tourism and poverty

“Cuando el turismo crece, la pobreza retrocede.”

[When tourism grows, poverty recedes.]

That was the slogan I saw on a banner on my way home from the office today. It sounds good, right? But I wondered to myself as the bus rumbled down the hill toward Las Brisas (my neighborhood), is it true?

Certainly tourism creates certain kinds of jobs—and gives a great boost to restaurants, hotels, eco-adventure, tour guides, certain kinds of artisans and transportation (microbuses) industry folks. And the value added in terms of tax revenue certainly would seem to indicate that the government would be able to do more for its people as a result.

Yet in my (albeit limited) experience here, I find the benefits of tourism truly mixed. When not done carefully, the essential character of a place can be completely changed by tourism. I wrote tangentially about that after my very first visit to Granada, the hub of Nica tourism. North Americans and Europeans everywhere in the central hip area, with the bulk of the real population almost out of sight. Sure, the economy might be benefiting some limited sub-set of folks within the local economy (trickle down anyone?), but what about the effects on indigenous culture? What I see are some very real trade-offs in this area as businesses spring up catering to visitors and not necessarily reflecting the character of the country itself. Of course that’s part of successful hotels—give the customer what they want, right?

Then of course there are the environmental issues. For example, Nicaragua has a beautiful fresh water crater lake called Laguna de Apoyo, which is a huge attraction here. On one side, a whole bunch of little lodges and some fancy resort-like places have been built to take advantage of the location. Some are very environmentally conscious, and others steal water from the lake (even though all the business have supposedly agreed not to) to “subsidize” their water bill. At least no motor boats are allowed.

But I am growing more and more convinced that the kind of tourism that really benefits a country like Nicaragua in the long run is the kind that is home-grown, run by the locals (not big outside investment—though I recognize that it’s not always bad to have businesses investing in much-needed infrastructure that makes beautiful places in the country easier to get to), enables the development of marketable skills and talents, and is truly environmentally sustainable.

One such place that I have been to twice is a small eco-lodge in the mountains of Esteli (Tissey). It is a family-run establishment, the little cabins are humble but comfortable, the food is grown locally, and a short distance away are gorgeous hiking trails and artisans to visit. Best of all, the place fits its environment. It would be a travesty to see a big hotel built into the gorgeous hills surrounding this place. Even worse, for outside companies to buy up all the land that Nicas have enjoyed for free (like prime beach real estate, which is currently happening) is to me a completely unjust situation.

Sure, a complex economy needs many different scales of tourism to appeal to the variety of people who come to visit, but I feel that the tangible financial impact is not the only thing that should be measured. Impact on the land, the water, and the people themselves must be always part of the equation.

Otherwise, who is the tourism really benefiting?