Ökotourismus zwischen Sein und Schein - Lateinamerika-Studien ...

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It is not to dismiss the importance of calling themselves “eco-minded” or “ecotourism”
because even if they are not fully committed they will by their very words be made
responsible to the public or to scrutiny.
And so at least in a facade form they will be helpful. At least in a superficial way they will be
preferable to these who openly do not even want to admit any connection to be
environmentally sensitive.
So it is a convenient market fore willard(?), coupled with an obligation of sorts(?).
But there are innumerable levels of concern in the field where everybody uses the same
terms, I agree with that, that many of them are painted green on the outside rather than
having an attitude, a value constellation of understanding, of being able to be ecologicallyminded
in public and in private, not only in public.
FRAGE 8: “How does the life of the people of Vilcabamba change because of
ecotourism?”
Inevitably, yes.
The lives especially of the younger generations are changing and adapting and in some
cases profiting also from tourism, in other places, cases maybe being influenced in a
relatively confusing way of not knowing exactly to which values or which set of cultural
standards should they follow at here since they get – concerning many social issues – the
world globalised impression from the visitors coupled with the local set of restricted and
habituated tradition and values that are still passed from generation to generation.
So it is a place that is being opened rather abruptly to the world mentality, the older people
immune perhaps to these things, even to mass-media like TV, and so on.
But still the younger generation has far more role, they are acquiring new values and their
awareness of the need of making money increases for example.
And sometimes it may promote petty theft in people who feel that they are been
discriminated against by tourism.
It may create some resentment, some xenophobia in fractions of the use were they perceive
themselves as the displaced ones by the foreigner onslaught of values and success.
You know there is this competition, this perception of “we are Ecuador” and we seem to be
loosing yet to foreigners.
It is a tendency that gets worse up to a point because of the competition for profits perhaps.
And they are seeing that other people make profit more easily than others.
But it has reached a crisis point eventually it tends to reach a crisis point that I´ve seen in
Galapagos and it has happened in other tourist areas like Baños, and eventually the
situation levels into a harmoniously somehow.
FRAGE 9: “Exists there a maximum amount of tourists who could live in Vilcabamba
without harming the environment?”
There is always an optimal number beyond which given the circumstances of this and that
system. This number is not an absolute number, it is related to the carrying capacity not only
of the environment, but of the local culture.
And the means and results the culture can make use of to absorb so to speak the bad effect
of tourism.
This carrying capacity for example in the Galapagos was judged in the 1970ies at no more
than 15.000 people. In the 80ies it went up to 45.000; in the 90ies to 60.000 and so you can
see.
If the level of organisation increases then the level of the carrying capacity of tourism
increases as well.