Tourism in the Less Developed Countries

The globalization of air transportation has opened up tourism in the less developed countries, several of which are particularly known as tourist destinations. Kenya and Tanzania are famous for their national wildlife parks, and many of the Caribbean and South Pacific islands are well-known beach resorts.

Should less developed countries encourage the development of tourism? On the one hand, it expands the revenue base: on the other, it can result in cultural clashes and environmental degradation. The desire on the part of developing countries to achieve quick profits from tourists can undermine the local economy of tourist areas.

Land values in areas popular with tourists rise rapidly. Some tourist places, adjacent to prime agricultural lands, may cause a decline in agricultural productivity. Impoverished farmers may abandon agriculture to seek employment in what appears to be the more lucrative tourist industry.

Tourism in Kenya. In Kenya, both the benefits and the problems of ThirdWorld tourism are apparent. Wildlife safaris and beachresorts—two big tourist draws—have boosted Kenya'seconomy considerably (Figure 9-18). Since 1960 tourismhas increased by as much as 20 percent every year. It hasprovided over 25.000 jobs and millions of dollars in foreign exchange, while doing relative little damage toKenya's land resources.

Figure 9-18 Safaris. Wildlife safaris in places like Kenya or Tanzania are becoming popular forms of tourist attractions

The benefits Kenya has derived from tourism havenot come without a price. As the Kenyan tourist industryhas expanded, many social and economic problems havesurfaced. Many tourists arrive as members of package tours from Europe and North America. These increasingly lucrative tours are booked and managed by European and American operators who take the profits out of the country with them. Hotels are often built and maintained by European- or American-based transnational corporations. Many top-management positions are held by Europeans and Americans, with most Kenyans employed in more menial jobs.

Controversy over hunting and land use has seriously affected the Kenyan tourist industry. The continued success of wildlife safaris depends on the maintenance of adequate wildlife habitat and protection of increasingly endangered large wild animals. Efforts to promote such conservation have been opposed by small farmers who hope to extend agricultural production in order to cope with population increases.

Some Kenyan workers, whose cash earnings may total only a few hundred dollars annually, have come to resent wealthy tourists spending as much money in only a day or two. The average cost of a vacation in Kenya is four times the per capita income of Kenya itself. This resentment is even greater in those areas where tourist behavior offends local sensibilities. The Western predilection for alcoholic beverages and skimpy bathing suits is looked on with disfavor by Kenyan Muslims, few of whom seek employment in the tourist industry.

Moreover, the benefits of tourism are geographically concentrated, whereas the costs are borne throughout the country. Three-quarters of Kenya's tourist income comes from the Nairobi area and nearby national parks. The costs associated with wildlife protection, however, are spread out throughout the country in the form of increased taxes and curbs on local agricultural production.