Sociocultural Impacts
Social -Cultural Impacts
Butler
(1984) outlines three generalized areas relating to social implication that
have arisen as a result of tourism: resources, economic well-being, and life
styles. Butler (1984) identifies that the result is tourism forces locals to
share the resources in which may have only once been used as their expense.
Land in which was once used for logging and farming by the locals has now been
protected to allow outside visitors to enjoy the serenity of the landscape (M.
Hall, personal communication, September, 2013). An influx of tourists to a location can result
in inflation of goods and services that are regularly consumed by locals, in
order to cater for the large demands (Cohen, 1979). Other social implications
as a result of tourism to economic well-being include those of shutting down
roads in major cities to cater for the large number of pedestrians as can be
found in numerous roads in the city of Melbourne (M. Hall, personal communication,
September, 2013). Lifestyles refers to the implication of locals having to
change the manner in which they go about their daily lives as a result of
tourism (Cohen, 1979). A growth in crime can be seen at various of different popular
tourist destinations, spiking of tourists drinks and pick pocketing them bare whilst
they are visiting pubs appears to be a common notion heard occurring in England
(M. Hall, personal communication, September, 2013).
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Authenticity
Authenticity is one of the key motivational forces for those travellers with an interest is foreign cultures and destinations" (Hall, 2003) however with tourist attractions, tourists commonly have confusion over their perceived authenticity. Cohen (1979) identifies four type of different tourist perceptions.
1) Authentic - the manner in which while tourists perceive the attraction to be real the object is true to the tourists perception (Cohen, 1979). The prominent Australian land mark, Uluru, in which my father perceives to be real, is legitimately authentic (M. Hall, personal communication, September, 2013). 2) Staged Authentic - the situation in which the tourist perceives the tourist attraction to be real and original however they are not aware that its actually fake (Cohen, 1979). 3) Denial of Authentic - while the attraction appears to be 'objectively real' the tourist is has learnt from prior experience that the situation of the attraction is purposefully manipulated or misleading and doubts the true authenticity of the attraction (Cohen, 1979). 4) Contrived - where the situation or attraction has been admittedly staged by the hosts, in which the tourist is aware of (Cohen, 1979). This can be exemplified in the situation when my brother visited Sovereign Hill on a school camp, the attraction consisted of a reconstructed township from the 1850s to show tourist what life was like for people living during the gold rush (G. Hall, personal communication, September, 2013). |
Community Participation
The development of Pro Erschmatt Society is recognized as one of the first communities initiatives to actively participate in the development and planning of tourism in their area Erschmatt, Valais, Switwerland (Mason & Mowforth, 1995 as cited in Beech & Chadwick, 2006). The group "developed guidelines and a code of conduct to provide information on the perceived local needs for tourism and to indicate to potential tourism developers the view of the community" (Beech & Chadwick, 2006, p348).
Today Simmons (1994) identifies that there is still a significant interest from local residents to be involved in the planning of tourism within their local area. Residents have been able to successfully specific tourism development options and indicate where general constraints should be held to shape future development, as a result their initiatives in developing attractions are taken in to first preference as starting points when developing attractions (Simmons, 1994). |
References
Beech, J., & Chadwick, S. (2006). The business of tourism management.
Essex, England. Pearson Education Limited.
Butler, R. W. (1974) The Social Implications of Tourist Development. Annals of Tourism Research. 2(2): 100-110. DOI: 10.1016/0160-7383(74)90025-5
Cohen, E. (1979). Rethinking the sociology of tourism. Annals of tourism research. 6(1): 18-35. DOI: 10.1016/0160-7383(79)90092-6
Hall, C. M. (2003). Introduction to tourism: dimensions and issues (4th ed). Frenchs forest, Australia. Pearson education Australian.
(Hall, G. personal communication, September, 2013)
(Hall, M. personal communication, September, 2013)
Simmons, D. G. (1994). Community participation in tourism planning. Tourism Management, 15(2), 98-108.
Tosun, C. (2006). Expected nature of community participation in tourism development. Tourism management, 27(3), 493-504.
Tosun, C. (2000). Limits to community participation in the tourism development process in developing countries. Tourism management, 21(6), 613-633.
Butler, R. W. (1974) The Social Implications of Tourist Development. Annals of Tourism Research. 2(2): 100-110. DOI: 10.1016/0160-7383(74)90025-5
Cohen, E. (1979). Rethinking the sociology of tourism. Annals of tourism research. 6(1): 18-35. DOI: 10.1016/0160-7383(79)90092-6
Hall, C. M. (2003). Introduction to tourism: dimensions and issues (4th ed). Frenchs forest, Australia. Pearson education Australian.
(Hall, G. personal communication, September, 2013)
(Hall, M. personal communication, September, 2013)
Simmons, D. G. (1994). Community participation in tourism planning. Tourism Management, 15(2), 98-108.
Tosun, C. (2006). Expected nature of community participation in tourism development. Tourism management, 27(3), 493-504.
Tosun, C. (2000). Limits to community participation in the tourism development process in developing countries. Tourism management, 21(6), 613-633.
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