- Email: [email protected]
Tourism environment
444
PUBLICATIONS
IN REVIEW
tives” (p. 72), and “Cultural Perspectives: European Culture and the Built Environment” (p. 73). This gives the book a good balance, as does the choice of authors according to nationality and experience. The first section contains four chapters. These point out the role that values play “in determining what needs to be interpreted and also what actually is heritage” (p. 49). The next section follows quite naturally. Its seven chapters discuss, among other topics, people’s attachment to and sense of place, thereby highlighting what was already implied in Section one (that the natural and the cultural heritage are two inseparable phenomena). Tourism’s dimensional impact is also discussed to some extent. The third section in six chapters, concentrates on the significance of central and local government in heritage management. Its important role “not only through the legal environment, but also through policymaking and administrative structures” (p. 167) is stressed. For managers and students of heritage, the book is intended to present visitor experiences and management practices, which could help maintain heritage. But this volume suffers too much from its provincialism. Although key host-guest issues are addressed, the examples are difficult to follow for anyone not quite familiar with the groups of people discussed. This is unfortunate, since well-defined ethnic or minority groups exist in several other countries, making such issues more or less universal. The objective to bring together practitioners and researchers in order to identify the issues and solutions concerning heritage management is fulfilled. However, the major weakness is the way different contributors present their material. If the aim is to address a readership of present and future managers, most presentations are probably too abstracted from reality. The style seems to have been developed to meet certain academic standards, but it loses the ethnographic touch. Interpretation and heritage management should display both mind and body. The very few illustrations included leave readers in the northern hemisphere in the dark. The editors state in their preface that “this work is only a beginning” (p. ix). The editors should consider releasing a video to go with the next edition of this book. Both practitioners and students would benefit from this. It could relieve some of the ideographic and provincial character of the examples and make it more attainable to a larger audience. I13q Masnus Bohlin: Institute of Tourism and Travel Research, University College of Falun/Bor&qe, S- 781 10 Borliinle, Sweden.
Assigned 26 July 1993 Submitted 20 September 1993 Accepted 21 September 1993
Tourism
0160-7383(93)E0028-C
Environment
Edited by Tej Vir Singh, Valene L. Smith, Mary Fish and Linda K. Richter, Inter-India Publications (D-17 Raja Garden, New Delhi 110015, India) ISBN 81-210-0288-5, 1992, 343 pages. (figures, tables, index) Rs. 450 (cloth).
Tourism
Carolyn Wild Consultant, Canada
Tourism Environment: Nature, Culture, Economy presents 29 chapters by 30 authors for a wide coverage of research on problems and issues related to tourism and its environments. The book is divided into four sections, each
PUBLICATIONS
IN REVIEW
445
with its own editor. The first three sections address tourism in relation to nature, culture, and economy, while the fourth looks at tourism in developing countries. In his preface, Tej Vir Singh, the book’s main editor, asserts that the gap between tourism and tourism research “widens with time . . . (and) . . . must be speedily bridged for an environmentally sound development of tourism” (p. 7). The book is an attempt to redress this situation, and reflects the multidisciplinary approach to research that Singh espouses. The first section of the book, “Tourism in the Natural Environment: Mountains,” is edited by Singh. The Himalayan Mountains and Swiss Alps are the major geographical focus. The chapters cover a range of topics including tourists’ perception of wilderness, economic benefits to rural communities, accessibility into mountain regions, forestry, and socioeconomic change within mountain communities. Two themes predominate: tourism impact and the complex relationships in tourism. This section is not a comprehensive look at mountain environments, but it does offer several interesting case studies of mountain tourism. Singh attempts to integrate the ecological, cultural, and economic effects of tourism in mountain areas, but tends to proselytize as he expounds on the malaise of mountain tourism asking emotionally, “What is worng(sic) with Tourism (p. 118)?” The second section, “Tourism in Socio-Cultural Environment” is edited by Valene Smith. This six-chapter section is a grab bag of case studies that cover economic, social, and cultural impacts of tourism in developing countries, cities, and indigenous