Manual on Module V Trends and

Issues in the Tourism and

Hospitality Industry

By
Thomas Bauer, Ph.D.
School of Hotel and Tourism Management
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

CURRENT ISSUES IN TOURISM

The field of tourism and hospitality is a fast changing one. Because
tourism is not a single discipline but is connected to many other
aspects of life it is constantly changing. Think for a moment what
has to happen for a person we shall call Ms. Wong in Hong Kong
to become a tourist in say New York and you will appreciate how
many factors are involved. First Ms Wong has to have an interest
in leaving Hong Kong to become a tourist. This will require her to
have a motive for traveling.

Why should she leave Hong Kong to go travel to another part of

the world? What is there that she cant find at home? If it is
shopping that is her main interest why should she bother to travel
to New York when there are thousands of shops in Hong Kong?
To be able to afford to travel she has to save enough money to be
able to pay for an air ticket and accommodation at the destination
and she has to have enough days of paid holidays accumulated to
be allowed to leave her place of work. She will need to arrange
for air transport and for accommodation in New York, will
require a permit to visit the United States (called an entry visa),
and she will have to take the seasonality of her visit into
consideration (will it be winter or summer when she arrives in
New York?)

Tourism has a connection to many other disciplines including

politics, religion, agriculture, economics, environment, health,
finance, transport, society, immigration, and education just to name
a few. All of these fields of human endevour are constantly
changing and changes in one field will impact on other fields and
hence also on tourism.

As a practical example you can think of the changes that were

brought to Hong Kong tourism during the outbreak of the Severe
Acquired Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in 2003. Because of the
fear that they may catch the disease when visiting Hong Kong,
tourists stayed away. Our hotels, some of the best in the world,
were empty; arriving flights carried only very few passenger;
farmers in Guangdong Province were not able to sell their
vegetables to Hong Kong hotels and employees of tourism
related businesses either worked fewer hours or lost their jobs.
This is a reminder that demand for tourism products can change
very quickly, sometimes over night, and it is an industry that is
very sensitive to changes and trends in its operating
environment.

These fast moving changes require that tourist companies must be

constantly on the alert to detect changes, trends and issues early
so that they can make the necessary adjustments to their
businesses. This includes being prepared for unforeseen
circumstances and changes in their operating environment. One
way of doing this is by constantly scanning the media for trends
that may impact on the firm and by setting aside money to meet
unforeseen developments that are out of the control of the
company.

In the following pages we will look at some of the trends and

issues that are current as of the time of the writing of this
manual. Some of the issues we will explore such as the
sustainability of tourism and climate change will be with the
industry for a long time, while other trends, especially if they
are driven by fashion will change, sometimes very quickly.
Lets explore.

ACTIVITY 1
Get a copy of the South China Morning Post and scan it for
articles that relate to tourism. You will need to read the
articles and draw conclusions because very few of them
will actually have the word tourism in the text. Compare
your findings with those of your classmates who have
looked through different parts of the newspaper.

Sustainable tourism development

A conceptual approach to sustainable tourism:
As noted above, the concept of sustainable development is
based on respect for the social and natural environment in
which tourism takes place. On the environmental side
there are several very important issues that we need to be
aware of. Some of these are discussed in the following
section.

The Big Environmental Issues

It is now beyond doubt that our climate is changing and that
humans are, at least in parts, to blame for those changes. Some
experts (see the Stern report prepared by Sir Nicholas Stern of the
UK) estimate that unless we act now, climate change will reduce
annual Gross Domestic Product of the economies of many
countries by 20 per cent. The movie production An Inconvenient
Truth by former US Vice President Al Gore is a reminder that
time to take action is running out and that all of us must act now
to avoid further degradation of our world.

ACTIVITY 2
Watch An Inconvenient Truth under the guidance of
your teacher and discuss the issues raised in the film.
Pay particular attention to the tips provided on the inside
of the front cover of the movie that gives you ideas of
what YOU can do to help in the fight against our
changing climate.

Sustainability and sustainable development

What does it mean to make an activity sustainable? It basically means
that an activity that is carried out today for the benefit of all involved
can continue to be carried out indefinitely into the future without
doing harm to anyone or anything involved or impacted by it.
The opposite of sustainability is un-sustainability which involves
activities that have a very short term horizon and that involve
excessive profit and often greed as the major motivations without any
regard to the long term.

Sustainability is about striking a balance between the rights of

humans to a decent and meaningful life, the right to life for all types
of animals and for nature to be protected for its own sake and for the
sake of all other living things, including humans.
Sustainable development is envisaged as leading to the management
of all resources in such a way that economic, social, and aesthetic
needs can be fulfilled while maintaining cultural integrity, essential
ecological processes, biological diversity, and life support systems
(World Travel and Tourism Council, World Tourism Organisation
and Earth Council 1995 p. 30).

These pictures show the two alternatives: Short term greed and
long term intergenerational equity. The latter involves a
grandfathers consideration for what is best for his granddaughter
and her children and leaving the world a better place so that they
can live meaningful and happy lives.

It was the World Commission on Environment and Development

(also known by the name of its chairman as the Bruntland
Commission) that in its report Our Common Future first raised the
issue of sustainability when they said that:
Humanity has the ability to make development sustainable to
ensure that it meets the needs of the present without compromising
the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. (Our
Common Future 1987 p.8)

This coal-fired power station on Lamma Island

supplies Lamma and Hong Kong Island with electricity
on which most of us depend on a daily basis.

Imagine your daily life without electricity and think of all the
things you could not do such as watching TV, playing computer
games, recharging your mobile phone, taking the lift to your highrise apartment and reading a book at night. As you will agree, we
need electricity and hence the question is not whether or not to have
power stations but what the best and cleanest way is to produce
electricity so that we do not unnecessarily harm the environment
while we produce it.

ACTIVITY 3
Find out what fuel sources Hong Kong power companies use
to generate electricity. Investigate alternative energy sources
that could be used to produce cleaner energy and discuss the
merits and potential problems associated with each energy
source.

Sustainable Tourism
It has long been known that there is a close connection between
tourism and the environment but whether this nexus is sustainable
in the long run has only relatively recently been discussed. If we
want to have tourist destinations that can prosper from tourism we
need to shift our thinking away from a simple marketing approach.
As Bauer (2003) said, The major issue for many destinations will
no longer be to attract increasing numbers of tourists but how to
manage them once they have arrived.

Many writers have addressed issues that concern tourism and the environment.
Some of them are:
Cohens (1973) drifters
Young (1973) "Tourism: Blessing or Blight"
Budowski 1976 'Tourism and Environmental Conservation: Conflict, Coexistence or
Symbiosis?"
deKadt (1979) Tourism: Passport to Development?
Mathieson and Wall (1982) Tourism: Economic, Physical and Social Impacts
Hector Ceballos Lascurain (1984) Ecotourism
As noted above, the Bruntland Report is the defining document. The United
Nations (UN) set up the World Commission on Environment and Development
(Bruntland Commission and its report Our Common Future (1987) formed the
basis for Agenda 21 and the subsequent Rio Declaration on Environment and
Development.

The report addressed the state of the global environment and

defined sustainable development as: " Development that meets the
needs of the present without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs. By 1995 the World Travel
and Tourism Council (WTTC), a body of the top executives of
some 100 of the worlds biggest travel companies, joined forces
with the World Tourism Organization (WTO) and the Earth
Council to formulate a tourism industry response to the
challenges posed by the Rio declaration. The result was the
publishing of Agenda 21 for the Travel and Tourism Industry:
Towards Environmentally Sustainable Development.

