Linking Culture and the Environment

R.E. Mitchell 177
would prefer tourism to continue expanding (e.g. 93% of respondents for
both communities want more tourism). Still, it will require more than just an
expressed wish on the part of residents for tourism to continue on a steady
path of growth. Definitive steps will help assure sustainable rejuvenation or
continued growth, which would necessitate long-term, participatory
planning.
Given the demand for more tourists by local residents, it may be difficult
to control growth. This concurs with Butler’s (1991) assertion that intervention
in the form of limiting tourist numbers is politically difficult in a free
market situation. The ‘truly unique area’ or a site categorized as having a
‘timeless attractiveness’ that Butler (1980, p. 9) claims as necessary to ‘withstand
the pressures of visitation’ may not be sufficient for rejuvenation to
occur. This is especially the case given the current context of competitive
markets, unfavourable tourism policies, socio-economic instability, lack of
community support or other internal and external factors. Nevertheless, it is
possible that Taquile, with its higher perception of community support and
benefits due to tourism, and combined with past achievements largely based
on community awareness, solidarity and sharing of power, may have a
greater likelihood of rejuvenation in its tourism industry compared to other
island communities of Lake Titicaca or relatively neglected and isolated
mountain communities such as Chiquian.
Conclusions and Implications
This chapter examined the pathway or pitfall considered as ‘forms of knowledge
and public participation’, and made explicit reference to communitybased
or social integration within a sustainable tourism framework. The
results indicate that the respective degree and nature of community integration
can influence sustainable tourism to varying degrees of success, although
sustainability can never be guaranteed. It is worth repeating Mowforth and
Munt’s (1998) assertion that who decides what sustainability means and how
to best achieve it are critical considerations. As indicated in this chapter, the
Taquileans must decide for themselves what degree of change is acceptable.
They must also decide what they need to do to achieve and assess their own
brand of sustainable tourism.
This research shows that a community more highly integrated in its local
tourism industry may increase the potential for positive impacts in the provision
of local tourism services and products. Above all, a more equitable sharing
of decision-making power combined with a relatively unified citizenry
should result in a more balanced distribution of tourism benefits. Additionally,
favourable municipal and national government support and polices may
ensure that a greater proportion of residents ultimately gain from local tourism
activities.
Although a participatory, democratic framework and mechanism should
allow for greater local control of tourism management and ownership, both
internal and external forces and interests may negatively affect such control.