All inclusive - convenient - but is it modern imperialism?
When travelling to the Cabo Verde Islands in October last year I spent quite some time on the beach. Coming from a country in the North - it's a great time for sun, swimming - and I discovered kite surfing. More seriously, I met some locals and we discussed the issue of "all inclusive". They claimed although it attracts travellers and tourists, a very tiny part of the money stays on the island...
My thoughts were awakened today when commercials claimed "you can leave your wallet at home". Now, of course you can do that. It's convenient. But is it responsible? Or is it new imperialism? I prefer to stay in a small, less convenient hotel, with local owners, spending local money in local bars and restaurants. What do you think?
My thoughts were awakened today when commercials claimed "you can leave your wallet at home". Now, of course you can do that. It's convenient. But is it responsible? Or is it new imperialism? I prefer to stay in a small, less convenient hotel, with local owners, spending local money in local bars and restaurants. What do you think?
Labels: all inclusive, cabo verde, imperialism, kite surfing
posted by Johan Lange @ 20:52
2 Comments:
At May 8, 2009 at 3:17 PM ,
Maria Nunes said...
that is always what I do: stay in pensions or small hotels or B&B or even in private houses (which I've done in Cuba) and I never stay in touristic resorts and I avoid all that staff. If I go abroad, I want to meet as many locals as possible and I want to learn their culture. I'm from Portugal; if I wanted to stay in a resort, I could go everywhere, including my own country or Spain or France or Greece (for beach and sun shinning)...
That's my point.
I'm really against what they are doing in Sal and Boa Vista Islands of Cabo Verde... Really imperialism, no doubt!
greetings,
Maria Nunes (Lisboa, Portugal)
At May 8, 2009 at 9:29 PM ,
Anna Forss said...
It's really complicated. Working in the leisure travel business, this is one of the issues we need to tackle. And the answer right now is that it depends. It depends on where you are and when.
In the already mature tourist site or a place with very few tourists, all inclusive is not the best of choices of the reasons you state.
But if a site is starting up as a tourist destination, the knowledge on how you handle these larger amounts of foods and drinks can be missing, especially when the customers are not adjusted to the local viruses and bacteria.
Also, in some cases (as one of TUIs new hotels in Rhodes), the whole hotel is built on a sustainable concept, which mean that they for example use local goods when this is possible. And when a big local customer makes this choice, it can build other local business.
But as I stated in the beginning; this is just two of the scenarios. We have a long journey to make leisure travel more sustainable.
But one step we all can take is spend less water while showering, buy local goods and get educated about the specific problems in the areas which we visit. And finally; don't feel good about ourselves just because we found that unique place without tourists. Your impact can be so much bigger there.
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