Definitions of sustainable tourism

In 1995 the World Tourism Organization defined sustainable
tourism as: Sustainable tourism development meets the needs of
present tourists and host regions while protecting and enhancing
opportunity for the future. In its definition the WTO included
environmental, socio-cultural and economic sustainability:
Make optimal use of environmental resources that constitute a key
element in tourism development, maintaining essential ecological
processes and helping to conserve natural heritage and biodiversity.

Respect the socio-cultural authenticity of host communities,

conserve their built and living cultural heritage and traditional
values, and contribute to inter-cultural understanding and tolerance
Ensure viable, long-term economic operations, providing socioeconomic benefits to all stakeholders that are fairly distributed,
including stable employment and income-earning opportunities and
social services to host communities, and contributing to poverty
alleviation.
In 2004 the World Tourism Organization added: Achieving
sustainable tourism is a continuous process and it requires constant
monitoring of impacts, introducing the necessary preventive and/or
corrective measures whenever necessary.

Today a variety of sustainable tourism initiatives have

emerged. These include:
Various environmental accreditation schemes that certify that
companies are as environmentally friendly as they can be. Some
of the schemes benchmark a companys performance (for
example energy and water consumption per guest in a hotel)
against industry norms against the industry standard.
PATA Sustainable Tourism Advisory Committee which
encourages all parts of the tourism industry to conduct there
activities in a sustainable fashion

 Blue Flag that classifies beaches in Europe. Classification

helps these beaches to be marketed to environmentally
sensitive consumers
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) assisted
international tour operators with the establishment of the Tour
Operator Initiative that seeks to put pressure on the suppliers
of tourism products to make their products sustainable.
ISO 14001 which establishes Environmental Management
Systems (EMS) for companies. In Hong Kong we have 4 hotels
that have undergone certification.

When we discuss issues of sustainability and sustainable tourism some important

questions need to be asked. These include:
What does a tourism destination want to maintain (sustain) in the long term?
The culture and the life-style of local people?
The local natural environment?
The local economy including jobs?
At what levels does the government want to sustain tourism at the destination? This leads
to the question of how many tourists, from which part of the world a destination want to
attract. More tourists are not necessarily better and many destinations are now looking to
attract fewer but higher spending tourists.
What is the connection between sustainable tourism and the broader social, cultural and
economic development of the destination? Is it possible that in an effort to achieve
sustainable tourism we may put other sectors such as agriculture under threat by
encouraging people to leave the land and to get involved in tourism?
These are difficult questions to answer and each tourist destination will have to
come up with its own answers.

When we talk about sustainable tourism development we also

need to ask whether there are limits of growth for tourism and
where these limits are. Questions that should be asked include:
What is the optimal/best level of tourism at any given site or
destination?
Have we already exceeded the carrying capacity at certain sites and
should tourism activities be excluded from certain places?
Do we need much stricter rules and regulations for visiting sites?
Do we need to install reservation systems for our most treasured natural
and cultural sites? We use such systems for cinemas, theatres and
sports events but not for visits to beaches, mountain sites or many
cultural attractions.

There are no easy answers to any of the above

questions because they will depend very much on the
local situation and on how tourism is handled on the
ground. Policies set by governments set the
guidelines for tourism development and how tourism
is managed at a destination will make the difference
between success and failure of a destination.

There is no doubt that if tourist destinations want to be

sustainable, that is successful in the long term, they will have to
maintain or improved the environment in which tourism takes
place while at the same time taking the needs of the local
population into full consideration. Tourism that only benefits the
tourists is unsustainable.

ACTIVITY 4
Look at some of the above questions and discuss with your
class mates what some possible answers could be in the
Hong Kong tourism context.

Protection of World Heritage

Following the end of the Second World War, there has been
increasing international concern that precious cultural and natural
heritage sites around the world were vulnerable to threats from wars,
natural disasters, environmental catastrophes and industrial
development.
This worldwide awareness has led to the adoption of the famous
Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and
Natural Heritage by the General Conference of United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) at its
17th session in Paris on 16 November 1972.

World Heritage refers to various kinds of heritage sites that have

undergone evaluation and have been approved by UNESCO to be
inscribed in The World Heritage List, according to the Convention
Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural
Heritage ( for more information on World Heritage click into http://
whc.unesco.org/en/about/). Refer to http://whc.unesco.org
/en/criteria/ for details on the criteria for selection.
At present, World Heritage is classified into five categories:
Cultural Heritage, Natural Heritage, Mixed (Cultural and Natural)
Heritage, Heritage of Cultural Landscape and Oral and Intangible
Cultural Heritage.
See Appendix 1 for additional information on the protection and preservation of cultural
and natural heritage in China and Hong Kong.

Requirements for sustainable tourism

Because tourism is made up of so many different parts, it is
vital that all participants in tourism make great efforts to
ensure that their activities are as sustainable as possible.
Let us look at some of these component parts.

Buildings

Buildings such as the Sydney Opera House (above) were not

originally designed with environmental best practices in mind
and they therefore have to undergo some changes before they
can be fully sustainable. New developments such as new
airports, hotels or shopping centers can be designed to meet
strict environmental guidelines making them more sustainable.

Transport
Travellers an often select from a diverse range of modes of
transport. Depending on where they are traveling to they can walk,
cycle, or use a car, coach, ship, train or aircraft. The various forms
of transport have different impacts on the environment. Obviously
walking and cycling have the least negative impacts on the
environment because no fossil fuels (oil, coal, gas) are burned and
hence no green house gas emissions occur.

Hiking Tai Mo Shan is a sustainable

activity provided that hikers stick to the
established paths and that these are well
maintained

Small motorbikes are very popular

modes of transport but they depend
on petrol and contribute to pollution

The next best form of transport is mass transport

where the energy used is shared by many other
passengers.

The new Airbus A 380 in the picture above consumes less than 3
liters of fuel per passenger per 100 km and only generates 75 g of
Carbon Dioxide per passenger kilometer. This compares to the
European car industrys aim of 140 g of Carbon Dioxide per km in
2009 (see http://www.enviro.aero/A380casestudy.aspx)

Sustainable natural destinations

Respect for wildlife in all its

forms is required to make
natural attractions sustainable.
In the past Australian salt water
crocodiles were hunted to near
extinction. Today these animals
are one of the major attractions
in Kakadu National Park in the
Northern Territory.

We need to develop a greater respect for wild places even

though they look like they are of no immediate use to humans.
The coastal rivers in the above images in the Australian
tropics meander through coastal mangroves. They provide
spawning grounds for many species of fish and protect the
hinterland from disastrous floods.

We have choices: Rice production for human consumption

(China) or golf course development (Kenya) for the elite.
Golf courses use lots of water and fertilizers to keep them
green. This can cause problems in areas where there is a
water shortage.

Hong Kong is a highly developed city. Because of the constant

need to accommodate more and more people the apartment
blocks of the city have grown taller and taller. This is especially
so in the new town of Tin Sui Wai. To compensate for the loss of
natural areas the government of the Hong Kong SAR has
constructed some artificial wetlands that are now incorporated
into the International Wetland Park.

We have to learn to live in harmony with nature if we do not want to

threaten the very existence of humanity (Australian Museum,
Sydney)

Towards sustainable tourism

The current model of mass tourism means that success is
measured in increases in tourist arrivals from one year to the next.
If there is no, or only a small, growth in visitor numbers the
destination and its managers are seen as having failed in their duty.
We need to move away from such a thinking that is only focused
on quantity to one that is based on quality. Not how many visitors
we attract but how they are treated, what experiences they have at
our destination will matter most. Of course how positive their
economic impact on the destination is also needs to be considered.

To maximize the positive benefits and to minimize the

negative environmental impacts we need to be aware of the
consequences for a tourist destination when additional people
visit. More tourists generate more income and employment
for residents but more people also can put severe pressure on
a destinations natural, social and cultural resources.

