Are tourists positive for the host community?

Tourism is one of the most important sources of income for Jordan. One way this has become clear to me, is that Jordanian men are not allowed to talk to women, but Western women are an exception, as this is a source of income that they are dependent of. In short, they need the tourists and in that way, the arrival of tourists is positive for Jordan. However, there are some negative effects too.

Valene Smith (2012) has explored the influence of Wealthy Western tourists upon local cultural context. One possible consequence might the demonstration effect. This implies that the locals take over the life-styles/habits of tourists. According to Al Haija, a change was prevalent in clothing style, language and communication of some Bedouin men in communities near Petra, following their work with Western tourists. 

The wealthy tourists in interaction with locals, dependent of the tourists’ wealth, creates an unequal power relation (Williams, 1998) This might cause tension, for example because a large amount of money has been spend to renovate the historical/touristic sites, whereas the infrastructure to some villages is still poor (Haija, 2011). Moreover, there might be tension because of religion, since Jordan is a Muslim country. Fortunately, most tourists in Jordan were respectfully dressed. An unbalanced power relation may also lead to commodification (see ‘’Is Jordan ‘spoilt’?’’).

A possible solution to negative adaptations of host communities is the development of sustainable tourism by the WTO. Sustainable tourism tries to establish a balance between environmental, economic and socio-cultural aspects of tourism development. In that way, the authenticity of the host communities can be preserved.

Of course there are both negative as positive aspects of tourism towards the host community. However, the arrival of tourists has brought many profits and jobs, whereas the tension as a consequence of the unbalanced power relation is not that prevalent in my opinion. Therefore I believe the positive effects outweigh the negative effects, especially with the rise of sustainable tourism. 

Conclusion: go and visit Jordan!

References: 

Smith, V. L. (Ed.). (2012). Hosts and guests: The anthropology of tourism. University of Pennsylvania Press.

 Al Haija, A. A. (2011). Jordan: Tourism and conflict with local communities.Habitat International, 35(1), 93-100.

Williams, S. (1998). Tourism geography. Psychology Press.

Tourism in conflict areas; complex entanglements in Jordan. Journal of travel research.