Many countries around the world are looking to tourism as a sustainable solution
for economic development and many individuals seek business opportunities in the
tourism industry. Researchers in the field of anthropology and other disciplines alike
have recorded findings of the environmental, economic and cultural impacts of
tourism development that are useful both to tourism promoters and new business
developers. While there are a number of negative examples of environmental
degradation, economic dependency and cultural exploitation resulting from tourism,
there are so few positive models that scholars are now questioning whether tourism
is a truly sustainable strategy for prosperity.
In particular, ecotourism and nature-based tourism have burgeoned from a
perceived prospect of increased environmental, economic and cultural sensitivity, but
a watershed of criticism has followed in the wake of their emergence. Critics claim
that what is touted as eco-sensitive is just another marketing strategy to attract more
people to areas of the world vulnerable to hosting a growing number of guests.
Overuse of the term ecotourism has parties involved at all levels of tourism
development from host communities, to tourism planners, to scholars questioning
what is sustainable ecotourism. Due to this ambiguity, a new term, conscientious
tourism, is suggested as a euphemism in order to clarify what type of tourism most
contributes to sustainability.
Cape Scene magazine has evolved as a conscientious tourism product informing
guests visiting South Africa how best to interact with the wildlife, environment and
local people. The magazine has coupled interesting feature stories and helpful
information on navigating around the Western Cape and Cape Town and includes a
useful fold out map. The magazine reaches a broad audience of mass tourists, small
group tourists and individuals and groups interested in nature, wildlife and cultural
experiences. The magazine also informs readers of local conservation and
community development projects ongoing in South Africa. This emphasis has
created a conscientious tourism product that informs tourists of the country they are
visiting while promoting conservation and social development causes that can be
benefited by overseas awareness. As mass tourism will never completely give way
to smaller conservation minded guided tour groups, the magazine helps to propel
conscientious tourism by reaching out to even the most undiscerning holiday
maker.
The magazine was created by drawing on graduate internship experiences from
coastal Oregon, the Micronesian island of Kosrae and Costa Rica. These internships
give insights on how conservation, economic and cultural concerns have been and
can be better addressed by local people and local businesses in an effort to work
towards conscientious tourism and sustainable development. This thesis explores
several ecotourism related projects encountered on the way to developing a
conscientious tourism product, Cape Scene magazine. The existing body of tourism
literature is considered in relation to the projects encountered and current work with
Cape Scene magazine. / Graduation date: 2004
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ORGSU/oai:ir.library.oregonstate.edu:1957/28648 |
| Date | 24 June 2003 |
| Creators | Sykes, Kimberly M. |
| Contributors | Smith, Courtland L. |
| Source Sets | Oregon State University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
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