Tourism development can have many impacts on the

environment. As visitor numbers rise there will be an increase in:
Demand for fresh, clean water
Demand for electricity
Creation of waste and sewage
Increase in vehicular traffic
Crowding
Land, sea and air pollution
All these aspects need to be evaluated and planned for before a
destination can become sustainable.

Crowding on the Nathan Road sidewalk creates an unpleasant

experience for visitors and local people.

Air pollution combined with cloudy skies can reduce the attractiveness
of a tourist destination. At times it is impossible to see the other side of
our beautiful Victoria Harbour. Air pollution can reduce the
attractiveness of a tourist destination. Hong Kong often uses images of
its skyline but they never show the city when it is blanketed with
smog. This can lead to visitor dissatisfaction, especially if they are
keen photographers who want to take a photograph like the one above
that they have seen in brochures that advertise the city.

ACTIVITY 5
Establish where and how Hong Kong obtains its water
for residents and tourists.
Establish how and where Hong Kongs electricity is
generated. What fuels are used to generate electricity?
Find out where Hong Kong puts its solid waste?
If you get a chance to talk to tourists, ask them what they
think of environmental conditions in Hong Kong.

OBSTACLES TO CHANGE OR WHY IT IS SO DIFFICULT

TO ACHIEVE SUSTAINABILITY
We now know that the more people visit a destination the greater the
impacts will be. So we need to ask ourselves what can be done to
manage a tourist destination in a way that it is sustainable and we
need to discuss the obstacles that stop destinations from becoming
sustainable. There is also a need to establish guidelines for
sustainable tourism development that limit the damage we do to the
environments.
Measures we not to investigate require that destination managers
first get an understanding of the limited capacity that all sites have to
accommodate tourists. This concept is usually referred to as the
concept of carrying capacity.

The Concept of Carrying Capacity

Carrying capacity has been defined as The maximum number of
people who can use a site without an unacceptable alteration in the
physical environment and without an unacceptable decline in the
quality of experiences gained by visitors. (Mathieson and Wall
1982) and without an unacceptable adverse impact on the
society, economy and culture of the tourism area (Innskeep 1991).
We have to be aware that this concept is not always an exact
science and that visitor number limits established should only be
used as guidelines. There are several types of carrying capacity.

Physical Carrying Capacity

When no more people can physically fit into a space its physical
carrying capacity is reached. Theatres, cinemas, or sports stadia
are examples. To increase physical capacity a new venue may be
need to be built. You can also think about capacity on an aircraft.
If all seats are occupied the plane has reached its physical carrying
capacity.

In nature capacity can also be reached. The pyramid-shaped

mountain towards the left hand side of this picture is Mount Everest,
at 8850 metres the highest point on earth. During the peak climbing
season many mountaineers try to reach the top. Because there is only
very little flat space on the summit, climbers have to wait until those
who are already standing on top of the world have moved down the
mountain before they themselves can set foot on the summit.

Long lines form as pilgrims line up to enter the building where the bedroom
of the Dalai Lama is located (Potala Palace, Lhasa, Tibet). Visitor numbers
may need to be limited to ensure that no damage is done. Controlling visitor
numbers may also include the introduction of a pr-booking system for visits.

Ecological Carrying Capacity

The ecological state of the site must be maintained, or where
possible, enhanced. Sites vary and detailed environmental
assessment is needed to establish carrying capacities.

Carrying capacity can also be reached in nature. These Adelie penguins

on a beach in the Antarctic Peninsula are running out of nesting space.
If more penguins arrive, they may need to look for other nesting sites
to raise their young.

Socio/Cultural Carrying Capacity

This refers to the acceptance of tourists by the local population. The
level of acceptance depends on previous experience and benefits
that tourism brings. People who benefit from tourism such as those
who own shops that cater to tourists or those who are employed in
the industry tend to hold more favourable attitudes towards tourism
than those that are not involved with it at all. One way to minimize
the negative impacts that tourism may have is by educating visitors
and tourists about what they can expect of each other.

This souvenir seller in Ubud, Bali is trying to benefit from tourists

and hence will have a positive attitude towards them if they buy
his products.

Psychological Carrying Capacity

Crowding is one of the problems that can be brought on by the
presence of too many tourists in a place. Some people and
nationalities are more tolerant of crowds than others. In Hong
Kong people are so used to huge crowds of people that they
dont worry much if tourists add to the congestion. In other
countries such as Australia that have low population densities
even the presence of a few additional people can be perceived as
intruding on the life-style of the locals.

How tolerant locals and tourists are of crowding will depend on

the site. During the annual Hong Kong Rugby Sevens tournament,
spectators will tolerate crowded conditions at Hong Kong Stadium
because crowds are part of the party atmosphere. When going for
walks on the beach Western people tend to want to have their own
space and they do not appreciate if there are too many other
people around

The tranquility of a sunset walk along the 14 km long Mission

Beach in tropical Far North Queensland, Australia would be
spoiled if there were too many other people present.

The long beach at Surfers Paradise on Queenslands Gold Coast

provides ample space for visitors. Even during peak season this
beach rarely gets crowded.

Socio-cultural impacts of tourism

Closely linked to some of the points raised above are the sociocultural impacts that can result from tourism. With this in mind the
United Nations World Tourism Organization has developed a Global
Code of Ethics for Tourism. This code was adopted at the WTO
General Assembly in 1999. The code states:
Tourisms contribution to mutual understanding and respect between
peoples and societies
Tourism as vehicle for individual and collective fulfilment
Tourism, a factor of sustainable development

Tourism, a user of the cultural heritage of mankind and a contributor to its

enhancement
Tourism, a beneficial activity for host countries and communities
Obligations of stakeholders in tourism development
Right to tourism
Liberty of tourist movements
Rights of the workers and entrepreneurs in the tourism industry
Implementation of the principles of the Global Code of Ethics for tourism
The impacts of tourism can be positive or negative. Lets explore.

Potentially positive impacts

New ideas from outsiders can revive local cultures and art

Art work produced by local artists on the Indonesian resort island of

Bali is a good example of how outsiders have created a new style of
painting that is based on the demand that is generated by tourists.

Break down of stereo-types. Most people have a certain

stereo-typical image of other peoples and cultures. By meeting
foreign tourists face-to face such often wrong stereo-types can
be corrected.

Improved lifestyles from introduction of tourism related infrastructure

(Sports facilities, museums etc.)
The National Stadium (Birds nest) built for the 2008
Beijing Olympic Games will provide local people with
an excellent sporting venue for many years to come.

Civic pride is enhanced because outsiders value the place. Often local
people do not appreciate the true value and attractiveness of what they
have in their local community but once tourists arrive who tell locals how
wonderful their place is, residents often start to develop a greater
appreciation of their own environment.

Tourism provides incentives to preserve heritage such as

traditional dances in Bali. Such dances were once considered
old-fashioned but because of demands from tourists they are
rejuvenated and are now taught to young people in schools.

As we can see from the above, visits by outsiders (called tourists)

and their activities at a location can have both positive and
negative impacts. How well the interaction between the two groups
of people is managed will determine how accepted tourism is by
the local population.

Potentially negative impacts

Overcrowding of sites used by local people
Distortion of local customs by adapting them to tourist consumption
Effects on local language English words replace local ones
Demonstration effect-perception that all tourists as wealthy which can
lead to envy of tourists material goods. If tourists carry items such as
cameras or an I-Pod many locals may also desire these. If they cant
afford to buy the item they may resort to theft or robbery to obtain it from
the tourists who are perceived as rich.

Loss of traditional industries replacement of agriculture with

tourism. There is a danger that agricultural land is converted to tourism
use and that farmers leave the land to get involved in the tourism
industry at the expense of producing food for consumption by local
people and tourists. This may lead to food shortages and/or the need
to import food at higher prices.

