The Two Faces of Tourism

Tourism. While it really has some benefits, there are so many harmful things it produces. Thailand isn't losing its culture, but it's taking a backseat to westernized culture. Of course, there are many, many places around Thailand that receive little-to-no visitors, primarily in the east and in the mountains, and their culture is as true as it was 100 years ago. Things are even poor and undeveloped. But when you go to touristy areas, you find yourself questioning your presence there. What am I contributing to?

Think of all the pollution that global travel has produced. Think about all of the water bottles that get thrown away by tourists who can't drink the local water. Think about how all of those bottles don't get recycled and get buried in the ground. Think about all the energy that's used to wash sheets and towels for a guesthouse or hotel. Think about how polluted local's minds get when they see a fat, white man in a speedo.

Were it not for tourism, Thailand would be an incredibly homogeneous nation, with little exposure to anything outside of Asia. I find value in a racially diverse environment, but I think this is a western idea. I want my children to have as much exposure to diversity as possible. But, while not always the case, diversity is capable of eroding a culture. I can't help but think of all the young children who get exposed to white people with purple hair, abnormal piercings, abnormal tattoos, etc. and can't help but feel bad that I'm contributing to the possible demise of their culture.

I don't even want to get into the issues around the sex industry - that's a blog on its own...

Monte and I have been hanging out with Josh who is researching elephants. (He's getting his PhD and was actually the first person to get elephants to self-recognize...he's now doing intelligence tests on elephants...and...he's only 26. Bastard). Anyway, he's been living in Chiang Mai for a while now and has grasped a good deal of the language. He took us out to a mostly all-Thai club the other night that was far enough away from town that many tourists didn't go there. It was amazing to see how westernized it was. Although there were subtle differences, and although we had a really fun night there, it seemed like such a shame that it wasn't more uniquely Thai.

I'm not expecting the world to not change. I'm not saying that cultures shouldn't change and adjust with the world around them. I want people to have access to the same things as I do - like electricity, good roads, a washing machine, hell, a dishwasher! But this brings about minor changes to their culture...

Of course, tourism has brought many good things to Thailand as well. Tourism is the reason that Thailand is the most wealthy nation in SE Asia. Tourism has brought so much money into this country. And, since logging was banned in 1989, the conservation of domesticated elephants is in the tourist's hands. Elephants have nothing else to do but tourism and without it, their mahouts have no food to feed them, have no food to feed themselves, have no food to feed their families, have no money to pay for a house...I hate the idea that elephants are only used for our entertainment purposes, but I hate it less than the possibility of not having elephants. Interacting with domestic elephants teaches people about the importance of the preservation of wild elephants, and that education is precious and irreplaceable.

It's possible for tourism to do a lot of good, it's just important for tourists to be more conscience of the consequences of their actions.