Negative Impacts Of Ethno Tourism

Ethno tourism has been defined as travel concerned with the exploration of indigenous communities and their respective cultures (Cao et al 2014, p. 435). Contrary to other forms of tourism such as recreational tourism, wildlife tourism, and sports tourism, ethno tourism benefits the host population. This is because it facilitates economic activities such as the trading of traditional artifacts and it enhances social interactions between the visitors and the local community through cultural communication. However, ethno tourism has led to several negative influences on the indigenous communities, for instance, eroding of indigenous culture, pollution, criminal activities, competition, and psychological impact. While ethno tourism promotes the economic activities of the indigenous communities, it damages the indigenous way of life, culture and tranquility of the people in those communities. The objective of this essay is to discuss the negative impacts of …show more content…
Unplanned tourism destroys the livelihood and tranquility of the host destination. The reason I call it unplanned is because there is minimal government intervention, meaning that tourists can come and go as they want without any monitoring of the situation. Planned tourism, especially by stakeholders including the government would minimize the level of destruction caused by ethno tourism. For instance, respective governments can formulate a policy that limits the use of technologies in the host communities. Narayan and Kumar (2008), note that in some cultural societies, untimely exposure to western technologies and practices has created social complications (p. 41). This is because the practices of the tourists may alter people’s livelihood. This is irrespective of whether the tourists are improving or degrading such