- Email: [email protected]
The good tourist
Books
tial and scanty. Although some effort at integration of the chapters has been made by occasionally referring to each other’s chapters or by passingly pointing to the model approach developed by Stabler, the coherence is weak. This is not to say that the anthology is not worth studying. As this review has pointed out, some of its chapters provide useful insights into the complexities of the development of tourism. H. Lao Theuns Department of Economics Tilburg University PO Box 90153 5000 LE Tilburg
The Netherlands ‘Erik Cohen, ‘Toward a sociology of international tourism’, Social Research, Vol39, No 1,1972, pp 164-182; Erik Cohen, ‘Who is a tourist?: A conceptual clari~cation’, S~of~i~l Review, Vol 22, No 4, 1974, pp 527-555. 2D. MacCannell, ‘Staged authenticity: arrangements of social space in tourist settings’, American Joumai of Sociology, Vol 79, No 3, 1973, pp 589-603. 3Anthony V. Williams and Wilbur Zelinsky, ‘On some patterns in international tourist
flows’. Economic Geography, Vof 46, No 4, 1970, pp 54Q-567. . 4Dawdd J. Greenwood. ‘Tourism as an ageni of change: a Spanish Basque case’, Ethnology, Vol 11, No 1, 1972, pp 80-91. 5Nelson H.H. Graburn, ‘The anthropology of tourism’, Annals of Tourism Re&ear& Vol 10, No 1,1983, pp Q-33. 6Dennison Nash, ‘Tourism as an anthropological subject’, Current Anthropology, Vol 22, No 5, 1981, DD461-481. ‘H. Leo Theuns,’ kbirci World Tourism ffesearch 1950-7984; A Guide fo Literature, Peter Lang, Frankfurt am Main, 1991. *Erik Cohen, ‘Neo-colonialism in the Third World; review of Tourism and Development in the Third World by John Lea’, Tourism Management, Vol 10, No 2, 1969, p 177. ‘Kadir H. Din, ‘Towards an integrated approach to tourism development: observations from Malaysia’, in Tej Vir Singh, H. Leo Theuns and Frank M. Go, eds, Towards Appropriate Tourism: The Case of Devefoping Countries, Peter Lang, Frankfurt am Main, 1989, pp 181-203. ‘“Hans-Joachim Knebel. Sozidlooische
S~ru~~~andl~ngen im m~emen ?ourismus, Ferdinand Enke Verlag, Stuttgart, 1960. “Richard D. Sartel, ‘The failure of armchair economics: interview with Herbert A. Simon’, Challenge, Vol 29, No 5, 1986, pp 18-25. ‘2Douglas Pearce, Tourist Development, 2 ed, Longman, Harlow, 1989.
Cont~mpopa~tourism issues THE GOOD TOURIST by Katie Wood and Syd House Mandarin, London, 7992, f5.99
The objectives of this book, written for the ‘intelligent, caring traveller’ are ‘to provide a balanced analysis of the good and bad aspects of tourism; to offer tips and advice to prospective tourists; to promote a more responsible form of tourism - the “good tourist” concept - and to provide information on the range of holidays available that conform to the basis of good tourism’ (preface). As one would expect from such experienced authors, The Good Tourist on the whole achieves these objectives and does so in a readable, stimulating manner. The book serves both as a good read and as a reference text combining interesting, perceptive, subjective material with a wide range
78
of relevant factual information - of particular note are the array of examples of tourism impact and a useful Appendix of Contact Organizations. However, the book does not fully address the central issue of whether the good tourist concept - the core theme of the book and one that is promoted with vigorous conviction-is actually an effective method of dealing with the negative impact problems as outlined in the book. Wood and House acknowledge that ‘some have tourism argued that “responsible” alone is not a real answer: it can be construed as a middle-class, educated and elitist cop-out for those who are caught up in the groundswell of green issues. It is small scale, slow and attempting steady, controlled, and thus sustainable, growth. Is it really the answer to the enormous problems of mass tourism dealing with the movement of enormous numbers of
people? The answer is probably no, not in itself, but it can be part of an overall approach to tackling the problems. Such an approach must encompass a whole range of potential solutions each of which may be appropriate according to the situations and circumstances’ (p 70). While this may seem reasonable, to me this nebulous ‘overall approach’ remains vague and conveniently circumspect. Despite the authors’ recognition that the good tourist concept can only be ‘part of a whole’ there is a danger that the impression given by the book is that the good tourist concept and the overall approach are, in fact, synonymous. Wood and House state categorically that it is ‘impossible to go out and verify a whole country’s environmental tourist policy’ (p 234) and that therefore it is a pointless exercise