Tourism and Sustainability In a report published by Oxfam in January 2014 it was noted that the world’s richest 85 people have as much wealth as the poorest 50 per cent of the world’s population. A year later that figure had been updated to just 80 people. It is a global unevenness through which the barriers to in-migration of Third World migrants to wealthy First World nations go ever higher, while the barriers to travel in the reverse direction are all but extinct. So how exactly does tourism contribute to narrowing this glaring inequality and gap between the rich and the poor? Are ever-expanding tourism markets – and the new, responsible, forms of tourism in particular – a smoke-free, socioculturally sensitive form of human industrialisation? Is alternative tourism really a credible lever for lifting poverty-stricken countries out of the mire of global inequality, setting them on the right track to ‘development’ and eliminating poverty? Tourism and Sustainability critically explores and challenges what have emerged as the most significant universal geopolitical norms of the last half century – development, globalisation and sustainability – and through the lens of new forms of tourism demonstrates how we can better understand and get to grips with the rapidly changing new global order. The fourth edition has been extensively revised and updated, and benefits from the addition of new material on climate change and tourism. Drawing on a range of examples from across the Third World, Mowforth and Munt expertly illustrate the social, economic and environmental conditions that continue to affect the tourism industry. With the first edition hailed by Geoffrey Wall as ‘one of the most significant books produced on tourism [since the turn of the millennium]’, Tourism and Sustainability remains the essential resource for students of human geography, environmental sciences and studies, politics, development studies, anthropology and business studies as well as tourism itself. Martin Mowforth is a freelance researcher specialising in issues of environment, development, sustainability and human rights in the region of Central America. He is also a part-time associate lecturer in human geography at Plymouth University, UK. Ian Munt is a freelance human settlements specialist and has worked on projects with UN agencies, bilateral donors and non-governmental organisations in Central America, Africa, Asia and the Pacific, and Europe. On previous editions ‘This book should be compulsory reading for all those engaged in tourism research.’ Erlet Cater, In Focus, Tourism Concern ‘One of the most significant books produced on tourism in the past few years.’ Geoffrey Wall, Annals of Tourism Research ‘A valuable and overdue contribution to a multi-disciplinary area. This book meets the challenge to say something clear and interesting in a quicksand of ambiguities.’ Professor John Lea, University of Sydney ‘Informative, stimulating and provocative, the book deserves to be read by a wide audience … It is absolutely essential reading for all those serious scholars of tourism studies wishing to appreciate “the bigger picture”.’ Brian Wheeller, Annals of Tourism Research ‘The book is quite simply one of the most important theoretical contributions to the growing subdiscipline of tourism geography and is likely to be a mainstay for many years to come.’ Keith Debbage, Annals of the Association of American Geographers ‘A far-reaching, timely and quite penetrating critique of some of the forms of tourism that have emerged as a direct response to the clarion call for sustainable tourism development.’ Michael Parnwell, Journal of Development Studies Tourism and Sustainability Development, globalisation and new tourism in the Third World Fourth edition Martin Mowforth and Ian Munt Fourth edition published in 2016 by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN, and by Routledge 711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2016 Martin Mowforth and Ian Munt The right of Martin Mowforth and Ian Munt to be identified as authors of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. First edition published by Routledge 1998 Third edition published by Routledge 2009 British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Mowforth, Martin. Tourism and sustainability / Martin Mowforth and Ian Munt. -- Fourth edition. pages cm Includes bibliographical references and index. 1. Tourism--Developing countries. 2. Sustainable development--Developing countries. I. Munt, Ian. II. Title. G155.D44M69 2016 338.4’791091734--dc23 2015024606 ISBN: 978-1-138-01325-4 (hbk) ISBN: 978-1-138-01326-1 (pbk) ISBN: 978-1-315-79534-8 (ebk) Typeset in Times New Roman and ITC Franklin Gothic by Saxon Graphics Ltd, Derby In loving memory of Herbie and Feathers, and for Matthew and Joseph This page intentionally left blank Contents List of figures xi List of tables xiii List of boxes xv Preface to fourth edition xvii Acknowledgements xix Chapter 1 Introduction 1 Purpose and limits of the book 1 Tourism as a multidisciplinary subject 2 Key themes and key words 3 Tourism and geographical imagination 7 Layout of the book 8 Chapter 2 Globalisation, sustainability, development 12 Tourism in a shrinking world 13 Uneven and unequal development 15 Sustainability and global change 20 Development and the Third World 34 Conclusion 48 Chapter 3 Power and tourism 51 Power play 52 The political economy of Third World tourism 56 Tourism as domination 57 Alternative critiques for alternative tourism? 65 Conclusion 84 Chapter 4 Tourism and sustainability 86 Mass tourism and the origins of new forms of tourism 87 Resulting problems and the rise of new forms of tourism 98 Terminology 100 Defining the ‘new’ tourism 101 The principles of sustainability in tourism 104 Agenda 21 and sustainable development in tourism 112 The tools of sustainability in tourism 113 Whither sustainability in tourism? 121 viii • Contents Chapter 5 A new class of tourist: trendies on the trail 124 Class, capital and travel 125 A new class of tourist? 135 The scramble for Third World destinations 146 Conclusion 152 Chapter 6 Socio-environmental organisations: where shall we save next? 154 New socio-environmental movements 155 Environmentalism and new tourism 159 Environmentalism and power 176 Conclusion 181 Chapter 7 The industry: lies, damned lies and sustainability 182 Trade and tourism 182 Size and structure of the industry 189 Redefining sustainability 196 New personnel and features of the new tourism industry 218 Conclusion 225 Chapter 8 ‘Hosts’ and destinations: for what we are about to receive … 227 Local participation in decision-making 228 Government control/community control 242 Displacement and resettlement 253 Visitor and host attitudes 261 Conclusion 268 Chapter 9 Governance, governments and tourism: selling the Third World 270 The politics of tourism 271 Assessing the politics of tourism 274 Tourism as politics 276 Globalisation and the politics of external influences 279 Sustainable tourism as political discourse 296 Conclusion 311 Chapter 10 Climate change and new tourism: the elephant in the room 314 Mitigating the impact of new tourism 317 Cutting back new tourism: the degrowth agenda 323 Adapting to climate change: can new tourism destinations survive? 325 Conclusion 331 Chapter 11 New tourism and the poor: making poverty history? 333 Understanding poverty 333 The Millennium Development Goals and tourism 336 Pro-poor tourism 342 Migration and remittances 353 Human security 358 Conclusion 365 Contents • ix Chapter 12 Cities and new tourism: guess who’s coming to town? 368 Urbanisation as the antithesis of development 371 Cities as economic machines 374 Recycling places: heritage and the urban poor 376 Pro-poor city tourism? 383 Slum tourism: aestheticising the poor or taking control? 385 Conclusion 393 Chapter 13 Conclusion 395 Key themes and key words 395 New forms of Third World tourism 397 Globalisation, sustainability and development 399 Sustainability and power 400 New tourism, new critiques 401 Whither new forms of tourism? 402 Appendix 1 Travel and tourism-related websites 405 Appendix 2 Websites relating to carbon budgets and carbon offsetting 408 References 410 Index 441