In the “No-Nonsense Guide to Tourism” Pamela Nowicka argues with the aid of charts, quotations, facts, figures and historical perspectives that the real winners from mass tourism are the TNCs (Trans National Corporations) such as the Cendant Corporation. Practically everybody else, in particular impoverished local communities, loses. This inharmonious situation, claims Nowicka, is shored up by institutional “Do-Gooders” like the UNWTO and the World Bank. In Ms Nowicka’s “No-Nonsense” world, for all the good they do, tourists would do better to stay at home.
The “Leakage” of profits back to big operators is examined in detail as are the shaky justifications of tourism benefits to the developing world. Tourism depredation on environments and cultures – the “Dark Side” of tourism – is investigated and exposed with the help of quotes from Tourism Concern and ECOT amongst others.
If you have the smallest social conscience and are in the travel business, after reading this book you feel like a marketing man at one of the late Bill Hicks’ performances. Ready to cut your own throat.
But is it all quite like that? Yes, of course there are bad examples of greedy companies and ruthless individuals. But there are good ones too. And, more to the point, tourism is our current best hope of redistributing a little wealth to the global poor. In our ProPoor issue of VISION there are many examples.
So, let’s not throw out the good with the nonsense, Ms Nowicka. The tourism industry has many current enemies. For an industry whose ability in the friendship league is legendary, this is just not fair.
Valere Tjolle
Sustainable Tourism Editor
The “No-Nonsense Guide to Tourism”
Is published by New Internationalist
