More than a 'promotional gimmick'? New forms of tourism as an option for sustainable development in Cambodia
Author
Henke, Regina
Term
4. term
Publication year
2008
Abstract
Denne afhandling undersøger, om nyere former for turisme kan fremme lokal udvikling og reducere fattigdom. Den giver en kritisk gennemgang af fem tilgange: økoturisme (rejser der støtter naturbeskyttelse), lokalsamfundsbaseret turisme (ejet eller drevet af lokalsamfund), fair trade og etisk turisme (retfærdig fordeling af gevinster), pro-poor turisme (målrettet at gavne lavindkomstgrupper) og bæredygtig turisme (balancerer miljømæssige, sociale og økonomiske hensyn). For at håndtere emnets kompleksitet skelner studiet mellem forskellige syn på udvikling, bæredygtighed og turisme og identificerer syv vejledende principper for bæredygtighed i turisme. Selvom disse principper er svære at måle i praksis, vurderer afhandlingen, i hvilket omfang de fem tilgange efterleves i Cambodjas 'Stay another day'-initiativ. I alt blev 58 projekter, der selv beskriver sig som forenende udvikling og bæredygtighed, evalueret. Analysen viser, at begreberne bæredygtig turisme og lokalsamfundsbaseret turisme er blevet udvandede gennem udbredt og inkonsekvent brug og dermed fjerner sig fra deres oprindelige formål. Derudover anvendes bæredygtighedsprincipper ofte selektivt – alt efter hvad der passer de enkelte turismeaktører – og lever derfor ikke op til bæredygtig udviklings helhedsambition. Fordi initiativet lægger stor vægt på den rejsendes oplevelse, bliver spørgsmål om autenticitet (hvor 'ægte' oplevelserne er for både lokale og besøgende) centrale i diskussionen. Endelig viser studiet, at alternative former for turisme fungerer bedst, når der er samarbejde og partnerskaber. Hvis turisme bruges til at støtte lokal udvikling og fattigdomsreduktion, er samarbejde mellem turismeerhvervet, regeringer, civilsamfundet og de rejsende nødvendigt for at begrænse negative konsekvenser for værtsdestinationer.
This thesis examines whether newer forms of tourism can drive local development and reduce poverty. It critically reviews five approaches: ecotourism (travel that supports nature conservation), community-based tourism (owned or managed by local communities), fair trade and ethical tourism (ensuring fair distribution of benefits), pro-poor tourism (explicitly designed to benefit low-income residents), and sustainable tourism (balancing environmental, social, and economic impacts). To handle the complexity of these ideas, the study distinguishes different views on development, sustainability, and tourism, and identifies seven guiding principles for sustainability in tourism. Although these principles are hard to measure in practice, the thesis assesses how far the five approaches meet them within Cambodia's 'Stay another day' initiative. In total, 58 self-defined development-and-sustainability projects were evaluated. The analysis finds that the terms sustainable tourism and community-based tourism have been diluted through widespread, inconsistent use, moving away from their original intent. In addition, sustainability principles are often applied selectively—according to what suits different tourism actors—so they fall short of the holistic aims of sustainable development. Because the initiative places strong emphasis on the traveller's experience, questions of authenticity (how 'genuine' experiences are for both locals and visitors) become central to the discussion. Finally, the study shows that alternative forms of tourism work best when there is cooperation and partnership. If tourism is used to support local development and poverty reduction, collaboration among the tourism industry, governments, civil society, and travellers is necessary to limit negative impacts on host destinations.
[This summary has been rewritten with the help of AI based on the project's original abstract]