to rate countries in terms of ‘greenness’. Nevertheless they feel it appropriate to endorse (by way of inclusion in the book) certain tour operators. Even on this considerably less ambitious scale I still, however, wonder to what extent it is possible to conduct a comprehensive environmental audit of all these firms and of the impact of the tourist using them? Tourists are encouraged to ‘environmentally audit yourself’ - surely in practice a rather questionable exercise (exorcise?). We are advised to travel out of season and to ‘consider travelling and visiting places not as well known as the normal’ (p 104). Certainly the tour operators detailed in the book, with their impressive marketable names Discover the World, Arctic Experiences, Ecosafaris, Remote Travel Company etc - dovetail nicely here, catering for demand to those appealing faraway places with strange sounding names. Their product prices, not surp~singly, are often as inaccessible as their destinations. However, according to The Good Tourist ‘money is no longer the stumbling block it once was for travellers’ (p 105). The philosophy espoused is that it is worth paying more for a product that is environmentally friendly. Maybe it is - if you have the money. The logic employed to justify choosing the correct travel method and tour
TOURISM MANAGEMENT February 1993
BookslMeebngs operator, and the economies of scale argument suggested to alter the prevailing status quo (p 105) seem at best somewhat naive. Also the very real possibility that travelling out of season and/or to undiscovered areas adds to impact problems, rather than detracts from them, is not really tackled in any depth. The ‘solutions’ put forward by the book do not really call for drastic sacrifices to be made on the part of the tourist - certainly not in terms of restricting destination choice. Provided development is sensitive, the exotic, the unspoilt, the vulnerable are fair game. From an academic perspective The Good Tourist makes a welcome addition to reading lists, and for this I recommend it. Wood and House are concerned with contemporary tourism issues, have a number of points to make and they make them well. Stu-
dents should judge for themselves if the substance of the text is valid or whether it is green rhetoric. I know from experience that this makes for interesting, energetic tutorial discussion. Undoubtedly the book raises awareness of tourism impact and this in itself is to be welcomed. Whether the solutions it advocates actually deal with these impacts (at a fundamental rather than merely a superficial level) is far more debatable. The authors state that ‘every step, no matter how small, adds to the sum of the overall responsible tourism effort’ (p 106). This statement, of course, assumes that the step is in the right direction - that the responsible tourism effort is indeed the correct way forward. For those optimists who believe this to be the case, the book is an excellent, reassuring text: for those of us with a more
Meetings
10-11 March 1993, Birmingham, UK The British Travel Trade Fair; incorporatine MOOT and Wales Travel Pact. ConIUCI: English Tourist Board, Thames Tower, Black’s Road, Hammersmith, London W6 9EL, UK. Tel: +44 (0)Sl 846 9000; fax +44 (0)81 563 0302. 14 April 1993, Athens Greece The first international exhibition and conference for environmental technology. Contacr: Horizon Ltd, 14 Nikis Street, 10557 Athens, Greece. Tel: +l 3233 144; telex: 215359; fax: +l 3247 048. 2-l May 1993, Da Nang, Vietnam International conference on ‘Vietnam: Opportunities for Tourism and Hotel Industry Development’. The sessions will focus on a broad range of topics that are
MANAGEMENT
Brian Wheeller Centre for Urban and Regional Studies University of Birmingham Birmingham 815 2TT, UK
ism Projects; and Universities and Research Institutes. Contan: Secretariat Omega Conventions, The First International Conference on ‘Investments and Financing in the Tourism Industry’, PO Box 71102. Jerusalem 91079. Israel.
611 March 1993, Berlin, Germany ITB 1993: International Tourism Exchange. Conrucr: AMK, Messedamm 22, Berlin 19, D-1000 Germany. Tel: +49 30 30 380; telex: 182908; fax: + 49 30 3038 2325.
TOURISM
sceptical, cynical view of ‘good’ behaviour then The Good Tourist does little to lift our pessimism. One is left with the lingering doubt that the book, and the genre of which it is an integral part, is more concerned with egotourism than with the eco-tourism it purports to advocate. These salutary comments should not, however, detract from the fact that The Good Tourist is an important, potentially influential book and one that cannot, and should not, be ignored by those with an interest in tourism impact.
