Comments on: How Tourists Cripple Local Economies

By: Nawahl

Nawahl — Tue, 05 May 2020 03:55:24 +0000

If you did what is suggested in some developing countries, like South Africa, it would be heartless. There is so much competition for selling souvenirs in the informal tourist economy that you would probably already be getting an amazing deal before haggling. In restaurants, waiters and waitresses get little to no basic wage. They depend on tips. So if you tip like a cheapskate then you only contributed to the owners pocket while the staff will get nothing. I don’t agree with this article. Perhaps it applies to completely disfunctional economies.

By: Nora

Nora — Fri, 31 Aug 2018 15:52:18 +0000

In reply to Miguel.M. Hi Miguel, I'm sorry you have had bad experiences with tourists in your home town. I believe there is a fine line between a place (and its people) inviting and accepting tourists (and the money they bring into the local economy), and being overrun with tourists to the point where the local infrastructure (and people) are overloaded.

By: Miguel.M

Miguel.M — Mon, 27 Aug 2018 10:33:23 +0000

“…reference to spending money on something you wouldn’t normally buy or do, or…” pissing in a street corner, dump garbage on the floor (something they’d not even dare in their own places), stopping (in groups) on the sidewalks “mouth-openly” looking up and around taking photos of anything that moves – or/and mostly doesn’t – while carelessly disturbing the normal circulation of the local inhabitants – in a real case resulting in a broken ankle in someone who was forced to get out of the sidewalk to pass by a bunch of idiots who didn’t even reacted (didn’t care) to the “excuse me” request for passage and… took a mere curious look at the fallen person without even trying any help gesture!!!
The money they spend doesn’t pay the disturbances they leave behind.

By: Nora Dunn

Nora Dunn — Thu, 16 Apr 2015 15:20:29 +0000

In reply to Warren Celli. Hi Warren, I agree that it runs much deeper than the scope of this article. Glad you've turned this icky topic around into a positive thing for your personal development. Cheers!

By: Warren Celli

Warren Celli — Wed, 15 Apr 2015 22:26:30 +0000

Nora, you have only scratched the surface. You need to go deeper and write about how tourism cripples local economies. The tourists are only a symptom of the underlying psychopathy.

The plus in tourism for me is that it opened my eyes to the failings in humanity and turned me into a more responsible human being. Here’s a starter page, and if you have the time read the whole issue and the web site and you will see where I am coming from.

Regards, Warren

By: Nora Dunn

Nora Dunn — Mon, 22 Sep 2014 16:15:08 +0000

In reply to khia.

Hi khia,
Great observations. However the issues you are pointing out (which are very good issues!) are more about globalization and mass production, which indeed to have something to do with developing economies and societies (in that western countries are taking advantage of economic disparities to underpay workers abroad), but very little to do with tourism – which is the specific focus of this piece.
Everything is of course related to some degree; and I also applaud you for bargaining in North America – of course, why not! But that’s not what I’m talking about here.
This world has a lot of problems. I only tackled one in this post.

By: khia

khia — Mon, 22 Sep 2014 00:36:26 +0000

I just stumbled on this article, as a person of Caribbean descent I have some experience with the paradox of the tourist industry, and find some of the assumptions and supposed realities somewhat offensive. I must say I think your article ignores several issues; you suggest that in developed countries we do not over pay for items that we consume but the fat is that when you consider the mark ups on items produced in third world countries by slave labour at a wal mart or the sear or any big international stores, combined with the true cost of food we consume being off set by subsidies, and unsustainable farming we seriously over pay for manufactured goods and under pay for food creating the international realities you discuss. I personally bargain in North American stores much more than in developing countries. some tourists tipping are not transforming developing economies, demanding companies pay fair amounts to workers however, might. I also think there is a problematic element of “guilt” in the post implying that the tourist dollar can make or break nations. You cannot know the ambitions and dreams of people and you should not feel that they depend on you to create them. Developed countries have the same issues with stats proving that children of parents that did not attend university are less likely to do so, why not address the same issues in your backyard?

By: Nora Dunn

Nora Dunn — Sun, 21 Sep 2014 22:19:00 +0000

In reply to Eternal*Voyageur.

Hi Eternal Voyageur,
Hmm…an interesting (if not disheartening) observation. I wish there could be a better balance….

By: Eternal*Voyageur

Eternal*Voyageur — Sun, 21 Sep 2014 21:27:17 +0000

I agree! I have also experienced the downsides of this in the education sector — language / art / dance / music teachers neglecting classes with local students to give private classes to overpaying tourists (for whom the whole experience was a novelty, unlike the local students for whom it was an important part of their education).

By: Nora Dunn

Nora Dunn — Wed, 13 Aug 2014 16:27:11 +0000

In reply to stephanie.

Hi Stephanie,
Great points! And you’re right – I don’t mind either if tourists pay one price and locals another, as is done with many local transportation services – as long as it’s regulated. And I like your way to help as well. Happy travels!