populations, plus a theoretical look at the management of tourism impacts on local communities. Smith is one of the “brand name” authors that give the book “marketing pull,” but her contribution is disappointingly short. No overall sense of a cultural environment is gained in this section, although a sense of tourism’s impact on peoples’ lives is achieved. This impact can be dramatic as in the case of a Mexican community forced to relocate because of a resort development (Chapter 11). Its author, Veronica Long, presents shocking facts yet equivocates on the benefits to the community. Part Three, “Tourism and the Economic Environment,” is edited by Mary Fish. She also co-authors with Jean Gibbons an interesting chapter on tourism in The Gambia in which they make linkages between economic realities and sociocultural factors in developing countries. Particularly worthy of mention is the philosophical essay of J. B. McMinn who points out the implications of tourism’s economic exploitation and cultural subversion and argues for constraints to natural and cultural destruction. One wonders about the relevance of a couple of other chapters to the book’s intent of identifying problems “on a broad based Nature-Culture realm” (p. 7). The economics of sportsfishing and world expositions, for example, with no links to nature or culture, seem a little out of place. The fourth section, “The Search for Appropriate Tourism for the Third World,” 1s ’ edited by Linda Richter. It offers a critique of “alternative tourism” by Erik Cohen who proposes a move to more “appropriate” mass tourism. The section contains three excellent case studies that demonstrate the complexities of local involvement in tourism development and also includes a chapter describing tourists’ acceptance of films designed to sensitize them to their destinations. The final chapter is a bibliography of English language titles of tourism in South and Southeast Asia. This final section seems tacked onto the previous three. Ending as it does with a bibliography, and in fact ending the book itself, it leaves the reader looking for some kind of summary, overall conclusions, or integration of the multidisciplinary ideas the book set out to give. This is not a book that
PUBLICATIONS
446
IN REVIEW
integrates ideas from different disciplines, but rather an array of ideas and research from different disciplines and perspectives. In this respect, the book fails to meet its objectives, yet the reader cannot fail to leave the book without a greater understanding of the multifaceted nature of tourism. As Jafar Jafari points out in his foreword to the book, this volume sheds light on the many faces of tourism. Although each of the four sections can basically stand alone, they deserve to be considered together to appreciate the essence of the book; the complexity of tourism in its interactions with other sectors of the economy and with natural and cultural environments. It is only then that one gets a hint of the complexities of sustainable tourism. Singh may be treading the moral high ground when he calls for a “righteous tourism development model” (p. lo), but in support, J. B. McMinn advocates re-education “which inculcates ‘the morals of nature’ . . . [so that] . . . one can view the world as a natural habitat” (p. 257). The book is intended for use by university researchers, tourism planners, and resource managers. It could also be used as a good case study book, particularly for themes of tourism’s impact on nature and culture. Although many of the cases are from the 198Os, they are very relevant today and deserve publication. What is lacking is a linking of most of the ideas and research in the book to the concept of sustainable development. A notable exception is Margaret Swain (Chapter 14), who proposes a model of indigenous tourism development in a sustainable development context. Some minor irritations are presented by occasional typographical errors and a lack of clarity in a few of the figures, but the type face and text presentation make the book quite readable. The table of contents is not the book’s best feature, but this is counterbalanced by an excellent index. Reading the book from cover to cover is like attending a conference on research in sustainable tourism and being able to attend all the parallel sessions on nature, culture, and economy. To this end, the book is highly recommended. Its chapters raise many of the issues that are at the heart of the complex problems facing sustainable tourism development. At only 450 Rupees, it is a lot cheaper than your average conference. 0 0 Carolyn Wild: 24 Kempster Avenue, Ottawa,
Ontario K2B 8B2,
Assigned 15 July 1993 Submitted 14 September 1993 Accepted 2 1 September 1993
l
Publication
0160-7383(93)E0029-D
Titles
l Acufc Mountain Sickness in Gtntral Towisf Popul&on at Moderate Alfifude, by Bejamin Honigmann et al. Annals of Internal Medicine 118(8):587-592, 1993.