February
related to tourism and hotel industry developmental opportunities in Vietnam, including: Growth potential of tourism in Vietnam; Education and Training Needs Assessment; and other topics related to the potential impact of tourism. Conracr: K.S. (Kaye) Chon. William F. Harrah College of Hotel Admin., University of NevadaLas Vegas, Las Vegas, NV X9153-6023, USA. Tel: +l 702 739 3930: fax: + 1 702 597 4109. 6-10 May 1993, Kauai, HI, USA 1993 PATA Chapters World Congress, Cottfuci: PATA Marketing Department, 71 Stevenson Street. Suite 1425. San Francisco, CA 94105, USA. Tel: + 1 41s 39X 4295; fax: +l 415 394 0711. 16-21 May 1993, Jerusalem, Israel The First International Conference on Investments and Financing in the Tourism Industry. Topics: National and Public Policy; Tourism as a Stimulus for Regional Planning and Development; Financial Reliability and Roles of Financial Institutions in Tourism Projects; Evaluation of Tour-
1993
14-18 July 1993, Loughborough, UK ‘Leisure in Different Worlds’. Co,zrucr: Dcborah Walker, Leisure and Studies Association, Centre for Extension Studies, Loughborough University, Loughborough LEll 3TU, UK. Tel: +44 (O)SO9 222174. 28 July to 5 August 1993, Mexico DF. Mexico Symposium on Tourism as a dimension of culture. Confuct: California State Univcrsity, Chico Chico, CA 95929-04tHj, USA. Fax: + I 917 898 68 24. September 1993, Manaus, Brazil World congress on adventure travel and ecotourism. It will aim to offer a series of sustainable tourism demonstrations. provide management models for indigenous peoples and natural resources and supply examples of adventures for leisure travellers. There is a call for .papers. Con. fucf: RenCe Karlin, Adventure Travel Society, 6551 S. Revere Parkway. Suite 160, Englewood, CO 8011 I, USA. Tel: + 1 303 649 9016; fax: + 1 303 649 9017.
79
tial and scanty. Although some effort at integration of the chapters has been made by occasionally referring to each other’s chapters or by passingly pointing to the model approach developed by Stabler, the coherence is weak. This is not to say that the anthology is not worth studying. As this review has pointed out, some of its chapters provide useful insights into the complexities of the development of tourism. H. Lao Theuns Department of Economics Tilburg University PO Box 90153 5000 LE Tilburg
The Netherlands ‘Erik Cohen, ‘Toward a sociology of international tourism’, Social Research, Vol39, No 1,1972, pp 164-182; Erik Cohen, ‘Who is a tourist?: A conceptual clari~cation’, S~of~i~l Review, Vol 22, No 4, 1974, pp 527-555. 2D. MacCannell, ‘Staged authenticity: arrangements of social space in tourist settings’, American Joumai of Sociology, Vol 79, No 3, 1973, pp 589-603. 3Anthony V. Williams and Wilbur Zelinsky, ‘On some patterns in international tourist
flows’. Economic Geography, Vof 46, No 4, 1970, pp 54Q-567. . 4Dawdd J. Greenwood. ‘Tourism as an ageni of change: a Spanish Basque case’, Ethnology, Vol 11, No 1, 1972, pp 80-91. 5Nelson H.H. Graburn, ‘The anthropology of tourism’, Annals of Tourism Re&ear& Vol 10, No 1,1983, pp Q-33. 6Dennison Nash, ‘Tourism as an anthropological subject’, Current Anthropology, Vol 22, No 5, 1981, DD461-481. ‘H. Leo Theuns,’ kbirci World Tourism ffesearch 1950-7984; A Guide fo Literature, Peter Lang, Frankfurt am Main, 1991. *Erik Cohen, ‘Neo-colonialism in the Third World; review of Tourism and Development in the Third World by John Lea’, Tourism Management, Vol 10, No 2, 1969, p 177. ‘Kadir H. Din, ‘Towards an integrated approach to tourism development: observations from Malaysia’, in Tej Vir Singh, H. Leo Theuns and Frank M. Go, eds, Towards Appropriate Tourism: The Case of Devefoping Countries, Peter Lang, Frankfurt am Main, 1989, pp 181-203. ‘“Hans-Joachim Knebel. Sozidlooische
S~ru~~~andl~ngen im m~emen ?ourismus, Ferdinand Enke Verlag, Stuttgart, 1960. “Richard D. Sartel, ‘The failure of armchair economics: interview with Herbert A. Simon’, Challenge, Vol 29, No 5, 1986, pp 18-25. ‘2Douglas Pearce, Tourist Development, 2 ed, Longman, Harlow, 1989.