Rise in social problems induced by outsiders and increases

in crime and prostitution

It is not always the locals that are the victims of tourism. This
vendor in Lhasa in Tibet is reaching inside the tour bus to sell
her souvenirs. Such approaches are not welcomed by tourists.

Yung Shue Wan, Lamma Island

on a week-day (above) and on a
week-end (below). On week-ends
tourists are competing with locals
for space while they are going
about their daily business such as
grocery shopping or going to the
post office.

ACTIVITY 6
Make a list of all the positive and negative impacts you think
that tourism has in the part of Hong Kong where you live.
Compare these lists with those created by your class mates.

Sex and Tourism

One of the often mentioned negative impacts of tourism is the
perceived increase in prostitution at some tourist sites. It must,
however, be remembered that sex and tourism covers a wide
spectrum ranging from romance to commercial exploitation of
women and children. The book Sex and Tourism: Journeys of
Romance, Love and Lust by Thomas Bauer and Bob McKercher
(The Haworth Hospitality Press, New York, 2003) covers the
topic well.

Sex and Tourism

The authors argue that there is a spectrum that ranges from the
positive/mutually beneficial encounters such as people on
honeymoon or young people participating in a singles only cruise
on one end to commercial sex tours, trafficking of women and
children for prostitution and child sex tourism at the other, darker
end of the spectrum. It is important to note that there is a big
difference between sextourism which implies a commercial
transaction and sex and tourism which can take many forms.

Sex and Tourism

While sexuality is a perfectly normal human activity that
goes on at home and away from home (as tourists), it is the
commercial side of sex that tends to be highlighted and that
is often shown in a negative light.. The images are of mostly
young and female prostitutes from poor regions entertaining
older and rich foreigners at destinations such as Bangkok or
Pattaya.

Sex and Tourism

In some countries (for example Holland and Germany)
prostitution the provision of sexual services in exchange
for rewards (usually cash) is a legal activity. It is conducted
as a business and sex workers are subject to taxation and
regular health checks. In other jurisdictions prostitution is
illegal but it still goes on but underground.

Sex and Tourism

The message is clear: sexual activities between consenting
adults who agree to participate out of their own free will
whether paid for or not have been going on since time
immemorial and such activities should not be condemned
solely on moral grounds. When it comes to the exploitation
of children for sexual purposes the message is equally
clear: it is totally unacceptable and such acts must be
prevented at all costs and offenders must be prosecuted.

Sometimes massage places offer more services than customers might expect.

ACTIVITY 7
Start a discussion with other members of your
class on the pros and cons of legalizing
prostitution.

Globalization and its effects on tourism development

Globalization is essentially a process by which an ever
tightening network of ties that cut across national political
boundaries connects communities in a single, interdependent
whole, a shrinking world where local differences are steadily
eroded and subsumed within a massive global social order
(Mowforth and Mundt 1998:12). It is facilitated by the rapid
movement of people, information , money and ideas around the
globe.

How is globalization felt in the tourism context? We can think of

several ways which include the following:
Commodification and trivialization of local cultures everything takes on
a practical and commercial (for money) aspect

Money is king!

Americanization through McDonalds , KFC and Starbucks

McDonalds fast food outlets can now even be found on

islands in the South Pacific such as in Fiji.

Homogenization all cities of the world look the same. Experiencing

the diversity of building styles, dishes and cultures was once a main
reason to visit cities. Today as one travels around the world one finds
that many airports, hotels and cities are more or less the same this
takes the fun out of traveling.

Welcome to New York, London or Paris? No, welcome to Beijing.

Free flow of money around the world where it can earn the highest
rate of return on investment

The location of manufacturing shifts to where wages are the lowest

at the expense of local people. Souvenir production is an example
whereby Australian koala toys are manufactured in China or where
coconut souvenirs sold in the Maldives are made in Bali.

Small scale operations such as Peregrine Adventures, a

Melbourne based tour company, are bought out by bigger
companies (First Choice in the UK) who in turn are purchased by
even larger companies (TUI of Germany).

Most of the economic restructuring (change in ownership) is in the

interest of big business not in the interest of the public and of the local
people.
The Hilton Hotel Corporation was recently sold to an investment fund
that is primarily interested in a high rate of return on its investment for its
shareholders and not in the wellbeing of guests, local people, and
employees or in corporate social responsibility.
Multinational companies such as CNN present consumers with their idea
of the truth behind the news. They tell us what is important and what is
not. They show us places we should want to travel to
National Geographic brings the worlds most exotic travel experiences to
our living room and we become armchair travellers. This raises the
question whether we still have to travel to places when we have already
experienced them on our flat screen TVs.

Globalization is felt particularly in less developed countries,

many of which see tourism as an important development
option. Unfortunately developing tourism can require that poor
countries have to take out billion dollar loans to build the
necessary infrastructure for tourism development and this can
be a problem because they may not be able to pay back their
debts. Airports, roads, hotels, restaurants and theme parks may
be built but they are of little use to locals who cant afford to
fly or stay in those hotels.

Tax concessions (tax holidays) are often provided to outside

developers to provide them with incentives to develop
tourism infrastructure such as hotels in developing
countries. By allowing developers not to pay local taxes for
the first 5 or more years they are depriving the local
government and hence the citizens of revenue but often no
infrastructure would be build if such concessions are not
offered.

International tourists demand international style hotels, food

and drinks and hence developing countries have to import upmarket building materials such as marble from Italy, food
(oysters from Australia) and drinks (Scotch whiskey) from
abroad which means that much of the tourism earnings flows
abroad. This is called leakage because the money leaks out of
the local economy and it cant be used to benefit local people.

Leakage in the Maldives

The Republic of the Maldives is a low lying island nation in the
Indian Ocean. The main source of income is tourism.
Resorts are mainly funded by European tour operators and most of the
profits flow back to Europe to pay for construction and maintenance
More than 50 % of all labour is imported and remittances flow out of the
Maldives economy back to the home countries of the workers (Bangladesh,
Sri Lanka, India and Pakistan).

What is a net loss for Maldives is a net gain for those countries
where the remittances of those workers make an important
contribution to their families survival and hence also to the economy

Above water bungalows provide exclusive accommodation in the Maldives

Poverty alleviation through tourism

Poverty is still a very serious problem in many parts of the world.
One of the United Nations Millennium Goals is to substantially
reduce the number of people who live in poverty and tourism has
been called upon to play its part in this effort.
There are different levels of poverty ranging from extreme to
moderate. Extreme poverty is often defined as applying to people
who live on less than 1 US$ per day. One thing is clear: There is
nothing romantic about being poor as is sometimes shown in
destination photographs of some African countries.

Often it is assumed that people in rural areas are the poorest but
this may not necessarily be the case because as long as people
have access to land they can sustain their lives by growing their
own food or by raising animals. People who live in urban slums
are the poorest of the poor because they have no access to land to
sustain their lives. All they can sell to make money is their labour.
Because they are mostly unskilled they have a hard time in getting
jobs because they have to compete against often much higher
skilled city residents.

Creating employment or self-employment opportunities for poor

and unskilled peoples is one of the fastest ways that tourism can
assist in reducing poverty. Here are a few examples:

Gardening and luggage handling

(Nepal)

Self employment business opportunities (Nepal)

Making carpets that tourists buy as souvenirs (Nepal)

Silk production in Assam,

India is another form of
employment and revenue
generation for local people

Development of tourism products to assist in poverty

alleviation
The tourism product is made up of many components including
transport, accommodation, activities, amenities, food and
services. The challenge is to develop products that meet the
needs of the tourists while at the same time assisting in poverty
alleviation. A range of products can conceivably be developed
including attractions, tours, packages, guiding services,
shopping, entertainment and information provision.

