Theodossopoulos, Dimitrios | 2022-02-27

eng: The negotiation of expectations in tourism is a complex and dynamic process – one that is central to the imagination of cultural difference. Expectations not only affect the lives and experiences of tourists, but also their hosts, and play an important part in the success or failure of the overall tourism experience. It is for this reason, the authors argue, that special attention should be given to how expectations constitute and sustain tourism. The case studies presented here explore what fuels the desires to visit particular places, to what degree expectations inform the experience of the place, and the frequent disjunctions between tourist expectations and experiences. Careful attention is paid to how the imagination of the visitor inspires the imagination of the host, and vice-versa; how tourists and host communities actively imagine, re-imagine, and shape each other’s lives. This realization, has profound consequences, not solely for academic analysis, but for all those who participate in and work within the tourism industry.

Theodossopoulos, Dimitrios | 2022-02-25

eng: In this article I will compare indigenous cultural performances for outsiders in an allegedly 'inauthentic' Embera community in Panama, which welcomes tourists on a daily basis, with similar staged events in some other less accessible communities, which receive visitors much less frequently. I will challenge the idea introduced by several travellers who seek authentic experiences that the first community is 'unreal' and its repetitive representations of Embera culture are mechanical, sterile and unoriginal. I will argue that these repetitive cultural performances constitute real lived experiences, and do not deserve to be demeaned as inauthentic. I will further maintain that in the 'tourist' community, as well as in the less accessible settlements, the Embera respond to the same set of expectations. They imagine what Western visitors would appreciate from their culture and enact very similar representations of these generalised expectations.

Snow, Steven G. | 2022-02-22

eng: Objective. In this era of neoliberal economic policies, tourism offers developing nations a rare opportunity for a source of economic growth that can substantially benefit the poorest of the poor: indigenous peoples. Very little is known, however, about the circumstances that allow visitors' dollars to assist indigenous communities most effectively and those that can make tourists a destructive presence. Methods. The paper analyzes, in comparative perspective, tourism to two indigenous nations in Panama, the Kuna and the Emberá/Wounaan. The central data upon which the paper is based consist of forty-two interviews with Indians, conducted at twelve different tourist locations in Panama; sixteen interviews with all ten firms offering tours to indigenous communities in 1996-97; and interviews and informal discussions with government officials, biologists, members of nongovernmental environmental organizations, and academic specialists in indigenous affairs. The majority of the interviews were conducted from June to December 1996. Other data include published and nonpublished materials from the Kuna and Emberá/Wounaan Congresses. Translations from the Spanish are the authors'. Results. The paper finds that where indigenous culture is relatively strong (i. e., less influenced by non-Indian society), tourism tends to cause its decay; where it is relatively weak, tourism can give incentives for its regeneration. Conclusions. While there are some unavoidable negative effects associated with tourism, indigenous communities can ameliorate some problems by formulating a clear plan and educating the members of their communities as to its contents.

Carrier, James G. | 2022-02-25

eng: This groundbreaking book examines the relationship between power, culture and tourism in Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, Africa, Australia and South East Asia. It illustrates how culture shapes tourism development, is commodified, and becomes a tool in political and economic strategies and struggles.