Author’s Goals in the Book

To comprehend the impacts it causes to the local communities, the author looks at the nature of tourism in the Caribbean. In looking at the characteristics of Caribbean tourism, Pattullo (1996) notes that the industry has undergone significant transformation. For instance, the author examines the expansion of heritage tourism and how it affects the economy. In an effort to comprehend the changes in the sector, the author also investigates how tourism affects people and the natural world. The expansion of ecotourism and sex tourism in the Caribbean is a significant factor that is taken into account in the book. The book shows how tourism has altered the Caribbean societies in both positive and negative manners. The exploitation of the region’s resources is likely to generate adverse effects in the future of Caribbean tourism industry.

Significance of the Central Theme

The central theme in the book is the exploration of the effects of tourism and the changing forms of the industry in the globe. Since the book places great emphasis on Caribbean tourism, the author explores a wide range of important issues, such as cultural impact, economics, globalization, and ecotourism. According to Pattullo (1996), the exponential growth of tourism in a destination region can contribute substantially to the socioeconomic development of that region. Nevertheless, when the rapid growth becomes unmanaged, the result can have unsustainable impacts and outcomes at the site and destination level. The creation and maintenance of an effective policy framework in terms of planning, developing, operating, and marketing of sustainable destinations and sites are amongst the biggest challenges of the contemporary tourism industries. Key indicators of sustainable tourism destinations include sustainable management plans, compliance with national and international standards, and periodic updates of management personnel training, measurements of visitor satisfaction, promotional materials, and interpretation facilities.

Brief Overview of the Culture

According to Pattullo (1996), the Caribbean culture is interesting both to the locals and visitors. The culture is known for its artistic, musical, culinary, and social elements attractive for tourism activities. The culture of the people carries elements from across the world, including African, Asian, American, and European. The author identifies that the Caribbean culture is largely based on the history and geography of the region. Noteworthy, most territories got inhabited prior to the establishment of the European colonies in America. As such, the themes of the farmers, pioneers, and traders were crucial in the development of the culture. The interaction with people from other regions made it difficult for the natives to maintain their culture. In fact, the issue contributed to the destruction of the social and cultural identity of the natives. Currently, according to Pattullo (1996), the Caribbean people have adopted new cultures as practiced in other western and developed societies.

Relation of the Book with other Readings

Tourism is not defined in simple terms. Societies have their traditions while at the same time agree to values and practices from outside. For this reason, many cultures are believed to ’stage authenticity’ (Knudsen & Waade, 2012). Cultural authenticity is the examination of general perspective of values and beliefs that show the particulars of everyday life. Thus, it is appropriate to understand when the staging of authenticity is disparaging or helpful. Tourism is known to influence cultural changes greatly. Despite cultural authenticity is a fad, it has a few elements that appear to reflect the future of tourism. However, tourism can be said to be a form of art. Increased mobility, globalization, and preservation of culture have greatly encouraged people to take cultural and heritage tourism. The consumers have also changed their needs.

Rapid economic development can cause the destruction of cultural assets affecting the cultural landscape of the destination areas. Ethno-tourism can contribute to the loss or alterations to culture as seen in the Caribbean destinations. Both the tourists and hosts gain experiences and learn from one another. The indigenous communities encounter a different culture that challenges the traditional norms, values, and practices. The move contributes to the loss of culture and may make it difficult to engage in Ethno-tourism. Unfortunately, tourists have an edge over the indigenous communities since they have nothing to lose. Hitchcock (1999) observes that there are incidences where tourists turn the destinations into modern facilities as they have the resources. Postmodernism in the tourism sector generates the usual policies of exploitation and class relations. Thus, it is appropriate to examine the effects of tourism on cultural change. Moreover, the innovation in the industry has led to the destruction of the cultural heritage.

Anthropological Perspective

The book has important findings that assist in understanding the anthropological aspect of tourism. It explains the numerous elements and stakeholders that should be examined in the creation and understanding of tourism within a respective area. Destination areas benefit from infrastructural development, including roads and communication networks. According to the International Labor Organization, Ethno-tourism enhances the capacity of communities to start income-generating activities. Development of heritage tourism has caused changes in the social, cultural and economic dynamics to accommodate this new venture (Bennett & Strydom, 2006). Ethno-tourism helps in the preservation of cultures due to the incentives and benefits that the host communities realize. Preservation of culture in the area reflects the high need by the residents and authorities to promote the heritage and cultural tourism (Collectif, 2009).