Products can be developed from two perspectives:

1. By involving the poor in the development and management
of the product and
2.By developing products based on the assets of the poor
(culture, natural features, way of life)

The first question that needs to be asked, however, is whether local

people genuinely want tourists to visit and if so at what intensity?
Sometimes people may appear poor to outsiders but they may be
content with their lives because they live in strong communities
where they enjoy full family and social support and hence they
may not need additional income from an activity that involves
outsiders. If they do want tourism we have to ask what he poor
need to know to enable them to participate in tourism. What
assistance do they need so that they can benefit from tourism and
how can provide this assistance? There are some potential
difficulties and barriers:

Potential Difficulties
Unequal distribution of benefits from tourism. Not everyone in a
community will benefit equally when tourism is started.
Unequal distribution of problems created by tourism. Sometimes the
women in a community are required to do most of the tourism related
work such as cooking and dancing for tourists while the men benefit
without contributing much. This can lead to dissatisfaction among the
women and to conflict between the sexes.

Potential Barriers
Time constraint of tourists. Visitors invest time and money into their
holidays and they only want to visit places that they think can fully satisfy
their needs.
Tour operators control many products unless a new tourism itinerary
or product can pay money (commission) to the wholesalers they will not
include it into their brochures and hence the product will not get exposure
and therefore no customers.
Distance of a new tourism product from existing main tourist areas can
be a problem.
Lack of transport infrastructure.

Lack of tourism and hospitality related skills of the local population.

Lack of understanding of the expectations of tourists.
Lack of attractiveness of the local area.
Competition from other areas that may offer similar products.
Lack of environmental hygiene.
Distance from major tourist source markets.

Children working in tourism

Employing children, in particular young children in the various
sectors of the tourism industry is a double-edged sword. On the
one hand it is very common for restaurants or small, family owned
guest-houses or hotels to require children to contribute to the
economic well-being of the family by performing some tasks in the
business. This is not necessarily a bad thing since children who
grow up in the familys hospitality business will have a very good
understanding of the operation of such a business and this may
well lead them to become successful restaurant or hotel owners
when they grow up.

There are many examples where children who have worked in

the family business from an early age have later taken over the
running of the business when their parents are ready to retire.
Such practices are not restricted to the hotel and tourism industry
but can be found on most farms in the world and in small shops,
in particular in Chinese shops.

At the same time the opportunity exist for young people who do
not have family connections to a tourism or hotel business to be
given the opportunity at a relatively early age to perform certain
small task such as maybe cleaning the beach or assisting with
other cleaning duties or as messengers in a hotel. Such
employment opportunities can be particularly important when
they are provided in some of the least developed countries
where employment for the young and poor is often difficult to
obtain. By earning some money they can help their families to
survive.

The children in the above photo have never been to school but are
already showing the spirit of enterprise by hiring out mats so that
tourists can slide down the sand dunes of Mui Ne in southern
Vietnam. These children would greatly benefit if they could be
given small paid jobs in the emerging local hospitality industry.

While the above noted scenarios are positive, there is also a

darker and more exploitative side to childrens employment in
tourism. Often children are made to work in the hospitality
industry without appropriate care, wages, working hours and
work conditions. They may even be forced to work in this
industry against their own free will and at the expense of their
schooling and health. Such practices need to be prevented
wherever possible but unfortunately they are often tolerated in
countries where poverty levels are still very high.

ACTIVITY 8
Discuss the concept of poverty, its causes and
consequences with your class mates.
Think about the issue of poverty in the Hong Kong context
and consider what role tourism can play to assist poor people
to improve their lives.

Trends and issues in Hospitality

Hospitality can be defined as the reception and entertainment
of guests or strangers with empathy, kindness, and an overall
concern for their well-being. It is at the heart of all tourism
and without providing a friendly and welcoming environment
for visitors, tourism cannot develop successfully.

Trends in the accommodation sector

One of the most basic requirements for tourists is the need for
clean and secure accommodation. This can range from luxury
hotels with full services to motels, guest houses, backpacker
lodges, youth hostels and camping facilities. Because people are
different and have different reasons for travel they also have
different accommodation requirements. The accommodation of
business travelers is usually paid for by their employer and hence
they are more inclined to stay in up-market, more luxurious
hotels whereas the more prices sensitive leisure travelers who
pay for their trip themselves may prefer more affordable and
therefore also less luxurious places to stay. In particular young
people who travel around the world as backpackers for long
periods of time, sometimes years, do not want to spend a lot on
accommodation. They prefer to spend their money on activities
and experiences instead of on sleeping.

Greening of accommodation
Inline with the previously discussed trend towards a more
sustainable tourism industry, accommodation places are also
increasingly trying to be more environmentally friendly in their
designs and practices. In many hotels around the world the guest
now finds notices in the bathroom that encourage them to indicate
if they do not want their towels and sheets changed daily. This is a
measure that helps save water and reduces the pollution caused by
the discharge of detergents into the sewage system.

Guests are also encouraged to turn off lights and air conditioning
if they are not needed and in many hotel rooms electrical
appliances and lighting can only be used after a key card is
inserted into a slot that is located near the entrance to the room.
Once the card, which also opens the room door, is removed, the
electricity to the room is cut off thus avoiding any unnecessary
energy consumption.

More personal boutique styles of accommodation

Commercial accommodation places tend to be large with many
rooms and facilities but a recent trend is that experienced travelers
are seeking smaller, more personal accommodation facilities such
as boutique hotels, small guest houses, home-stays or eco-lodges.
Such facilities usually have more limited facilities but they
provide guests with the opportunity to be in close contact with
local people who own or operate such facilities.

Many travelers now prefer to stay in smaller, locally owned and

operated accommodation places like the Udayana Lodge in Bali,
Indonesia. Such places offer comfortable accommodation in a
relaxed atmosphere.

Home-stays in Vietnam (above)

and tented accommodation near
the Undura lava tubes in Far
North Queensland, Australia
(below) provide interesting and
affordable places to stay. Home
stays also help in an effort to
improve the economic situation of
poor people in remote areas.

Hotel Branding
There are many different hotel brands in the world. A brand is
essentially the name of a product, in this case hotels, that is
recognized, trusted and valued by the consumer to deliver the
services required in the expected fashion. The table below shows
the top 20 hotel brands, the number of hotels they operate and the
number of rooms they control. As the industry is expanding these
numbers are constantly changing.

Hilton is one of the most

recognized hotel brands in the
world.

Top 10 Hotel Brands in the World as of January 1, 2008

Rank
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

Hotel Chain
Best Western
Holiday Inn
Comfort Inns & Suites
Marriott Hotels & Resorts
Hilton Hotels & Resorts
Express Holidays Inn
Days Inn of America
Hampton Inn
Sheraton Hotels & Resorts
Super 8 Motels

Number of hotels
4 035
1 382
2 467
520
511
1 808
1 883
1 490
399
2 081

Number of Rooms
308 636
256 775
188 596
188 544
176 523
156 531
153 333
147 326
138 878
128 587

More than just sleeping and eating

Integrating accommodation, dining, entertainment casino gaming
and shopping is a new trend that recognizes that people who stay at
a hotel or resort want to be able to participate in a diversity of
activities during their stay. Gone are the days when a hotel was
only a place to sleep.

The Grand Canal at the

Venetian Resort in Macau
provides guests with an
indoor boating experience
that simulates a real canal
ride in Venice, Italy.111

ACTIVITY 9
Check the website of the Hong Kong
Hotels Association (HKHA) http://
www.hkha.com.hk/main.asp?sec=3 to get
familiar with the great diversity of upmarket hotels available to guests in Hong
Kong

Trends and issues in the

restaurant and food
services sector

Food
Food is a necessary and often enjoyable component of
the tourism experience and the challenge for the
hospitality industry is to provide good quality and
healthy meals in a pleasant setting.

