PC - Managing the Other of Nature

This week’s article is a peer-reviewed article I saved a while back and forgot about.  I am afraid that it must be paid for to be read but it is well worth it!  “Managing the Other of Nature: Sustainability, Spectacle, and GlobalRegimes of Capital in Ecotourism” shows an example of how culture affects our view on nature and how capitalism globalizes the western viewpoint.  Bandy begins by explaining how ecotourism is an expansive system.  He then provides a discussion as to whether ecotourism fits into the ecology or the economy categories, showing that despite appearances, it is far more economical than ecological.  Once this is done, he is able to explain how ecotourism has affected the core, in that ecotourism is a way of consuming the other, as though this is a way of preserving that same other.  Next, is a discussion of whether this is a form of colonialism or a form of giving the locals autonomy.  I will not discuss every detail, as this is a rather long article at twenty-four pages, however I hope you enjoy what I do discuss!

As you can see by my choppy summary, this article brings up some very important issues that are completely ignored by what I would think (but hope I am wrong) is the majority of eco-tourists.  The thing is, though advertised as a sustainable form of travel, ecotourism is nothing more than the commercialization of a problem in a way that could easily worsen that same problem.  Ecotourism started with the new frontier.  People wanted to experience what they were increasingly losing to capitalism: nature.  Along with nature came other cultures in exotic places.  Initially, only the wealthiest could experience these things, but then volunteer opportunities began to sprout so that the middle class could join in at a more affordable price.

Now, it is proposed that nature preserves be put into place to increase environmental protection of these locales, while contributing to the local economies.  With this comes the ecotourist, who can play the part of environmental ambassador.  In my personal experience, this is not always the case.  When I was a volunteer in Ghana, I expected other volunteers to be philanthropists of sorts, but many turned out to be seeking work experience or resume filler in an exotic place.  They were all very nice people, however their care for the environment and the culture was in my opinion often rather limited.  Returning twice to the same village and meeting more volunteers, I have seen the same thing.  There are always one or two volunteers who, like me, care very much for the environment and the culture of the country, however the majority are merely looking for an exotic experience that will improve their resume.

My favourite quote from the paper felt like it was talking to WaPreG and one of our aims in helping to achieve our goals associated with preventing waste in Ghana:

After her research excursion to the highly profitable and privately owned Rara Avis ecotourist reserve in Costa Rica, Tensie Whelan issued these words of support: “Over and over again, I saw small chunks of the environment being saved by people who had an economic interest in doing so, whether it was villagers saving rainforest habitat in order to raise iguanas for sale, or private individuals preserving and maintaining virgin rainforest as an attraction for tourists ...If we are to save any of our precious environment, we must provide people with alternatives to destruction.”

The reason I found it is related to WaPreG is that we must do just that: give people alternatives for creating waste.  The great thing is I have many ideas and I know the Ghanaians I will work with all have even better ideas and I can’t wait to start brainstorming with them and then spreading the word together!  This also shows how ecotourism and waste prevention are linked.  Any tourist in Ghana is exposed to the Ghanaian culture of creating waste.  No matter where these tourists find themselves, be it in the rich parts of Accra or volunteering in Jinbong, Northern Region, the average tourist likely consumes more than the average Ghanaian, thereby creating more waste for the Ghanaian landscape.  Ghanaians are proud of their country and are extremely accommodating to foreigners.  This mix should come together to improving their own ways and then encouraging tourists to do the same!  It is far more frustrating for me to see a foreigner toss a pure water sachet than a Ghanaian.  Foreigners are only doing what they see Ghanaians do, however most would never do this in their home countries, whereas Ghanaians ARE in their home country!

Many organizations do seek to preserve the communities in which they work.  The problem, however, is that though they are found in less developed countries as tour operators, they are based in overdeveloped countries, meaning the locals are still not in charge.  The majority of this industry is controlled by companies based in overdeveloped countries, so the benefits continue to be robbed from the locals.  At the same time, ecotourism is not a way to protect environment and cultures, so much as yet another race for the bottom line, i.e. the highest profits possible.

In a sense, we can postulate that ecotourism is a new, less aggressive colonialism.  In the past colonialism was much harsher than what we see now.  The thing is, only those who made it to the colonized lands saw what really happened.  In travel literature and art from these times, those remaining in the old world were given an inaccurate view of what was happening in the new world.  Now, because of media and higher rates of travel, many from the core believe colonialism does not occur, however can we really say this?  When reading up on actual corporate activities in the less developed world, we learn of activities similar to those we reject when reading overdeveloped nations’ history books.  When reading about the economy and development, we are shown that there is one linear way of doing things.  Often, when I read Engineers Without Borders blogs, I feel so frustrated because of the condescending tone many authors use when discussing how things are done in Ghana.  Just because it is different from the overdeveloped nations’ way of doing things, does that necessarily make it wrong?

Ecotourism as an industry has corporations within, most (I would assume by the nature of the industry) of which are either multi- or trans- national.  Most of the money these corporations make returns to overdeveloped nations, not the local communities.  Can we really say this is not a modern form of colonialism?

This week’s quote by John Urry can be found at the beginning of the week’s article:

Contemporary societies are developing less on the basis of surveillance and the normalization of individuals, and more on the basis of the democratization of the tourist gaze and the spectacle-isation of place.