Further, based on the socioeconomic status, tourists can easily exploit the indigenous groups and the natural environment. One recent study by the World Bank shows the host communities get exposure to new forms and level of consumerism. Often, the communities utilize their natural resources to make wares for sale to the tourists. In other instances, tourists exploit the hosts without offering any compensation. Exploitation means the communities do not realize full benefits, yet they are exposed to various vulnerabilities (Pattullo, 1996). Another negative effect that has been reported in Caribbean destinations is the spread of diseases among the indigenous communities as the group has limited knowledge and medication. The challenge arising from diseases may not be evident in the short-term but occur in the long run. People also need to recognize that this form of tourism is unpredictable as it is widely dependent on the interests of the visitors. As such, the hosts may lack regular incomes arising from the travels. The majority of operators lack essential skills to ensure they take full advantage of tourism spending. Changes in the labor market, community structure, and immigration of the workforce are other notable social impacts of Ethno-tourism, (Pattullo 1996).

Class Readings vs. Contents of the Book

Class readings support most of the information contained in the book regarding the anthropological perspective of tourism. Besides the Caribbean, many places around the world experience similar trends, challenges, and opportunities. Moreover, the “authenticity aimed tourism” has turned to be a controversial matter. Traveling to different parts of the world, tourists meet cultures different from their local one. Additionally, the need for authenticity within the industry has greatly contributed to the creation of museums and sites giving the foreign reality (Zhu, 2012). Every tourist dreams about a unique experience; apparently, the recreation of sites or events denies the original features and characteristics. As such, one can argue the sites are just a mere simulation of the actual event. To effectively examine the concept of authenticity in tourism, it is appropriate to explore the characteristics of the modern tourist in comparison to the postmodern one. Some scholars explain tourism in the context of an enterprise for the rich people, another group explains tourism as a ritual in the search for authenticity. In the contemporary society, travels for heritage and adventure tourism increase. As such, the contest is to explain whether tourism is simulational or just a search for reality. Ideally, the motivation for tourists is multidimensional: some visit places to experience the true authenticity in the environment (Zhu, 2012).

New Insights about Tourism

Tourism is a complex process involving the interconnections of many parts: visitors and their movements, the destination and its host community. There is a close relationship between tourist destinations, products, and activities that motivate people to travel. All these interconnections represent a life cycle reflected in several tourism theories. Hence, destinations should develop themselves through considering the difference in their build-up factors thus developing their own characteristics leading to the sustainable development. Tourism development in the Caribbean is a clear example that supports the integration of the theories involved.

Tourism is a multifaceted process that involves multiple components and actors. As such, he asserts that there is no particular model that best suits the needs and expectations in all tourism destinations. The changes witnessed in the industry require the formulation of another theory that is inclusive to explain the evolution in tourism. As supported by the class readings, the future of Caribbean tourism lies on investment in entertainment and aspects that mirror the western lifestyle. Medical and business tourism are areas that will experience a great interest in the future. In order to remain competitive, the operators in the area have to drift from the traditional tourism elements. The goal is to enhance the competitiveness and the sustainability of tourism; hence, it is necessary to invest in heritage tourism (Pattullo, 1996).

Conclusion

The analysis generates important information that can assist in making the necessary adjustments in the future of Caribbean tourism. It is hard to end Ethno-tourism just because it has adverse effects on the society. The most important thing is to strike a balance between its benefits and disadvantages. Since each tourist desires to receive a unique experience, modification of local cultures denies the original features and characteristics. Also, the motivation for visitors is multidimensional: some of them visit different places to experience the real authenticity in the environment. Further, tourists need to exercise caution and engage in sustainable initiatives that will not ruin the culture and resources of indigenous communities. It is hoped that Ethno-tourism may educate the public on the importance of heritage conservation and help maintain the cultural heritage within a tourism destination.

References

Bennett, J. A., & Strydom, J. W., 2006. Introduction to travel and tourism marketing. Cape Town: Juta.

Collectif. (2015). The wider benefits of investment in cultural heritage Case studies in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia. Strasbourg, Council of Europe.

Hitchcock, M., King, V. T., & Parnwell, M. J., 2009. Tourism in Southeast Asia: challenges and new directions. Copenhagen, NIAS.

Knudsen, B.T. & Waade, A.M. eds., 2010. Re-investing authenticity: tourism, place and emotions. Channel View Publications.

Pattullo, P. (1996). Last resorts: The cost of tourism in the Caribbean. Kingston: Ian Randle.

Zhu, Y., 2012. Performing heritage: Rethinking authenticity in tourism. Annals of Tourism Research, 39(3), pp.1495-1513.