implication of the new policy is the disruption it will cause Sir, The youth passports for those who got 40 or more questions correct in
The study group is not against tourism. The group holds the opinion that to those whose Iivelihooo depends on free access to the sea. Insensitive attempts the Discover India Quiz conducted by the Ministry of Tourism have started
planners should prepare alternative tourism plans so that the costs of tourism to interfere with traditional rights of free access to beaches have been arriving after a long time. A list of hotels is given where passport holders can
are reduced to minimum. The group was not in a position to prepare an accompanied by police firing as in Madras a couple of years ago. Thev have for a maximum of seven nights and avail 50 percent discount on normal
alternative tourism plan but framed certain guidelines in that direction. The even resulted in communal violence, as in Kanyakumari earlier. Signs The lodging rates range fromRs. 300 to Rs. 800 per night. For a maximum
group felt that (i) any tourism development plan should result in direct benefit are already there in Goa, where the effect of the new policy will st,ay of seven nights the bill would be around Rs. 8,000, including taxes, and
to local population (The present plans speak of indirect banefits which most marked. When the Government of Goa last year revealed its master we would get a discount of Rs. 3,000.
accrue) (ii) The needs and requirements of local population should receive for the development of beach tourism (19 five-star hotels by the turn of the
(iii) Five-Star tourism should not be expanded and diversified (iv) Official Instead, if the Ministry of Tourism had given concessions on rail fare for the
century), it was met by immediate protests that the new approach would
and non-Dfficial agencies should not project a 'commercial' image of Goa and same amount we would have discovered India better. It would have been a boon
threaten those who earn their income from fishing, coconut-harvesting and
Goans (v) Natural gifts of Goa should be preserved. for persons who have not seen many parts of Ind ia and whose parents do not
toddy-tappi ng.
have Leave Travel Concession (LTC) facilities.
will prepare plans to achieve the twin goals i.e. To argue against beach tourism is not to argue against tourism altogether.
environmental violence. The youth passport is of no use to acommon man who cannot afford to spend
imin.::lfina It is a truism that tourism provides valuable foreign exchange and that both
so much on room rent itself.
foreign and domestic tourism have considerable multiplier effects on the local N. V. Raghu,
ISSUED BY:
economy. But certain kinds of tourism have harmful social, economic and
Tourism Study Group:
in the long run. far outweigh short-term
Damodar College of Commerce,
economic
Margao, Goa.
Editorial, DECCAN HERALD, April 6, 1988 )
Festival of India
The Festival of Ind ia held abroad and the reciprocal festivals held in the
SIGNPOST IN NEPAL country cost about Rs. 40.44 crore, the Parliament was informed on
Wednesday.
The cost of the Festival of the USSR in India was Rs. 15 crore and the
Festival of India in USSR, Rs. 9.50 crore, Minister of State for Education
L. P. Sahi said in a written answer. For holding the festival in USA the
cost was Rs. 10.75 crore, and in Sweden Rs. 66 lakh.
The latest Festival of India in Japan is estimated to cost Rs. 4 crore.
The cost of holding the Japan month in India was Rs. 53 lakh.
INDIAN EXPRESS, April 4, 1988
"'Mr J:wler was Minis(e;:r of Civil AviaCJon and 7burism un(il the;: Cabine;:( re;:silume;:carlicr
(his ye;:ar.
"'Mr J:wler was Minis(e;:r of Civil AviaCJon and 7burism un(il the;: Cabine;:( re;:silume;:carlicr
(his ye;:ar.
