a perspective on tourism and new media from central america höckert

A Perspective on Tourism and

New Media from Central America - Case study of Nicaragua -

27.6.2014

Emily Höckert

University of Lapland, Finland

emily.hockert@ulapland.fi

“Tourism should be encouraged more for the fact that

it may contribute to the well-being of local people in destination areas

and less for the reason that it is good for the tourist industry.”

Geoffrey Wall & Alister Mathieson (2006, 288)

“… in that order”

- Harold Goodwin 2012 -

“Tourism highlights – and is to some extent based upon –

the vast inequalities between wealthy and impoverished.”

Development Studies + Tourism research

”Well-being of those being visited?”

”How tourism might promote development & reduce poverty?”

”Balance between triple-bottom line of sustainability?”

”Power relations between hosts & guests?”

HOSPITALITY

Etc…

- different actors in tourism development – [To take a look at tourism from different standpoints]

e.g. How, and by whom, tourism destinations are being represented in new media?

TOURISM DEVELOPERS

(PRIVATE & PUBLIC SECTOR)

LOCALS / HOSTS

TOURISM INTERMEDIARIES - UNWTO - (I)NGOs -Donors - Academics

Outline of the following

1. Search for sustainable tourism development in Nicaragua

2. Imaginary trip to the Northern highlands of Nicaragua

3. Images of San Ramón in the new media

4. Envisioning responsible use of the new media in rural tourism

POLITOUR: policies and practices of tourism industry.

A comparative and interdisciplinary study on Central America

www.intur.gob.ni

“

- instead of creating good jobs tourism gives locals only

temporary, low paid employment,;

- instead of creating new activities tourism also threatens the

traditional sources of income;

- instead of creating better infrastructure for the local

community the infrastructure is modernized according to the

priorities that the tourism enterprises have:

- instead of adding value to local assets tourism tends mainly to

rise the living costs;

- instead of helping governments to pay their foreign debt,

tourism dollars end up to the pockets of foreign investors;

- instead of protecting environment, tourism contaminates and

exploits natural resources and uses the local resources in

unsustainable way;

- instead of promoting intercultural understanding, tourism

repeats the prior representations and ideas of the local culture

and society;

- instead of being the key to development, tourism creates a

dependency of the international markets;

- instead of reducing poverty, tourism tends to create more

problems than solutions amongst the most vulnerable

groups… ”

Marina Puesta del Sol (Mowfoth, Charlton & Munt 2008) Tola (Bonilla & Mordt 2011)

www.helsinki.fi/yliopisto www.helsinki.fi/yliopisto

e.g. rural community-based tourism...

Search for

alternative / sustainable / responsible

forms of tourism

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COMMUNITY-BASED TOURISM (CBT)

“An approach where the well-being of the local

communities is viewed as the starting point

and tourism perceived as one of the possible

instruments by which to promote it”

Arguments for CBT

- Small in scale

- Community control

- Fair distribution of benefits

- Solidarity

- Participation & empowerment

- Complementary source of income

Arguments against CBT

- Dependency – no local control

- Low-life expectancy

- Minimal possibility for economic growth

Mitchell, J. & Muckosy, P. (2008) A Misguided Quest: Community-based Tourism In Latin America. Odi.

Zapata Maria José, Hall C. Michael, Lindo Patricia & Vanderschaeghe Mieke (2011) Can Community-based

Tourism Contribute To Development And Poverty Alleviation? Lessons From Nicaragua. In Current Issues In

Tourism.

- 1 000 000 International Visitors / year - Distribution of wealth created by tourism? - ’Participación ciudadana´

How rural tourism development could be

promoted through the new media?

www.helsinki.fi/yliopisto

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2) Imaginary trip to the

Northern highlands of Nicaragua

www.helsinki.fi/yliopisto www.helsinki.fi/yliopisto

http://www.tourism.ucasanramon.com/

“Get to know the faces, voices and

culture of the people behind your cup

of fair trade coffee in San Ramón,

Matagalpa, Nicaragua”

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BUS TRIP TO SAN RAMÓN

Coffee crisis

Pioneers in CBT

VISIT IN THE OFFICE OF UCA

SAN RAMÓN

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GUIDED WALK to LA PITA

ARRIVAL TO OUR

DESTINATION

COFFEE TOUR

www.helsinki.fi/yliopisto 2014-07-07 26

www.helsinki.fi/yliopisto 2014-07-07 27

www.helsinki.fi/yliopisto 2014-07-07 28

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LUNCH at Doña Hilda’s place

www.helsinki.fi/yliopisto

Less tourists?

DEPENDENCY / Loans?

Volunteers / paying visitors?

How to attract more visitors?

Difficulties to contact potential visitors…

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3. Images of San Ramón

in new media

- Images of rural hospitality -

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www.tourism.ucasanramon.com

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4. ENVISIONING RESPONSIBLE USE

OF THE NEW MEDIA

IN RURAL TOURISM

Who might represent rural tourism communities in the new

media?

What ethical issues might be involved when representing rural

tourism communities in new media?

How new media could help rural communities to promote rural

tourism development in a responsible way?

Examples of further reading

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• Cole, Stroma & Morgan, Nigel eds. 2010, Tourism and Inequality - Problems and Prospects. CABI Publishing.

• Höckert, Emily (2011) Community-based tourism in Nicaragua: a socio-cultural approach. Matkailututkimus 7:2,

2011.

• Mowforth, Martin, Charlton, Clive & Munt Ian 2008, Tourism and Responsibility. Perspectives form Latin America

and the Caribbean. Routledge, London.

• Scheyvens, Regina 2011, Tourism and Poverty. Routledge, New York.

• Sharpley, Richard & Telfer J. David eds. (2004) Tourism and Development – Concepts and Issues. Channel View

Publications, Clevedon, UK.

• Telfer, David J. & Sharpley, Richard 2008, Tourism and Development in the Developing World. Routledge, Oxon.

• World Tourism and Travel Council (WTTC) 2010, Worlds Travel and Tourism Council: Progress and Priorities

2009-2010, WTTC, London.

• WTO (2002) Tourism and Poverty Alleviation. World Tourism Organization, Madrid, Spain.

• Zapata Maria José, Hall C. Michael, Lindo Patricia & Vanderschaeghe Mieke (2011 / forthcoming) Can

Community-based tourism contribute to development and poverty alleviation? Lessons from Nicaragua. In Current

issues in Tourism.