The Impact Of Tourism In Peru Tourism Essay

International tourism in Peru has increased greatly due to globalization, which has an enormous impact on the development of Peru and its people. As Peru adds more infrastructure and industrializes towns to accommodate the inflow of tourists, the environment as well as the economy are affected. In the spring of 2010 I had the opportunity to visit Agua Dolce, a remote village just outside of Urubamba in the Andes mountains. Through building a school and clean burning stoves with community members, I saw first hand the effects that tourism has on traditional culture and the environment. This experience has launched my interest in the topic of Peru’s development and how tourism is associated with Peru’s modernization. The dependent economy, the modernization of infrastructure, the deteriorating environment, and the affected local development are all factors that are changing due to the increasing tourism industry (O’Hare and Barrett, 1999: 6, 130). Tourism should be beneficial to a country and its people, yet in Peru this newly booming industry has a negative impact. I argue that Peru is neglecting the conservation of its environment and its culture for the building of infrastructure and unequal economic benefits in order to strengthen the tourism industry as it continues to modernize.

Theoretical backing: modernization

Rostow’s Stages of Economic Growth and his views on modernization demonstrate Peru’s current issues. Peru is in the stage of ‘The Drive to Maturity’ and moving towards ‘High Mass Consumption’ as more infrastructure is built and the service industry is becoming more important. More and more tourists are traveling to immerse themselves in a country’s culture and to experience the traditions and the natural environment through ecotourism (Bury, 2008: 326), yet modernization is bringing Peru more towards the ways of the ‘Global North’ through modernization. Modernization is not the answer for Peru and will eventually lead to the destruction of environment and culture due to rapid industrialization, as well as the downfall of the economy as the tourist flow decreases once the elements that are attracting tourists like the landscape and the traditions are destroyed. Peru should not follow the path of the ‘Global North’ towards the building of infrastructures, and instead preserve its environment and culture while creating a sustainable tourism industry and economic benefits for the local people.

Economic impact

Tourism has an immense impact on the economy of a region which can, in turn, impact the economical situation of an entire country. The tourism industry has grown rapidly in Peru and is now one of the leading industries in Peru’s economy (Anderson, 2008: 1). Because tourism is dependent upon the inflow of tourists from abroad, it is also dependent upon the economies of these foreign countries (Anderson, 2008: 2). Peru aims to conserve its cultural heritage and grow economically through the implementation of a strong tourism industry (Zoomers, 2008: 971). However, because Peru’s economy is now playing a huge part in the further development of tourism infrastructure (Anderson, 2008: 1), it appears that the tourism industry in Peru has reached Rostow’s stage of the ‘Drive to Maturity’. The next stage in Rostow’s ‘Stages of Economic Growth’ is ‘High Mass Consumption’ which concentrates on the service industries, of which tourism is a part. In this last stage, the primary sector, which is mainly agricultural, is diminishing, therefore for those Peruvians who live in remote areas and depend on farming for survival, their economic situation will become more complicated (Zoomers, 2008:975). The modernization of infrastructure is inevitable thus impacting the economy through the employment sector, as well as the environment. The tourism industry in Peru appears to have a positive impact on its economy, however this wealth and prosperity is not equally divided among the different regions (O’Hare and Barrett, 1999: 15) which creates a further gap between economic classes and the way of life. The locals realize that tourism is a fluctuating business and they would rather conserve the natural environment than have the environment destroyed due to the industries and infrastructures related to tourism (Anderson, 2008: 3). The increasing tourism has created higher tax bases, yet this money is not seen being put back equally into the regions that experience tourism (Anderson, 2008: 3). Since many tourism companies are not based in Peru, much of the profits from tourism are flowing out of Peru, yet all of the negative impacts such as taxes and economic downfall are left as a burden for the Peruvian people (Anderson, 2008: 3). This means that these regions don’t grow and benefit from the tourism industry as costs are not spent on education for the local people nor for the construction of sustainable and stable living situations (Anderson, 2008: 3). Peru needs to strive towards implementing local businesses and allowing local profit from tourism in order for economic equality throughout the country.