Buildings on beaches
INDIA tI.. News Shabby
& Views
Symbolism
PANjlM The famous Master Plan which generated so much controversy has A study group was formed to analyse the positive and negative effects of tourism
been given aqu iet burial by the Goa government. At a meeting of the Steering on environment. The group made adetailed study of the master plan for tourism We seem unwilling to learn from the experience of other countries that have
Committee for the Master Plan it was quietly decided to abandon it. prepared by the Dept. ofTown &Country Planning. It was felt that (a) the master The government's decision to make AIDS testing compulsory for all foreign
suffered from the depredations of a particular kind of tourism. Close on the heels students coming to this country is political symbolism at its shabbiest. While
The Tourism Department and the town planners who together produced the plan is based on inadequate data of the effects (costs & benefits) of tourism of the proposal to licence Las Vegas type of casinos, we now have the
on Goan economy (b) the master plan emphasises 'layout' of tourism ;mnollncing this measure, Miss Khaparde, Minister of State for Health and
Master Plan, suddenly discovered six months after the Plan was fornlllbtprl level inter-ministerial" decision to permit buildings on beaches upto 200 metres went on to clarify that the test would take place within a month
that it was not in consonance with the state Regional Plan. development rather than the 'need' of tourism (c) the master plan is likely to of the shorel ine. The relaxation of the current restriction from 500 to 200 metres
render the Goan economy weak and vulnerable to international business a student's arrival. Neither tourist\ embas?y or high commission staff, nor
In fact, areas proposed to be earmarked for various categories of hotels and (high-tide width) will be applicable in five places, three of which are already accredited journalists would face such tests.
fluctuations (d) the master plan will result in an undesirable land utilisation developed tourist spots - Goa, Mahabalipuram and Trivandrum. Most beaches
beach development had been identified for ,entirely different purposes in the pattern (e) the master plan demands unreasonable sacrifice on the part of the Such selective screening of students is not only discriminatory, it will also
Regional Plan. The Master Plan cannot be implemented as it violates the are less than hal f-a-ki lometre wide at high-tide, and so new constructions will
local population to satisfy the demands of tourists (0 tourism as contemplated in all likelihood lead to disappearance of stretches of beaches in the notified be utterly ineffective in checking the spread of the AIDS virus. For example,
directives contained in the Regional plan, which is a statutory document. by the master plan may also open the floodgates of moral pollution to monstrous it is well known that a growing section of tourists are attracted to places like
places. The Government will no doubt argue that given the scarcity of land,
The Committee, therefore, very solemnly decided that it was not necessary proportions. The main theme in the exhibition, therefore, has been the master such a decision is essential for the further growth of tourism in these areas. If Goa for reasons that are only too obvious. As a result activities like local
to earmark any specific areas for tourism development, and that every case must plan, five-star tourism and the costs of tourism. seafront tourism is all that important, an alternative policy could well be to prostitution catering to new demands are beginning to grow at an alarmim!
be on its own merit. The study group also decided to undertake a promote tourism in other coastal areas which remain undeveloped. It is difficult rate. AIDS, after all, is no longer considered adisease that is soecific toa
The Committee admit1ed that the Master Plan had been drawn up on to understand the contribution of tourism to to believe that only five places on tl-.~ Indian coast have such a potential. The sex. But any attempt to screen tourists would prove disastrous
insufficient data, and that even the statistics on which the Plan was based were thrown light on the following issues: (1) The benefits of tourism to newly announced relaxation will surely lead to the establishment of five-star as a whole.
not to be trusted. populaton has been marginal (2) The drug problem and commercial life-style hotels on the seafront. And such hotels will only make more stark the picture Editorial, TIMES OF INDIA, March 22, 1988
At the same time, the Committee felt that the a{'\\Jt>rnmt>nt a result of tourism (3) The earnings of local population are largely of islands of wealth that already holds in most of these places. As it is, many
to divert resources for a comprehensive by tourism (4) The coastal population is unaware about the of the existing hotels in Mahabalipuram and Trivandrum regulate access to
government's tourism plans (5) Traders have benefited, producers have suffered "their" beaches, although beaches have always been considered common land. Letter in INDIAN EXPRESS, March 8, 1988
HERALD, April 21, 1988 and traditional occupations are adversely affected. The most serious implication of the new policy is the disruption it will cause Sir, The youth passports for those who got 40 or more questions correct in
The study group is not against tourism. The group holds the opinion that to those whose Iivelihooo depends on free access to the sea. Insensitive attempts the Discover India Quiz conducted by the Ministry of Tourism have started
planners should prepare alternative tourism plans so that the costs of tourism to interfere with traditional rights of free access to beaches have been arriving after a long time. A list of hotels is given where passport holders can
are reduced to minimum. The group was not in a position to prepare an accompanied by police firing as in Madras a couple of years ago. Thev have for a maximum of seven nights and avail 50 percent discount on normal
alternative tourism plan but framed certain guidelines in that direction. The even resulted in communal violence, as in Kanyakumari earlier. Signs The lodging rates range fromRs. 300 to Rs. 800 per night. For a maximum
group felt that (i) any tourism development plan should result in direct benefit are already there in Goa, where the effect of the new policy will st,ay of seven nights the bill would be around Rs. 8,000, including taxes, and
to local population (The present plans speak of indirect banefits which most marked. When the Government of Goa last year revealed its master we would get a discount of Rs. 3,000.