Quality and healthy meals

All restaurants should aim

to be good restaurants

Healthy, home cooked food in Vietnam

provides visitors with a genuine food
experience.

Al fresco or outdoor dining is very

popular, particularly in tropical
locations such as Bali. Tourists
also enjoy being offered a variety
of dishes to select from and
Fusion restaurants that provide a
blend of cuisines from a variety of
regions (East and West for
example) are gaining in
popularity.

As the above sign shows, getting permission to set up outdoor food

and beverage facilities can be a difficult undertaking.

Freshness of food served

Many diners are now said to be more health conscious and they
are interested in meals that are made from fresh ingredients and
that are prepared under hygienic conditions.

Freshly caught fish displayed in a local market in the Maldives

provide an excellent ingredient for a nice and healthy meal.

This Korean meal consists entirely of fresh and mostly uncooked

ingredients that are said to be very good for your health

Hygiene in food storage and preparation is very important. Most

tourists would be reluctant to order a meat dish in a restaurant after
seeing meat stored on an open cart as in the above picture on the
left taken in Tibet. How food is displayed will also impact on the
enjoyment diners get out of food consumption. Chinese diners may
find the presentation of the chicken served in a Hong Kong
restaurant acceptable but for most western travelers it is not ok.

Experiencing the local food at tourist destinations can be a very

interesting and often enjoyable experience. The picture on the left
advertises a traditional Vietnamese noodle soup while an
Australian breakfast is advertised in the picture on the right.

New entertainment districts such as China town in Singapore or

Lang Kwai Fong in Hong Kong provide visitors with after dark
dining, entertainment and shopping attractions. Such places have
become very popular tourist spots in many cities across Asia

Conclusion
Trends and issues in tourism and hospitality are constantly subject
to change. As societies change so will trends in the tourism and
hospitality industry. Many trends are subject to what is fashionable
at the moment while other trends and issues emerge from wider
issues in society souch as a greater awareness of environmental
protection or the increased concern about health.
Companies that operate in the tourism and hospitality industry are
required to keep their eyes and ears open and to constantly scan
their environment for emerging trends so that they can meet the
requirements of their customers. This is an ongoing process that
never ends. As students of these fields we need to do the same so
that we keep up-to-date with developments that impact on our
industry..

All photographs by Thomas Bauer

PART ONE
Protection of World Heritage

Newspaper clipping series

Newspaper Clipping One

Six World Heritage Sites including Forbidden City
given Yellow Cards
Excerpt from: Six World Heritage Sites including given Yellow Cards, Metro,
In spite of being approved to be inscribed on the World Heritage List, many heritage sites in different parts of still lack
protection. Mr. Tong Ming-kang, Deputy Director-General of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, was quoted
saying that, due to construction of a huge dam and hydro-electric power facilities, etc. in the vicinity of Nu Jiang (
), destructive effects had been generated upon the lives of the species and the original ecosystem of the Three
Parallel Rivers of Yunnan, the Natural Heritage of China.
The World Heritage Committee had thus requested the Chinese authority rehabilitate the heritage site before evaluation
in next years annual meeting. If there was no significant improvement, the site might fall into the List of World Heritage
in Danger and risk being removed from the World Heritage List.
Apart from the Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas, six World Heritage sites in have already been given
yellow cards, where the three major issues of concern are: firstly, the provincial authorities show a lack of experience
in the protection of heritage, they need to catch up with international standards. For instance, in the Old Town of Lijiang,
owing to ignorance, the native Nakhi ethnic minorities were moved away from their domicile, distorting the genuineness
at the heritage site.
The second problem was the excessive pursuit of commercial interest. Thirdly, some principles of protection and
renovation must match international standards. For example, the restoration projects of the Forbidden City, and the had
triggered fierce public criticism. The requirements of rehabilitation of the yellow cards are as follows:

 Three Parallel Rivers of

Protected Areas

Yellow Card

Mining activities in the vicinity of the heritage site

should be terminated. A comprehensive evaluation on
the possible damage brought about by dams and
power stations is to be conducted.

the Forbidden City, of and

The restoration project should not alter the primitive

style of the heritage site. Raw materials should be
used with the original architectural structure
maintained where possible in the restoration.
Comprehensive planning of risk management and
tourism management should also be incorporated.

Yunti the of Lijiang

Development, tourism and protection of the heritage

site should be phased strategically in order to maintain
the integrity of the heritage site and its surrounding
environment. Local residence should be preserved
with traditional architectural techniques.

Tibet the Potala

Palace

The buffer zone areas should be extended, including

those of the , Norbulingka and Jokhang. A new
amendment proposal which is more scientific in nature
shall be formulated, and the ancient citys original
landscape shall be preserved as much as possible.

Indicate the category for which the following World Heritage Sites belong to with a

Categories of World Heritage

Category

Yunnan
The Three
Parallel
Rivers of
Yunnan
Protected
Areas
Beijing
Forbidden
City, the
Temple of
Heaven
and the
Summer
Palace
Yunti the
Old Town
of Lijiang
Tibet the
Potala
Palace

Cultural
Heritage

Natural Heritage

Mixed
(Cultural
and Natural)
Heritage

Cultural
Landscape
Heritage

Oral and
Intangible
Cultural
Heritage

Questions for Discussion

1.Discuss the positive impacts on the local economy that results
from the conservation of local heritage sites.
2.What circumstances would lead the World Heritage sites of a
country to make it to the List of World Heritage in Danger?

Newspaper Clipping Two

The Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas
Excerpt from: turned into reservoir at the Three Parallel Rivers, Ming Pao,
the Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas was granted approval for being listed as a World Natural
Heritage in 2003. It is a rare mountain landform and one of the areas with the richest bio-diversity in the world, including
17 fauna species and 34 flora species under state protection. Following its successful enrolment in the World Heritage
List, the number of tourists has been on the rise over the years, leading to damaging effects on ethnic minority culture
and potential threats brought by construction of facilities.
Damaging effects on ethnic minority culture
Despite its remote location, experts of the World Heritage Committee think that the Three Parallel Rivers area is
attracting more and more tourists on account of its precious natural and cultural resources. At the same time, the
authority fails to cope with the pressure produced by the rapid increase in the number of tourists. An example would be
the authoritys incapability to construct large scale tourism infrastructure, etc.
Potential threats brought by construction of facilities
Long before the application was inscribed as a World Heritage site, development of large scale tourism facilities to cater
to the demands of tourists had already been launched, such as the timber bedding and fences constructed at White
Water Terrace, though the effectiveness of this protection was very limited. A snow mountain tour base and interchange
have been established there, leading to an increase in pedestrian and traffic flow. As a result, a heat island was formed
in this originally low temperature zone and thus gave rise to potential threats and damaged local tourism resources.
Before becoming a World Heritage, the Diqing Tibetan Autonomous prefecture had commenced constructing a highway
crossing the Tiger Leaping Gorge, which prompted fierce opposition from experts and local and overseas tourists.
However, the decision was greeted with applause from villagers residing along the highway. Since 1997, vehicles were
permitted to run along Tiger Leaping Gorge and it was a decision openly welcomed by the villagers. This is the year
when they watched TV for the first time.

Questions for discussion

1.Why do the responses of local Yunnan residents and tourists
towards the construction of highway differ so greatly?
2.Based on the article above, indicate the negative effects
brought about by tourism development on Yunnans natural
environment.

