This is Africa Blog

The history of tourism (2/2)

On September 29, 2010, in Posts in English, by Pierrick Jacob
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This is the second part of Isabel Babou’s article in the French monthly magazine Biocontact, may 2010 is mainly about the development of an alternative type of tourism in the face of the mass tourism growth.

The state of tourism in numbers

In these times of worries and concerns about the planet’s future and the depletion of the fossil energy sources, what is the tourism’s place, this useless invention, as the French historian specialized in tourism Marc Boyer puts it?

From an economic point of view, tourism is extremely important. The World Tourism Organization predicts there will be 1,6 billion tourists  by 2020. In 2007 the tourism industry’s revenues were 625 billion euros, the equivalent of the 30% of world wide services (Source: WTO).

In the environmental front, tourism is strongly criticized. Its greenhouse gas emissions contribute to about 5% of the total. Air travel is responsible of 40% of the emissions related to tourism, while road transport produces 32%.

Tourism makes local population hosts, but the economic effects are not as big as they could: Only 20% of the price paid by the tourist to the tour-operator remains in the country when the destination is in the South!

Alternatives to the mass tourism

We can still enjoy our right for holidays, but in slow-mode!

What does this mean, what is this kind of tourism? It is a respectful tourism. What does it respect? The environment, the local population, their local economy, their culture. The problem is that sustainable tourism comes in many different names, colours and shapes, which make it more difficult for the traveller to choose.

Taking all these definitions into account, a responsible tourism should allow the traveller to discover the way of life of those visited. ‘This implies evidently that the responsible tourist accepts to share the everyday constraints of the local population he/she visits, like the accommodation, the food or the water shortages‘ (Pince, 2007). This also implies that the host consents to this visit. Does the host normally have a choice? The example of Gabon is telling: they prepare a future without oil by betting on tourism, what a paradox!

So our theoretical traveller is going to choose another version of this ‘good tourism’. He/she will seek the advice of a professional who will propose the fair tourism, which is ‘a series of activities and services offered by the tour operators specialized in responsible tourism and which are controlled by local communities. These communities participate with a relevant role in the evolution of these activities’ definitions‘ (source: Association pour le tourisme équitable et solidaire).

Some sources establish that in the responsible tourism ‘the tour operator is responsible of the effects of tourism on the local population and the environment‘ (Claudine Zysberg, who was in charge of the French Ministry of Ecology and Sustainable development in 2004).

Another option is the ecotourism, which the International Society of ecotourism (TIES) defines as ‘a kind of responsible travel taking place in the natural spaces and which contributes to the protection of the environment and the well-being of the local population‘.

Mass tourism keeps growing, but like with energy or food, we will have to share. The carrying capacity of the destinations should be analyzed and understood. For the fans of the ‘antipodes’, an eco-tax can make the responsible actors aware of the effects of their trip and help limit them.  We are occupying ourselves the causes rather than the consequences, but all these are options that are worthy of careful thinking.

Related articles: History of Tourism (1/2)

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How to travel in Africa: #6 You are a foreign devil

On September 28, 2010, in Posts in English, by Baobabguides
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In Baobab Guides we have thought that, as we know everything about travelling, it would be great to share our infinite wisdom and help other travellers. This is why we have created this article series ‘How to travel in Africa’.

Foreign devils? Pic by Immmu

You should always start your trip with loads of good intentions, and then never cease trying to fulfill them all. You will always sleep in accommodation whose owners are locals, you’ll always eat locally produced foot, you’ll integrate in the country by always taking public transport, you will learn the country’s language, you will only buy crafts produced by the local people, every single time ask kindly for permission to take pictures, take all the garbage you produce with you, etc.

Our advice: Do it all, do never stop. Never have a local-food break by eating spaghetti (Italian food, the horror!). Never sleep in a more comfortable hotel when you can spend the night in in a local family’s guest room. Don’t even think of hiring a car. Taxis are forbidden, you can only take buses. Forget about hot showers. Do never accept a ‘foreigner price’, bargain to death for a local one. Accumulate anger and resentment.

Deep down you are a foreign devil and you know it. Foreign devils are known for having been brought up with western tastes and habits, so during the trip they try to do all those things and so relieve their guilt, up to the point when they get fed up and stop trying altogether.

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The history of tourism (1/2)

On September 21, 2010, in Posts en Français, by Pierrick Jacob
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For my first post, I’ve decided to write briefly about the history of tourism to lay a strong foundation for future posts. I’ve used as a reference an article of the magazine Biocontact n°202, written by Isabel Babou with the title ‘Des tourismes ? Non un tourisme, un seul.‘ (Different kinds of tourism? No, just one).

Tourists

Isabel Babou is a consultant and lecturer in the tourism sector, and vice-president of l’Afest (French Association of Tourism Scientists and Experts). She holds a diploma as judiciary expert and is the co-author (with Philippe Callot) of the book ‘Dilemmes du tourisme‘ (Dilemmas of tourism), from Vuibert editions.

From Travel to Tourism

Travelling is often considered as the ancestor of tourism. The Larousse dictionary, 1876 indicates that ‘in the time of the stagecoaches, the tourist was almost non-existent, there were only travellers‘. If tourism nowadays is a pleasure, travelling has not always been so.

Nor the Greek neither the Romans considered that the joys of travelling, war and pilgrimages justified their trips. The Greek had emissaries in charge of delivering presents and offerings, so they wouldn’t have to travel. For the Romans, quite stay-at-home people, travelling was a synonym of exile and loss of roots.