Cont~mpopa~tourism issues THE GOOD TOURIST by Katie Wood and Syd House Mandarin, London, 7992, f5.99
The objectives of this book, written for the ‘intelligent, caring traveller’ are ‘to provide a balanced analysis of the good and bad aspects of tourism; to offer tips and advice to prospective tourists; to promote a more responsible form of tourism - the “good tourist” concept - and to provide information on the range of holidays available that conform to the basis of good tourism’ (preface). As one would expect from such experienced authors, The Good Tourist on the whole achieves these objectives and does so in a readable, stimulating manner. The book serves both as a good read and as a reference text combining interesting, perceptive, subjective material with a wide range
78
of relevant factual information - of particular note are the array of examples of tourism impact and a useful Appendix of Contact Organizations. However, the book does not fully address the central issue of whether the good tourist concept - the core theme of the book and one that is promoted with vigorous conviction-is actually an effective method of dealing with the negative impact problems as outlined in the book. Wood and House acknowledge that ‘some have tourism argued that “responsible” alone is not a real answer: it can be construed as a middle-class, educated and elitist cop-out for those who are caught up in the groundswell of green issues. It is small scale, slow and attempting steady, controlled, and thus sustainable, growth. Is it really the answer to the enormous problems of mass tourism dealing with the movement of enormous numbers of
people? The answer is probably no, not in itself, but it can be part of an overall approach to tackling the problems. Such an approach must encompass a whole range of potential solutions each of which may be appropriate according to the situations and circumstances’ (p 70). While this may seem reasonable, to me this nebulous ‘overall approach’ remains vague and conveniently circumspect. Despite the authors’ recognition that the good tourist concept can only be ‘part of a whole’ there is a danger that the impression given by the book is that the good tourist concept and the overall approach are, in fact, synonymous. Wood and House state categorically that it is ‘impossible to go out and verify a whole country’s environmental tourist policy’ (p 234) and that therefore it is a pointless exercise to rate countries in terms of ‘greenness’. Nevertheless they feel it appropriate to endorse (by way of inclusion in the book) certain tour operators. Even on this considerably less ambitious scale I still, however, wonder to what extent it is possible to conduct a comprehensive environmental audit of all these firms and of the impact of the tourist using them? Tourists are encouraged to ‘environmentally audit yourself’ - surely in practice a rather questionable exercise (exorcise?). We are advised to travel out of season and to ‘consider travelling and visiting places not as well known as the normal’ (p 104). Certainly the tour operators detailed in the book, with their impressive marketable names Discover the World, Arctic Experiences, Ecosafaris, Remote Travel Company etc - dovetail nicely here, catering for demand to those appealing faraway places with strange sounding names. Their product prices, not surp~singly, are often as inaccessible as their destinations. However, according to The Good Tourist ‘money is no longer the stumbling block it once was for travellers’ (p 105). The philosophy espoused is that it is worth paying more for a product that is environmentally friendly. Maybe it is - if you have the money. The logic employed to justify choosing the correct travel method and tour
TOURISM MANAGEMENT February 1993
BookslMeebngs operator, and the economies of scale argument suggested to alter the prevailing status quo (p 105) seem at best somewhat naive. Also the very real possibility that travelling out of season and/or to undiscovered areas adds to impact problems, rather than detracts from them, is not really tackled in any depth. The ‘solutions’ put forward by the book do not really call for drastic sacrifices to be made on the part of the tourist - certainly not in terms of restricting destination choice. Provided development is sensitive, the exotic, the unspoilt, the vulnerable are fair game. From an academic perspective The Good Tourist makes a welcome addition to reading lists, and for this I recommend it. Wood and House are concerned with contemporary tourism issues, have a number of points to make and they make them well. Stu-