accrue) (ii) The needs and requirements of local population should receive for the development of beach tourism (19 five-star hotels by the turn of the
(iii) Five-Star tourism should not be expanded and diversified (iv) Official Instead, if the Ministry of Tourism had given concessions on rail fare for the
century), it was met by immediate protests that the new approach would
and non-Dfficial agencies should not project a 'commercial' image of Goa and same amount we would have discovered India better. It would have been a boon
threaten those who earn their income from fishing, coconut-harvesting and
Goans (v) Natural gifts of Goa should be preserved. for persons who have not seen many parts of Ind ia and whose parents do not
toddy-tappi ng.
have Leave Travel Concession (LTC) facilities.
will prepare plans to achieve the twin goals i.e. To argue against beach tourism is not to argue against tourism altogether.
environmental violence. The youth passport is of no use to acommon man who cannot afford to spend
imin.::lfina It is a truism that tourism provides valuable foreign exchange and that both
so much on room rent itself.
foreign and domestic tourism have considerable multiplier effects on the local N. V. Raghu,
ISSUED BY:
economy. But certain kinds of tourism have harmful social, economic and
Tourism Study Group:
in the long run. far outweigh short-term
Damodar College of Commerce,
economic
Margao, Goa.
Editorial, DECCAN HERALD, April 6, 1988 )
Festival of India
The Festival of Ind ia held abroad and the reciprocal festivals held in the
SIGNPOST IN NEPAL country cost about Rs. 40.44 crore, the Parliament was informed on
Wednesday.
The cost of the Festival of the USSR in India was Rs. 15 crore and the
Festival of India in USSR, Rs. 9.50 crore, Minister of State for Education
L. P. Sahi said in a written answer. For holding the festival in USA the
cost was Rs. 10.75 crore, and in Sweden Rs. 66 lakh.
The latest Festival of India in Japan is estimated to cost Rs. 4 crore.
The cost of holding the Japan month in India was Rs. 53 lakh.
INDIAN EXPRESS, April 4, 1988
the police constables were on the payroll of the hotel owners and gave them for keeping constant contact with other clearing houses.
tipoffs about raids. As soon as the state elections were announced, the police
were ordered to stop all activities and the flesh trade has begun once again. Welcome to ocr place:
But investigating the call-girl racket, reveals that even government run hotels One of the most crucial cond itions for realisi ng the 'aims and aspi rations' of
(there are two of them in Kovalam) have links with the flesh traders. Nl:W TOURISM would be the emergence of small places, run on a family basis,
Tourists h:lVe now started a new racket whereby they sell off their cameras, which would welcome smaller groups of people and give them an experience
VCRs orothervaluables and lodge a report to the police station that they were to the country and its people in some particular way: e.g. through art~
stolen. All they need is a FIR from the police registering the case. Since the farming, trekking experiences etc.
goods are covered by insurance companies back home, a FIR from India gets
them their money and at the same time they can spend the money got out of It is hoped that this particular aspect of tourism will grow and expand within
selling the items in India for their holiday. each country, finding its own unique expression and providing welcome work
With all its natural beauty Kovalam could turn into a haven for tourists if the
authorities were to give attention to the law and order in the region. The police
Soa~ lAl~y~ eM"loy ~The cw~. Lc:x:al
NEW TOURISM also to introduce:
force, badly equipped and short of manpower and pressurised from the top, ;>~Ie Rhb\A) be~r i1'lcM yOA vJhat-s wrovu, wtf11.
is fighting a losing battle. The drug racket that is destroying the youth in the
new types of re-creation for people who are tired and weary: who may ile t>lac.e. YrM Cd'1 alLUalfs ~,~ wltt1 it1ei('
state and the call-girl racket that is prevalent on the beach has to be curbed
need a 'sabbatical' or post-operative recuperation. CD~p laiAts (~~,..
