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Being a Responsible Tourist -- Part I

© Haydee De Guzman

Travel and the environment are interrelated. It spells a number of benefits to a local destination. The foreign exchange generated from tourist spending creates jobs and income. New facilities and modern infrastructure are built while existing ones are improved to make the tourist's stay comfortable and easier. It brings about the preservation of many cultural spots and natural heritage for the appreciation of visitors. It leads to an understanding and friendship between people of different cultures.

However, tourism can also be costly. It has disadvantages like damaging the environment. Developing tourists resorts are usually a drain of money to the host country. Importing special amenities like vehicles , furniture, food and wine cost considerable amount which a country may not be able to afford.

Several years ago, an American friend spent a week in Boracay, an island in the Visayas region of the Philippines. He marvelled at the unspoilt beauty of the place - sparkling cerulean seas, white, sandy beaches, friendly locals. At that time Boracay was not yet known to the tourist crowd. There was no electricity and no modern amenities yet. At night, my friend has to find a spot on the beach to lay a sleeping bag. Despite the crude conditions, to him, Boracay is paradise regained.

By the time I got to Boracay, six years after, so many changes have taken place. As soon as I got off the boat with other visitors, local men jostled to help carry our belongings for a fee of course! There was a paved road for tricycles (the local means of transport) with their irritatingly noisy motors. Restaurants, pubs and cafes have sprung up with various foreign names. Most of these dining places are 100 per cent owned by foreigners with local dummies as partners. Getting accommodation is no longer a problem and most of them offer modern amenities like air conditioning and toilets.

I felt I came to Boracay too late. It was no longer my idea of paradise. A mountain has been flattened to make way for a golf site (to attract I presume, Japanese tourists). A sprawling hotel was being built. Commercial culture thrives with the introduction of Western music and importation of food such as cheese, Coca-Cola and Fosters beer.

It's a common scenario when a place is "discovered" and becomes a "new" destination: More guest rooms are provided by building resorts and hotels. The locals give up farming or fishing to work as guides, drivers, porters or waiters. Various sporting facilities are developed to cater to the various interests of the visitors.

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