Infrastructure

Modern infrastructure is essential when trying to attract tourists from abroad, and Peru’s roadways, hotels, restaurants, and other tourist infrastructure are moving towards modernity. Many modernized hotels and restaurants have been built in the cities such as Lima, which are already more economically stable than the more remote regions of Peru (O’Hare and Barrett, 1999: 17), therefore many tourists stay in the areas that are more economically developed, have modern infrastructure and/or are in desirable areas for scenery (O’Hare and Barrett, 1999: 7). Furthermore, the government of Peru invests in areas that already have concentrated modern infrastructures (O’Hare and Barrett, 1999: 11). This widens the gap of regional economic inequality and is something the government of Peru should look at, because more and more tourists are now interested in seeing lush scenery and experiencing the cultural and traditional side of tourism, which leads them away from the big cities and in to the remote mountains. Because of their low budget due to economical issues, the government has to choose which areas they want to invest their resources and develop with infrastructure, and the government tends to spend its resources on areas that have a high guarantee on profit (O’Hare and Barrett, 1999: 12). This further expands the inequalities between regions in Peru and doesn’t offer a chance for other regions outside main cities to develop positively from the tourism industry of which they are part. One of the biggest infrastructure requirements to facilitate the travel and comfort of tourists is transportation (Falconi, 2002: 1). Many popular cultural and historic sites are located in remote villages, therefore it is often a long voyage to arrive at these sites. Peru has been adding roadways to create more means of accessing landmarks to increase the tourist potential. For example before the highway between Cusco and Puno was built, the only way to travel between the two was by train. Now there is a highway which allows for freedom with travel times. New roads create employment opportunities to set up tour bus companies, however the environmental impact is one downfall. Because of Peru’s mountainous terrain, during the rainy season, mountainsides are eroded due to the roadways built on them and massive rocks and mudslides block roads which is obviously dangerous to anyone using the road (O’Hare and Barrett, 1999: 10). While many of Peru’s regions do have access to an airport, the airports are not of superior quality (O’Hare and Barrett, 1999: 10), and the airports that are not in main cities, such as Lima, do not acquire many economic benefits (Falconi, 2002: 3). Peru’s economy is growing, yet the costs of constructing safe, sustainable infrastructure is not in Peru’s best interests, as Peru is trying to take advantage of the currently booming tourism industry and build modern infrastructure quickly. The government has financial limitations therefore making it quite difficult to fund infrastructure projects (Falconi, 2002: 3). Because more and more people are looking for a vacation with rugged scenery and an experience with tradition, Peru should listen to the interests of those who are financing the booming tourism economy and implement sustainable and environmentally friendly infrastructure as to not ruin the remote and cultural Peruvian experience.

Environmental impact

The environmental impact of Peru’s rapidly growing tourism sector is astounding. Ecotourism, which focuses on conservation and low negative sustainability impacts, is one of the main branches of tourism that makes up Peru’s tourism economy, however while more and more people are going to Peru to view the gorgeous and rugged landscapes, it is the environment that is taking many of the negative changes associated with the increasing numbers of tourists (Grotzbach, 2003: 55). Many ancient ruins have experienced damage due to erosion and pollution because of the amount of people visiting the site each year (Unknown, 2001: 30). For example, Peru’s most famous ruin, Machu Picchu, has had closures and visitor number limitations in an attempt to conserve the natural beauty surrounding the site demonstrating that there are direct impacts from tourists visiting ancient sites (Anderson, 2008: 2). The modernization of infrastructure also is tied to the environmental devastation, as lush towns turn into bustling tourist towns with new luxury accommodations for tourists, roadways are built destroying natural landscapes, and pollution transportation damages waterways and affects the native living organisms (Bury, 2008: 330). The Cordillera Huayhuash region in the center of Peru is an important area for conservation as the local people have decided to protect it as the numbers of tourists increase year by year (Bury, 2008: 325). While this region used to be extremely remote, due to the implementation of highways leading to the regions and trails within it, more and more tourists are drawn to its astounding beauty and natural resources (Bury, 2008: 324). The communities in the Cordillera Huayhuash region have started charging a fee for tourists entering their region, and the profits are put towards conservation and sustainability efforts (Bury, 2008: 327). This is an example of where tourism is directly benefiting a region positively, because the development of modern and sustainable infrastructure would not be possible without the financial profits made form the tourist fee (Bury, 2008: 327), however the environment is still threatened. As more and more people visit this region, its natural resources diminish rapidly which negatively affects the environment (Bury, 2008: 330). The Cordillera Huayhuash region is a great example of how environmental conservation of a region is possible as the region is now a protected park and conservational area (Bury, 2008: 322), yet there is still environmental damage due to expanding transportation infrastructure, water damage due to pollution and increasing tourist visits. There are plans in Peru to ameliorate the economic, social and cultural benefits while conserving the environment and developing tourism (Grotzbach, 2003: 68) but is this actually possible? This ideal plan, when put into action, is clearly much more concerned with the economic aspect and the growth of the tourism industry than it is with the preservation of the environment (Grotzbach, 2003: 69). This is the ideal route for Peru to take with the tourism industry, yet environmental degradation is inevitable when new infrastructures are constructed, bringing pollution, and when more tourists flood into a region creating erosion.

