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Tourism and Indigenous People

Decent Essays

BA (Hons) Tourism Marketing Year 3 1.0 AN INTRODUCTION According to the United Nations definition of indigenous people, they are “descendants of those who inhabited a country or a geographical region at the time when people of different cultures or ethnic origins arrived” (United Nations, 2011a). It is estimated that there are about 370 million indigenous people around the globe in over 70 different countries. They keep their own political, social, economic and cultural qualities and also their unique traditions which separate them from other major societies in which they live (United Nations, 2011a). Nowadays, when tourists interact with indigenous cultures it is seen to be restricted to a master/servant encounter and sometimes is …show more content…

He went on to say that tourism is one of the most “labour intensive industries” left to the modern world and that it has a very agreeable multiplier effect when planned successfully (Manley, 1974). According to the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody: National Report (1991) the potential for tourism development is strong in certain parts of Australia. In rural areas it is one of a few growth sections for the economy. However, tourism also brings its quandaries regarding indigenous people, in this case, of aboriginal descent. There are two sides to the coin as at one side we have one of the very few ways that aboriginal people have in taking positive action in creating income for themselves through tourism, but tourism can also bring unwanted invasion of people‟s community spirit and lifestyle and bringing with that little benefit to the people (Commonwealth of Australia, 1991). 2 6/12/2011 BA (Hons) Tourism Marketing Year 3 Altman & Finlayson (2003) examined how employment as a form of economic income in the tourism industry (and tourism-related industries) needs people with good communicational attributes and people who can read and write, as well as embracing different cultures. This idea can be discouraging for some people of indigenous ethnic groups. They went on to say how these issues aforementioned result in a boundary being set around

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