Annual Review of Anfhropology, edited by Wilham Durham. Palo Alto: Annual Reviews, Vol. 22, 1993, 496 pp. $44.00 (cloth). ISSN 0084-6570. l
Canada.
l Annual Sfafisfical Rcporf 1992. San Francisco: Pacific Asia Travel Association, 1993, vii + 125 pp.
l The Anthropological Gaze and fhc Tourisfic Sifinf of Chinese America, by James Moy. Modem Drama 35(1):81-89, 1992.
l
Archifecfure of Soj
Tourism;
conference
pro-
PUBLICATIONS
IN REVIEW
tives” (p. 72), and “Cultural Perspectives: European Culture and the Built Environment” (p. 73). This gives the book a good balance, as does the choice of authors according to nationality and experience. The first section contains four chapters. These point out the role that values play “in determining what needs to be interpreted and also what actually is heritage” (p. 49). The next section follows quite naturally. Its seven chapters discuss, among other topics, people’s attachment to and sense of place, thereby highlighting what was already implied in Section one (that the natural and the cultural heritage are two inseparable phenomena). Tourism’s dimensional impact is also discussed to some extent. The third section in six chapters, concentrates on the significance of central and local government in heritage management. Its important role “not only through the legal environment, but also through policymaking and administrative structures” (p. 167) is stressed. For managers and students of heritage, the book is intended to present visitor experiences and management practices, which could help maintain heritage. But this volume suffers too much from its provincialism. Although key host-guest issues are addressed, the examples are difficult to follow for anyone not quite familiar with the groups of people discussed. This is unfortunate, since well-defined ethnic or minority groups exist in several other countries, making such issues more or less universal. The objective to bring together practitioners and researchers in order to identify the issues and solutions concerning heritage management is fulfilled. However, the major weakness is the way different contributors present their material. If the aim is to address a readership of present and future managers, most presentations are probably too abstracted from reality. The style seems to have been developed to meet certain academic standards, but it loses the ethnographic touch. Interpretation and heritage management should display both mind and body. The very few illustrations included leave readers in the northern hemisphere in the dark. The editors state in their preface that “this work is only a beginning” (p. ix). The editors should consider releasing a video to go with the next edition of this book. Both practitioners and students would benefit from this. It could relieve some of the ideographic and provincial character of the examples and make it more attainable to a larger audience. I13q Masnus Bohlin: Institute of Tourism and Travel Research, University College of Falun/Bor&qe, S- 781 10 Borliinle, Sweden.
Assigned 26 July 1993 Submitted 20 September 1993 Accepted 21 September 1993
Tourism
0160-7383(93)E0028-C
Environment
Edited by Tej Vir Singh, Valene L. Smith, Mary Fish and Linda K. Richter, Inter-India Publications (D-17 Raja Garden, New Delhi 110015, India) ISBN 81-210-0288-5, 1992, 343 pages. (figures, tables, index) Rs. 450 (cloth).
Tourism
Carolyn Wild Consultant, Canada
Tourism Environment: Nature, Culture, Economy presents 29 chapters by 30 authors for a wide coverage of research on problems and issues related to tourism and its environments. The book is divided into four sections, each
PUBLICATIONS
IN REVIEW
445
with its own editor. The first three sections address tourism in relation to nature, culture, and economy, while the fourth looks at tourism in developing countries. In his preface, Tej Vir Singh, the book’s main editor, asserts that the gap between tourism and tourism research “widens with time . . . (and) . . . must be speedily bridged for an environmentally sound development of tourism” (p. 7). The book is an attempt to redress this situation, and reflects the multidisciplinary approach to research that Singh espouses. The first section of the book, “Tourism in the Natural Environment: Mountains,” is edited by Singh. The Himalayan Mountains and Swiss Alps are the major geographical focus. The chapters cover a range of topics including tourists’ perception of wilderness, economic benefits to rural communities, accessibility into mountain regions, forestry, and socioeconomic change within mountain communities. Two themes predominate: tourism impact and the complex relationships in tourism. This section is not a comprehensive look at mountain environments, but it does offer several interesting case studies of mountain tourism. Singh attempts to integrate the ecological, cultural, and economic effects of tourism in mountain areas, but tends to proselytize as he expounds on the malaise of mountain tourism asking emotionally, “What is worng(sic) with Tourism (p. 118)?” The second section, “Tourism in Socio-Cultural Environment” is edited by Valene Smith. This six-chapter section is a grab bag of case studies that cover economic, social, and cultural impacts of tourism in developing countries, cities, and indigenous populations, plus a