As Asian Tourist Groups Restrict Travelling, Indigenous Culture Travel Benefits
Indigenous culture travel has always been a favourite amongst most Asian tourist groups. Even though indigenous tourism creates employment opportunities for the locals, the huge number of tourist arrivals does affect their way of living.
Mass tourism has always been a challenging issue for most indigenous people. The increasing tourist arrivals is often accompanied by an impending threat to the environment. Travel bans introduced all over the world to control the spread of coronavirus have indirectly benefitted local communities.
As per a report by Bangkok Post, ‘sea gypsies’ living in Thailand are somewhat relieved by the pandemic. The locals have an abundance of sea food since Asian tourist groups have not been able to visit there. Many are glad because the real estate projects running on their ancestral land have now come to a standstill as the country has been shut for foreign visitors since the past eight months.
Since indigenous culture travel is quite limited at the moment, fishing has become an engaging yet entertaining task for the locals who earlier had to dig deep to get handful of fishes. Moreover, Thailand’s authorities are comparatively less strict now and allowing people to explore the protected marine reserves, which are usually reserved for tourists.
Besides benefitting the indigenous people, the ongoing travel bans have facilitated the replenishment of environmental resources, which were undergoing degradation due to the spread of mass tourism.
It is crucial that Asian tourist groups, who opt for indigenous culture travel post pandemic, understand how their visit impacts a particular place and the local inhabitants. As per the United Nations’ World Tourism Organisation, ‘indigenous tourism can spur cultural interaction and revival, bolster employment and nurture a sense of pride among the local people’.
If you wish to opt for indigenous culture travel, try to make conscious efforts to book indigenous-owned-and-operated tours as recommended by the World Indigenous Tourism Alliance. Over the last few years, indigenous culture travel experiences have gained popularity in the US, Canada and Australia. There are several indigenous-operated tour agencies that teach tourists about the historical and spiritual aspects of the land they are visiting.
Henceforth, authorities and policy makers shall consider the concerns of the local people as they can aid the government’s sustainable development plans.
It is important that post the pandemic, travellers do not forget to behave responsibly and help to nurture the beauty of indigenous culture travel rather than destroying it.