immediately if Kovalam has to develop into a major tourist centre without new types of holiday-camps (children and grandparents together, tours
destroying the social fabric of the capital city and the populace of the beach. and expeditions to suit different needs and remedy various
'deficiencies')
Ayyappa Prasad new and alternative ways of helping children and youngSTer
THE SUNDAY OBSERVER - 26 April 1987 problems (drugs, first time offenders, victims of abuse of
8
S
CRT, which coordinate'S the North American Network on Third World Tourism packages, such as camel-back holidays in the deserts of Rajasthan. Even among
(NANET), plans to produce a number of directories, including an Alternative Operation Peace Thr011\lh Unity. New Zealand critics of tourism (especially Third World tourism) consensus is rare. From bed G string, is rollicking in the waves and enjoying the cool breeze when
Travel Experience Guide. NANET and ECTWT are co-sponsoring an and breakfast with host families to total-immersion experiences of a nation's suddenly out of nowhere two local' youths appear on the shore and
Peace through Unity's founders are: Anthony Brooke and Gita Keiller Brooke. calmly begin to inspect the bag left there by the swimmer. Seeing this the woman
international conference, Tourism in Hawaii in the summer of 1989. Request urban, rural and tribal life, numerous varied forms and models are advocated.
"We believe': writes Gita, "that we, the people of the world, are confronted raises acry for help and begi ns to swim towards the shore. By then the youths
information from: Virginia Hadsell, Director, CRT, 2 Kensington Road, San By now, the ugly truth about international tourism is well known. We, the
with a very real and profound challenge to affirm the truer and nobler values have made good their escape. The woman rushes to the restaurants on the shore
Anselmo, Ca 94960, USA. critics, have paraded it naked before the wide world. Unprotected by the aura
we know will, when expressed in service, bring about a new and better world': and oleads with the other tourists to help her but gets no response. She sits
International Bureau of Social Tourism (BITS), Bel~ium of glamorous images created by the adman (of sun and sand, of myth and
They publish a newsletter, "Many to Many'~ which is a communicating link shore, weeping silently - her well planned holiday has come to a sad
mystery), modern-day tourism is increasingly recognised for fhe parasite it is,
BITS represents the trends of European tourism, of moderate income tourism between the peoples of the world, as well as, "an instrument for the furthering her oassoort, travellers cheques and bel ieve it or not even her clothes
far from the paradise it claims to be. Confronted by falsehoods of its own
in particular. Established as a result of the Brussels Congress in 1963, it of better human relationships based on deepening mutual understanding and has is her G
the industry responds with 'truth in advertising': the picture of a poor
coordinates member activities, and provides information on cultural matters, the aspiration to promote unity and cooperation beyond all d!fferences".
old waif replaces that of the dark-haired, sloe-eyed, nubile native away, amidst the coconut groves that line the beach atall white
as well as regarding sodo-economic impacts. We extend our warm greetings Elsewhere in this newsletter we carry their proposals for an alternate tourism. German is striking a deal with a few locals for a packet of heroin he
Write to: 4 All ison Street, Wanganui, New Zealand. Sex tours are out, mail-order brides are in. The leopard's spots
to BITS, celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. Write for their bulletin, BITS has smuggled across to India. In one of the hotels in Kovalam an Indian tourist
Information, to: Dr Arthur Haulot, Secretary General, BITS,S, Boulevard de is roughed up by a few thugs and told fo run for his life.
l'lmperatrice, 1000 Brussels, Belgium.