theoretical look at the management of tourism impacts on local communities. Smith is one of the “brand name” authors that give the book “marketing pull,” but her contribution is disappointingly short. No overall sense of a cultural environment is gained in this section, although a sense of tourism’s impact on peoples’ lives is achieved. This impact can be dramatic as in the case of a Mexican community forced to relocate because of a resort development (Chapter 11). Its author, Veronica Long, presents shocking facts yet equivocates on the benefits to the community. Part Three, “Tourism and the Economic Environment,” is edited by Mary Fish. She also co-authors with Jean Gibbons an interesting chapter on tourism in The Gambia in which they make linkages between economic realities and sociocultural factors in developing countries. Particularly worthy of mention is the philosophical essay of J. B. McMinn who points out the implications of tourism’s economic exploitation and cultural subversion and argues for constraints to natural and cultural destruction. One wonders about the relevance of a couple of other chapters to the book’s intent of identifying problems “on a broad based Nature-Culture realm” (p. 7). The economics of sportsfishing and world expositions, for example, with no links to nature or culture, seem a little out of place. The fourth section, “The Search for Appropriate Tourism for the Third World,” 1s ’ edited by Linda Richter. It offers a critique of “alternative tourism” by Erik Cohen who proposes a move to more “appropriate” mass tourism. The section contains three excellent case studies that demonstrate the complexities of local involvement in tourism development and also includes a chapter describing tourists’ acceptance of films designed to sensitize them to their destinations. The final chapter is a bibliography of English language titles of tourism in South and Southeast Asia. This final section seems tacked onto the previous three. Ending as it does with a bibliography, and in fact ending the book itself, it leaves the reader looking for some kind of summary, overall conclusions, or integration of the multidisciplinary ideas the book set out to give. This is not a book that
PUBLICATIONS
446
IN REVIEW
integrates ideas from different disciplines, but rather an array of ideas and research from different disciplines and perspectives. In this respect, the book fails to meet its objectives, yet the reader cannot fail to leave the book without a greater understanding of the multifaceted nature of tourism. As Jafar Jafari points out in his foreword to the book, this volume sheds light on the many faces of tourism. Although each of the four sections can basically stand alone, they deserve to be considered together to appreciate the essence of the book; the complexity of tourism in its interactions with other sectors of the economy and with natural and cultural environments. It is only then that one gets a hint of the complexities of sustainable tourism. Singh may be treading the moral high ground when he calls for a “righteous tourism development model” (p. lo), but in support, J. B. McMinn advocates re-education “which inculcates ‘the morals of nature’ . . . [so that] . . . one can view the world as a natural habitat” (p. 257). The book is intended for use by university researchers, tourism planners, and resource managers. It could also be used as a good case study book, particularly for themes of tourism’s impact on nature and culture. Although many of the cases are from the 198Os, they are very relevant today and deserve publication. What is lacking is a linking of most of the ideas and research in the book to the concept of sustainable development. A notable exception is Margaret Swain (Chapter 14), who proposes a model of indigenous tourism development in a sustainable development context. Some minor irritations are presented by occasional typographical errors and a lack of clarity in a few of the figures, but the type face and text presentation make the book quite readable. The table of contents is not the book’s best feature, but this is counterbalanced by an excellent index. Reading the book from cover to cover is like attending a conference on research in sustainable tourism and being able to attend all the parallel sessions on nature, culture, and economy. To this end, the book is highly recommended. Its chapters raise many of the issues that are at the heart of the complex problems facing sustainable tourism development. At only 450 Rupees, it is a lot cheaper than your average conference. 0 0 Carolyn Wild: 24 Kempster Avenue, Ottawa,
Ontario K2B 8B2,
Assigned 15 July 1993 Submitted 14 September 1993 Accepted 2 1 September 1993
l
Publication
0160-7383(93)E0029-D
Titles
l Acufc Mountain Sickness in Gtntral Towisf Popul&on at Moderate Alfifude, by Bejamin Honigmann et al. Annals of Internal Medicine 118(8):587-592, 1993.
Annual Review of Anfhropology, edited by Wilham Durham. Palo Alto: Annual Reviews, Vol. 22, 1993, 496 pp. $44.00 (cloth). ISSN 0084-6570. l
Canada.
l Annual Sfafisfical Rcporf 1992. San Francisco: Pacific Asia Travel Association, 1993, vii + 125 pp.
l The Anthropological Gaze and fhc Tourisfic Sifinf of Chinese America, by James Moy. Modem Drama 35(1):81-89, 1992.
l
Archifecfure of Soj
Tourism;
conference
pro-