Cultural impact

The Peruvian government claims that tourism will positively influence the preservation of culture, maintain the presence of the rights of the native people, as well as the elimination of poverty (Zoomers, 2008: 971). The cultural impact of tourism has a limit, and when exceeded, the result is damaging to the region (Silverman, 2002: 888). The cultural impacts are strongly linked with the issues concerning infrastructure and environment because the cultural impacts depend on the location and remoteness of a region. Infrastructure and economy play an influential role in the development in specific regions because the flow of tourists into a certain city or town depends on the transportation and accommodation infrastructure near that city, therefore drawing directly from the economic situation of that region or city (Zoomers, 2008: 978). Tourism does create job opportunities especially for locals (Tapia, 2007), however there are limited positions, non of which require a higher education. This creates no motivation for the local people to seek higher education which results in the lack of educational development. Many children coming from low-income families need to work in order to help their family survive, and as a result their schooling is pushed aside (Anderson, 2008: 3). As well as creating employment opportunities, tourism also creates unemployment problems. Because there is a peak ‘tourist season’, many of the employment positions presented through the tourism industry are only available for half of each year, which forces those who work in an industry dependent on tourism to find a second job for the other half of the year or to suffer severe financial strain (Anderson, 2008: 2). On the surface, it appears that locals would benefit economically from the increasing inflow of tourists, yet most of the money invested by tourists in a region do not stay in that region (Anderson, 2008: 3). The perspective of the locals about tourists and tourism differs greatly from the view of tourists about tourism because of the obvious differences in culture (Zoomers, 2008: 979), therefore it is important that the development and modernization of a region should not happen with consulting the local people (Silverman, 2002: 888). In many Peruvian cities, the culture as well as the importance of treating tourists well is taught to the children in schools (Silverman, 2002: 890). There are also many festivals that promote the cultural values of Peru through traditional dances and costumes therefore it can be said that “a modern Inca culture is danced and practiced into existence” (Silverman, 2002: 890). A balance between preserving the traditions of the local natives and the modernization of a region for the tourism industry needs to be reached. In order to develop, Peru needs to consider the cultural and environmental impacts in addition to the economic impact which is already under constant consideration.

Conclusion

The increase of international tourism to Peru because of globalization has greatly impacted the development of Peru and the Peruvian people. As Peru industrializes by adding more infrastructure such as hotels or transportation methods, the economy and especially the environment are affected. Because the tourism industry is one of the most significant and increasing industries in Peru’s economy, local development, modernization of infrastructure, and environmental devastation are all being affected (O’Hare and Barrett, 1999: 6, 130). Peru attracts many tourists because of its natural beauty and traditions, yet it is evident that these aspects are being ignored and destroyed by the government in order to develop through modernization. The newly expanding tourism industry in Peru should be benefitting the country and its people, yet there are many devastating effects as Peru develops this industry through modernization.