If travel has always existed, when did it become tourism?

Some milestones:

- 1741: The Englishmen William Windham and Richard Pococke publish ‘Account of the glaciers or Ice Alps in Savoy‘

- 1760: The English invent the concept of ‘Hotel‘. From 1895 there are continuous improvements in comfort: Running water, electricity in all the rooms, then private toilets. The Ritz hotel in Paris was the first one to provide such a luxury in all its rooms.

- 1830: The Railway is invented.

- 1838: Stendhal publishes ‘Memoirs of a tourist‘

- 1856: Thomas Cook launches the first organised trips.

- 1936: Law for paid holidays in France

- 1948: The paid holidays are included in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

- 1950: Opening of the first Club Med village (original all-inclusive resort).

During the sixties and thanks to the development of the air transport, the North-Americans start flying to islands in the Caribbean and Hawaii. The tropical sun becomes a product sold by the tour-operators and the hotel chains. It is the beginning of the winter sun.

The first definitions

The definition of tourist from the dictionary Larousse 1896: ‘person who travels out of curiosity or idleness‘.

This idea of ‘Pleasure of travelling’ is modern and linked to the industrial revolution, which instituted work as a universal value, while before idleness was the norm. Thus, the right to leisure is born: etymologically ‘leisure’ means ‘to be permitted, not to be pressed’.

This 130 year old definition apparently still holds. It contains all the elements of today’s tourism (negative image, tourism of masses, disdainful). The masses work and therefore they have the right to enjoy their leisure time.

Pic by FxBodin

Jules Sandeau, poet-playwright of the XIX century, advocates clearly for the pleasures of the places empty of tourists: ‘This small country is poor but picturesque; what I like most is that it is ignored, that no indiscreet tourist has ever betrayed the mistery‘.

We prefer the definition of the Larousse dictionary 1889: ‘Person who travels on foot for his or her own pleasure and education‘. It is interesting to note here the way of transport and the motivations behind the trip. This is what the responsible tourism of the XXI century will be about.

Pierrick Jacob

Related articles: History of Tourism (2/2)

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How to travel in Africa: #5 The Holy Guide Book

On September 19, 2010, in Posts in English, by Baobabguides
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In Baobab Guides we have thought that, as we know everything about travelling, it would be great to share our infinite wisdom and help other travellers. This is why we have created this article series ‘How to travel in Africa’.

The Holy Guide Books. Pic by Sheep"R"Us

The most important object in your trip after your passport is your guidebook. As everyone knows the guide is infallible, so follow its instructions exactly as they are printed and you will be fine. If anyone says anything that contradicts the guide, don’t trust them.

The guide is also perfect to learn about the country’s history and national psyche. If you have read it you probably know everything there is to know and you won’t need to speak to any local.

It is very important never to deviate from the trip’s plan and absolutely never visit any place not described in the guidebook. If a route or accommodation is not printed in our beloved book, it doesn’t exist or even worse, it hasn’t been certified the author as a visit-worthy, ‘good’ place. Beware of those advising you to get lost in the streets of the cities and wander! That’s not a plan, it’s a complete waste of time, and you know what we think about wasting time!

Actually, it is probably best not to take any risks buying any guidebook that is not widely known. If you buy a Lonely Planet or a Rough Guide, you will definitely won’t fail. Even better, this way you’ll meet lots of travellers like you who go to the same places, which is always comforting.

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How to travel in Africa: #4 Ice cubes in your drink and other dilemmas

On September 14, 2010, in Posts in English, by Baobabguides
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In Baobab Guides we have thought that, as we know everything about travelling, it would be great to share our infinite wisdom and help other travellers. This is why we have created this article series ‘How to travel in Africa’.

Mojito without crushed ice, please. Pic by 'JACoulter'

If you drink something containing ice cubes in an exotic country, you’ll die soon. You know it, you’ve read it in the guide, you’ve seen it in the Foreign Office website, your friends told you, the doctor warned you, even the neighbor’s wife, who last year went to Morocco in summer mentioned it. You will also die if you eat any piece of fruit that you haven’t peeled yourself, or if you drink from a bottle of water you didn’t see how was opened.

As you don’t want to die, the best thing to do is to take countermeasures. Whenever you get served ice cubes, ask -demand!- they are immediately removed from your drink. Never mind that almost-boiling Coca Cola, take off those ice cubes, you fool! Always demand it, do not dare to forget it. It’s not proven, but everybody knows that in certain countries they make ice cubes out of polluted water. Be strong. Neither the mojito nor the caipirinha will be the same, but you’ll be safe.

In the case you have been invited to a house and someone is offering you their traditional food and warm hospitality, you’ve got a dilemma. Of course you don’t want to offend them by not eating their salad, the already-peeled fruit and the meat that’s a bit too red inside. At this point, there are two schools of thought. One says you should be firm and not eat absolutely anything remotely dangerous for your delicate health. Say it clearly to the lovely local: You are not eating his suspicious food. There is no point in not offending them if as a result you die. And, anyway, this food looks strange! What you’d like a a good dish of spaghetti with tomato sauce.

The second option is more radical: Eat it all and then at the end of the meal, go discreetly to the toilet and force yourself to throw up. Be careful not to make too much noise or they will get suspicious. With this handy technique, you won’t offend anyone, but will go hungry.

Remember to be alert at all times, make no exceptions, danger hides in every corner. The most important thing is to make it back home alive.

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