dents should judge for themselves if the substance of the text is valid or whether it is green rhetoric. I know from experience that this makes for interesting, energetic tutorial discussion. Undoubtedly the book raises awareness of tourism impact and this in itself is to be welcomed. Whether the solutions it advocates actually deal with these impacts (at a fundamental rather than merely a superficial level) is far more debatable. The authors state that ‘every step, no matter how small, adds to the sum of the overall responsible tourism effort’ (p 106). This statement, of course, assumes that the step is in the right direction - that the responsible tourism effort is indeed the correct way forward. For those optimists who believe this to be the case, the book is an excellent, reassuring text: for those of us with a more
Meetings
10-11 March 1993, Birmingham, UK The British Travel Trade Fair; incorporatine MOOT and Wales Travel Pact. ConIUCI: English Tourist Board, Thames Tower, Black’s Road, Hammersmith, London W6 9EL, UK. Tel: +44 (0)Sl 846 9000; fax +44 (0)81 563 0302. 14 April 1993, Athens Greece The first international exhibition and conference for environmental technology. Contacr: Horizon Ltd, 14 Nikis Street, 10557 Athens, Greece. Tel: +l 3233 144; telex: 215359; fax: +l 3247 048. 2-l May 1993, Da Nang, Vietnam International conference on ‘Vietnam: Opportunities for Tourism and Hotel Industry Development’. The sessions will focus on a broad range of topics that are
MANAGEMENT
Brian Wheeller Centre for Urban and Regional Studies University of Birmingham Birmingham 815 2TT, UK
ism Projects; and Universities and Research Institutes. Contan: Secretariat Omega Conventions, The First International Conference on ‘Investments and Financing in the Tourism Industry’, PO Box 71102. Jerusalem 91079. Israel.
611 March 1993, Berlin, Germany ITB 1993: International Tourism Exchange. Conrucr: AMK, Messedamm 22, Berlin 19, D-1000 Germany. Tel: +49 30 30 380; telex: 182908; fax: + 49 30 3038 2325.
TOURISM
sceptical, cynical view of ‘good’ behaviour then The Good Tourist does little to lift our pessimism. One is left with the lingering doubt that the book, and the genre of which it is an integral part, is more concerned with egotourism than with the eco-tourism it purports to advocate. These salutary comments should not, however, detract from the fact that The Good Tourist is an important, potentially influential book and one that cannot, and should not, be ignored by those with an interest in tourism impact.
February
related to tourism and hotel industry developmental opportunities in Vietnam, including: Growth potential of tourism in Vietnam; Education and Training Needs Assessment; and other topics related to the potential impact of tourism. Conracr: K.S. (Kaye) Chon. William F. Harrah College of Hotel Admin., University of NevadaLas Vegas, Las Vegas, NV X9153-6023, USA. Tel: +l 702 739 3930: fax: + 1 702 597 4109. 6-10 May 1993, Kauai, HI, USA 1993 PATA Chapters World Congress, Cottfuci: PATA Marketing Department, 71 Stevenson Street. Suite 1425. San Francisco, CA 94105, USA. Tel: + 1 41s 39X 4295; fax: +l 415 394 0711. 16-21 May 1993, Jerusalem, Israel The First International Conference on Investments and Financing in the Tourism Industry. Topics: National and Public Policy; Tourism as a Stimulus for Regional Planning and Development; Financial Reliability and Roles of Financial Institutions in Tourism Projects; Evaluation of Tour-
1993
14-18 July 1993, Loughborough, UK ‘Leisure in Different Worlds’. Co,zrucr: Dcborah Walker, Leisure and Studies Association, Centre for Extension Studies, Loughborough University, Loughborough LEll 3TU, UK. Tel: +44 (O)SO9 222174. 28 July to 5 August 1993, Mexico DF. Mexico Symposium on Tourism as a dimension of culture. Confuct: California State Univcrsity, Chico Chico, CA 95929-04tHj, USA. Fax: + I 917 898 68 24. September 1993, Manaus, Brazil World congress on adventure travel and ecotourism. It will aim to offer a series of sustainable tourism demonstrations. provide management models for indigenous peoples and natural resources and supply examples of adventures for leisure travellers. There is a call for .papers. Con. fucf: RenCe Karlin, Adventure Travel Society, 6551 S. Revere Parkway. Suite 160, Englewood, CO 8011 I, USA. Tel: + 1 303 649 9016; fax: + 1 303 649 9017.
79