Newspaper Clipping Three

Beijing the Forbidden City
Excerpt from: crumbles under hordes of tourists, Ming Pao,
From 1406 to 1420, artisans of the Ming Dynasty took 14 years to establish the majestic and
spectacular . 24 emperors lived and ruled the Empire here since the Ming and Qing Dynasties.
It was inscribed in the World Heritage List in 1987 which brought along large amount of tourists
every year.
During the Labour Day Golden Week this year, the set a record of receiving nearly 120,000
tourists within a single day, exceeding 2.3 times its highest capacity. In fact, in order to protect
the historical and cultural relics, the authority has already implemented measures like installing
railings and other facilities at the site. However, inconsiderate behaviour by tourists still persists.
For example, apart from the natural weathering, the damage shown on the white marble
balustrade and the stone carving groups was largely the result of touching from tourists as they
walk past. There were even visitors who completely ignored the regulations, crossing over the
railing and stepping on the stone carvings when taking photos. As a result, the beautiful cloud
and dragon decorations have worn considerably. It was also stated in the Palaces regulations
that tourists were required to wear shoes for protecting cultural relics, but many difficulties
were encountered in its implementation.
In addition, insolent behaviour like sitting, leaning and even lying wherever one pleases were
very common among tourists. Some of them even sit on the threshold while eating, leaving food
packages and garbage everywhere. Mr. Zhang Xinmiao, Director of the , admitted that the
protection of cultural relics of the Palace could not rely solely on the authoritys management,
but also on visitor co-operation.

Questions for Discussion

1.Discuss with students if they have behaved as mentioned
above or if they have observed similar behaviour during their
travels.
2.Discuss the appropriate code of conduct for tourists while
visiting these World Heritage sites.
3.Apart from installing railings and requiring shoes for
protecting cultural relics, what other measures could be taken
by the authority to effectively conserve the relics at the Palace?

Newspaper Clipping Four

the of Lijiang
Excerpt from: Nakhi culture of Lijiang fades away, Ming Pao, .
The Old Town of Lijiang was built at the end of the Southern Song Dynasty with more
than 800 years of history. It was listed in the World Heritage List in December 1997.
The ancient city of has retained its historical appearance since the Song and Yuan
Dynasties. Due to the over-development of tourism, the Nahki culture is now facing a
dilemma between succession and assimilation.
Since the booming of tourism, over 70% of shops and traditional inns established by
more than 1,600 Nahki native families have now come under the operation of
outsiders. The number of natives has dropped from over 30,000 to 25,000 now. Mr.
Yang Fu Quan, Director of Yunnan Academy of Social Sciences, pointed out, The
unique city identity and local characteristics are the fusion of Confucian, Buddhist,
Taoist and local culture through historical progression.
However, when people, who are the principle component of that culture, start to move
away from the town in large numbers, transformation, decay and the fall of ethnic
culture would start to take place.
With the migration of native residents, culture such as the Nahki language, costumes,
traditional festivals and customs is rapidly being assimilated and overwhelmed by
modern alien culture. Scholars of Nakhi culture stated that, The most precious value
of the Old Town of Lijiang lies in its being a living ancient city. Sadly, it is now
becoming a destination catering to the demands of tourists.

The historical Ma bang (carriages of horses carrying goods), is replaced by

modern automobiles, tourists take the place of merchants, and traditional
handicrafts and food, which are slipshod or stereotypical sides of Nahki culture, are
now being substituted for tea, butter tea and bronze wares.
Inside the old town, a deep alley constructed by the riverside has turned into a bar
street in recent years. When night falls, it is immersed in all kinds of pop music.
Alien culture like this is completely out of harmony with the traditional style and
cultural landscape of the old town, and its unique cultural characteristics have
started to wane.
The good news is that the authority has already launched a series of policies to
protect the culture of the old city, such as the prohibition of selling housing in the
Old Town to outsiders, providing subsidies for the maintenance of ancient
architecture to owners of private residences by the government, offering benefits
for the basic needs of living, conserving traditional local ethnical features, shops
and former residences of celebrities, organizing, protecting and conserving the
unique Dongba cultures such as music, Dongba script, dance, religion and
worshipping; protecting traditional lifestyles, costumes and food etc.

Questions for discussion

1.According to the newspaper clipping, describe the negative
impacts on local Lijiang culture brought on by tourism.
2.In view of the over-development of tourism, how can the
government strike a balance between succession and
assimilation of the Nahki culture in order to achieve sustainable
tourism development?

Newspaper Clipping Five

Palace

The Potala

Excerpt from: Calcium supplements for to prevent osteoporosis, Ming Pao,

Situated in , the was built by the thirty-third emperor of the kingdom Songtsen for greeting his bride
Princess Wencheng in 700 BC. After the 17th century, the fifth Dalai Lama began rebuilding the
Palace, and it took years until 1935 before the present scale of architecture was accomplished.
The Palace preserves abundant unique Tibetan artifact, enamelwork Thangka Paitings (Buddhist
scroll-painting), stupatomb halls of the successive Dalai Lamas, golden diplomas and jade seals of
Chinese Kings of the Ming and Qing dynasties, and gifts and scriptures offered by different parties.
The was listed on the World Heritage List in 1994 and it has always been a popular tourist attraction.
The number of overseas and local tourists received in even exceeded 250 million after the
inauguration of the Qingzang Railway last year.
In order to alleviate the pressure of tourist flow, the authority implemented a policy aimed at
restricting the number of visitors, releasing visitors to enter the Palace in batches and limiting the
duration of visits. Starting from last year, the number of visitors entering the Palace each day was
limited to around 2,300. Visitors at the entrance of the were released to enter in stages while the
duration of visit is limited to 1 hour.
The Director of the Tibet Tourism Bureau stated that the local authority would implement three
measures for alleviating excess demand in peak seasons:
1. enhance promotion to attract tourists visiting after October;
2. accelerate the construction of Xue Cheng (City of ), especially the Zhen Bao Guan ( ) at the
foot of the Palace for attracting and directing visitor flow;
3. release the documentary to satisfy the demand to learn about the history and culture of .

Questions for discussion

1.What other measures for controlling the amount of tourists
could be implemented by the Potala Palace apart from those
mentioned in the article?
2.List other factors affecting visitor flow apart from the
weather and seasonal reasons mentioned in the above
article.
3.As the number of local and overseas tourists received by
the Potala Palace in Tibet keeps rising, what are three
problems that could result in overcapacity? With reference to
the following article, quote one example of each problem.

PART TWO
Traditional Culture Development and
Succession

Newspaper clipping series

The Home Affairs Bureau will establish a specialist panel next month to
monitor the implementation of a survey, which will last for two years, to
formulate Hong Kongs first Intangible Cultural Heritage List.
According to the definitions set out by the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Intangible Cultural
Heritage refers to a special trait that carries with it a strong and deep
connection with the history of the community and identification with the
community. On a societal level, Hong Kong as a community is constantly
striving for world records, but what do we know about our Intangible
Cultural Heritage?

Newspaper Clipping One

Succession of Intangible Cultural Heritage relies on the
community
Excerpt from: Succession of intangible cultural heritage relies on community, Ming Pao, .
published in http://www.mingpaonews.com/20080626/gow4.htm
The Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (the
Convention) of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO) has been in effect since and is applicable in . Article 2 of the 2003 Convention
defines Intangible Cultural Heritage as the practices, representations, expressions, as well
as the knowledge and skills that communities, groups and in some cases, individuals
recognise as part of their cultural heritage.
It also requires local governments to conduct surveys, set out categories and criteria for the
Intangible Cultural Heritage List. The Home Affairs Bureau hopes that the survey could
incorporate opinions of experts and the community and ensure citizens participation.
Thus, community is critical to the life of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
It is responsible for, for instance, the intellectual property of these resources, or improving
or preserving their social economic status, in order to ensure that their Intangible Cultural
Heritage can live and be prevented from being exploited etc.
The Convention states that the Intangible Cultural Heritage is manifested in the five
domains below: oral traditions and expressions (including language as a vehicle of the
intangible cultural heritage), performing arts, social practices, rituals and festive events,
knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe, and traditional
craftsmanship.