RESOURCES EDITORIAL Kovalam, the long sandy beach near Trivandrum, is Kerala's biggest tourist
attraction for tau rists from abroad and outside the state. But the growth in tourist
Tourism Alternatives Exchange, Issue 1, July 1988, EQUATIONS, Bangalore. traffic has resulted in it becoming a centre for drug dealers, flesh traders and
Rs. 10 in India, US $2.50 elsewhere to cover postage costs. Yet, it is hard to believe that the international tourism industry (and the
underworld dons. All this has led to the unsuspecting tourist getting a raw deal.
leconomic systems that perpetuate it) will undergo adramatic overnight
This new publication, to be issued occasionally, will incorporate serious articles, upheaval in favour of justice and truth, that somehow the milk of human Kovalam has two beaches: The Lighthouse Beach which locals call Howa
features, rese.arch reports and book reviews on Third World and alternative kindness will overflow the profitability curves. Given the impossibility of the beach (Eve's Beach) with its innumerable huts and makeshift restaurants that
tourism. Issue 1ofTAE includes a critique oftourism in Ladakh (Kashmir, India), naysayers' dream, it is evident that criticism must continue, combining pop up when the tourist season starts; and the main beach, also known as the
a debate on wildlife tourism and a review of Rosemary Jommo's 'Indigenous judiciously with confrontation and campaigns, undergirded by unassailable ITDC beach. This is acleaner beach where a tourist can enjoy the sea without
Enterprise in Kenya's Tourism Industry'. credibility, and fueled by conviction. getting his belongings stolen or the fear of being beaten up by thugs for not
paying them for the prostitutes they promise but never deliver. This beach has
The Traveller: The Travailed, audio-visual (100 slides/tape, 20 mins.), Promoting any kind of international tourism - even alternative we are
life-guards and ITDC security personnel in the vicinity. Ironically, the danger
EQUATIONS, Ban galore. Not yet priced. however faced with an inherent question of priorities: is this primarily an elitist
Eastern Mic~an University, USA zone in the main beach is close to the hotel run by the state government. A
Based on the doctoral thesis of Suhita Chopra, and produced for EQUATIONS concern? The average Asian or African has far less opportunity for travel than
part of the mai n beach is cordoned off by the ITDC for its guests..
by Aavishkar, this audio-visual examines the impacts on rural life in Khajuraho. the average European or North American. But given the possibil ity that
irked many social activists in the city because they felt that it was discriminatory
ramed for its erotic temple sculpture, this small village in Centrallndra is now critical consumer (or alternative tourist) could turn out tomorrow's conscious
to the local population and was ':<\partheid by ITDC': But after a while, the hue
crusader for Third World causes, alternative tourism might well olav a crucial
a maior tourist resort. Decreed by government as an urban area to facilitate and cry in the local media died down. The cordon still exists.
role in shaping a new worldview.
2,700 residents have today been pushed to the It is only recently that the beach resort has become a major tourist centre
available from EQUATIONS. Moreover, in countries like ours, where a diversity of
due mainly to the ethnic problems in Sri lanka which has diverted alarge chunk
landscapes, religions and lifestyles co-exist, not always in harmon"
Tourism - Its Effects on Women in Goa, Bailancho Saad (A Women's of tourists towards Trivandrum and from there to Kovalam. The growth potential
Collective), 304, Prema Building, Rua de Ourem, Panaji, Goa-403 001, India. of the tourist trade is expected to be so heavy that from October to May the
are minimal, and vast amounts of scarce public resources need not be
ITDC is planni ng to operate charter flights from abroad to Trivandrum. Water
Inter Cultural Travel: Education Services, Sri Lanka The sexist and racist advertising indulged in by the Tourism Department of the squandered on creating exclusive (defined as 'useless for most') facilities.
sports will be the major attraction for the foreign tourists. While the tourist
Government of Goa and the hoteliers has, besides distorting the image of The Club of Rome warned us fifteen years ago of the consequences of
10: ES has brought out the first issue of 'Sri Lanka Profiles' - a quarterly that promotion agencies are busy planning for the growth, the resort has developed
women in Goa, led to sexual harassment. The bookiet is a report to the people exponential economic growth, yet tourism has paid little heed. Though the into one of the major vice centres of the state, the source for drugs like heroin
"gives readers in the First World nuances ofthe reality in Sri Lanka beyond the
of the consequences of such tourism promotion: prostitution, nudism and boom years are not yet over, there are signs that all is not well. The client is
black and white presentation of news reaching them': This first number profiles conrd. owrif'di
temporary or seasonal employment. Copies available from Bailancho Saad, the mindless member of a bovine herd, driven at the will of the
the issues at stake in the Uva province - a potential tourist zone. Subscriptions Imnlino it, nIIP<;tirmAhh" nml1llrt Frnlnov shrieks its shrill protest,