Newspaper Clipping Two

Decision on Intangible Cultural Heritage List by conducting
survey - Worries about traditional culture being turned into
commodity
Retrieved from: Ming Pao, from http://www.mingpaonews.com/20080626/gow1.htm

Hong Kongs local Chinese herb tea and Cantonese opera became national intangible cultural
heritages as early as 2006. However, in these two years, herb tea has turned into a
commercialized beverage, with none of its traditional healing and medicinal properties. The
promotion of Cantonese opera does not result in any obvious quality improvements either.
What is more, it appears that in the industry, there is a phenomenon of profiting from the name
of Intangible Heritage, with traditional arts being marketed through poor commercial
performances. Some scholars are worried that after entering the list, traditional cultures
commercialization would accelerate, while the traditions and characteristics of our local culture
would become more difficult to preserve.
Dr. Liu Tik-sang, who is responsible for the study of the intangible cultural heritage list,
pointed out that creating the list would unavoidably accelerate the commercialization of folk
traditions.
But the most worrying is th situation in which applicants would intentionally distort traditions
in order to fulfil relevant requirements. He believes that change is normal, but if caused by an
external force, such as the abandonment of original characteristics to fulfil the qualifications of
entering the list, it would turn the whole idea upside down.

The Fire Dragon Dance in Tai Hang, embroidery and

the Weitou dialect are all precious cultural heritages
of . However, choosing between which items to
protect would also result in controversy. Some
intangible heritages which are likely to disappear due
to a lack of resources, for instance, the Weitou
dialect, Hakka dialect etc., should be given highest
priority. Sometimes, we face the dilemma of
choosing between conservation and the temptation of
economic resources made possible by modernization
and urbanization.
Cheung Chau Bun Festival is a good living example
for this. Originally, Cheung Chau Bun Festival was
held at the beginning of each year, when people
would predict their fortunes, asking for personal
safety before the god Pak Tai. It was traditionally
held on a day in the fourth month of the Chinese
calendar. Now it has been changed to Buddhas
birthday every year. Obviously, the original traditions
have been altered to promote the economic
development of the island.

Question for Discussion

1.Apart from the above-mentioned items which
have been listed in the Intangible Cultural Heritage
List, please suggest two other precious cultural
heritages of Hong Kong to add to the list and
explain your reasons for adding them.

Newspaper Clipping Three (a)

Traditional Festivals Imply
Change of Cultural Significance
Excerpt from: Apple Daily,
According to traditional rituals, the Cheung Chau Bun Festival is the annual period of exorcism when
all the residents and commercial tenants abstain from eating meat. All restaurants on the island serve
vegetarian dishes or sell seasonal glutinous rice dumplings and An buns at that time. This year, even
fast food chain stores on the island follow local custom and sell mushroom burgers.
However, to the great regret of some residents, this originally traditional festival has changed,
becoming a tourist activity. Yesterday, even before the festival ended, some restaurants began selling
meat dishes. Some customers were seen eating fried clams with black beans sauce in the seafood
restaurant while some eateries were selling fishball noodles. Even during the festival, these restaurants
were still crowded with customers.
Apart from the Bun Scrambling Competition, the colourful street procession is another important part
of the festivities, with children dressed up as different historical icons or celebrities. In fact, this
originated from the ban on Cantonese opera by the government of the Qing Dynasty. Although
Cantonese opera is not suppressed today, the traditional art is gradually declining due to the popularity
of other new forms of entertainment. What could we do to promote its development to preserve the
succession of this Chinese traditional culture for the coming generations?

Newspaper Clipping Three (b)

Traditional Festivals Imply Change of
Cultural Significance
Excerpt from: Ming Pao,
The bun scrambling competition was banned in 1978 by the government and
was resumed as a type of sports event in 2005. Plastic buns were used for
competitions starting from 2007. In fact, cultural traditions unquestionably
change continuously to match the definitions and scope of life within the
community. The Hong Kong government now treats bun scrambling as a kind
of performance aimed at promoting as a tourist attraction, but not serving the
community. As a result, the Cheung Chau Bun Festival has become a festival
of rather than Cheung Chau.
One of the standard requirements of Intangible Cultural Heritage, according to
the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO), is that while facing the risk of losing these cultures, we should
allow more space to accommodate voices of the minorities in order to embody
the diversity of cultures.

Question for Discussion

1.The date of the Cheung Chau Bun Festival has been
moved to the Buddhas birthday, which has now also
become a public holiday. What advantages will this
bring to the promotion of economic development for the
island? And what negative effects will this bring to the
local residents and their society?

Newspaper Clipping Four

Herb Tea Becomes Commercialized Brand Name Beverage
Packaging Outweighs Medicinal Effects
Retrieved from: Herb Tea becomes brand name beverage; Packaging outweighs medicinal
effects , Ming Pao, at http://www.mingpaonews.com/20080626/gow2.htm
Chinese herb tea has become a National Intangible Cultural Heritage since 2006. The 54 formulas
from 16 herb tea brands, e.g. Wanglaoji, Jian Sheng Tang ( ), Wang Zhen Long ( )
were acknowledged by the Ministry of Culture of for their contributions to Chinese herb tea
culture. However, rather than being served in porcelain bowls, as in the old days, these old brand
name herb teas are now bottled, packed in cartons or even produced as extract powder. Some
companies even use Intangible Cultural Heritage as the selling point for their products.
Professor Liang Song-ming from the of , the of Hong Kong, indicated that people treated herb tea
as an effective remedy for clearing away excessive body heat caused by the summer weather,
expelling dampness etc. in the past. However, with the commercialization of herb tea,
corporations treat herb tea as a business tool. Especially after herb tea became an intangible
cultural heritage, they just want to boost their sales but ignore the medicinal effects. Herb teas of
many brand names in the list have become sugar water and the medicinal effects are in doubt.
s famous herb tea brands, which have been selected for the Intangible Cultural Heritage List, are
developing in the direction of commercialization. In the corporate website of herb tea products,
we can not only find presentations of the corporate image and its latest movement, but also
commercial jingles as background music. The traditions of porcelain bowls and medicinal herbs
are all replaced by the packaging techniques of modern marketing.
The founder of Leung Chun-leung herb tea, which has operated for more than 40 years, has
expressed his regret for the fact that customers only treat herb tea as a thirst-quenching beverage
and do not care about its medical effectiveness anymore.

Picture showing Leung Chun-leung herb tea which has operated for more
than 40 years.

Question for Discussion

1.Based on the article, please point out the
negative cultural influence that being listed as an
intangible cultural heritage has brought to herb tea.

Newspaper Clipping Five

Apply for Subsidies in the Name of Promoting
Cantonese Quality of Performances Neglected
Retrieved from: Apply for subsidies in the name of promoting Cantonese; Quality of performances
neglected, Ming Pao, at http://www.mingpaonews.com/20080626/gow4.htm.
Apart from herb tea, Cantonese opera is also listed as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage. Ms. Au Manfung, who is both a scriptwriter and the organizer of the Cantonese Opera Academy of Hong Kong, indicated
that the government has increased resources to promote the development of Cantonese opera since it made the
list.
Although most of the audience knew nothing about this, the number of audience members has increased in
the past two years. In the past, the attendance rate of performance used to be only 50% to 60%, but, taking
the recent show as an example, 50% to 60% of tickets were sold out in one day.
Famous player Mr. Yuen Siu-fai pointed out that many performers have applied for subsidies from the Hong
Kong Arts Development Council and the government in the name of promoting Cantonese opera. However,
they were not serious about the performance quality and just took the attitude that it was 'just for fun.
They ignored the traditional characteristics of Cantonese opera, destroying the image of the industry and the
art itself. There are too much people who fish in troubled waters. If it is listed as a Hong Kong Intangible
Cultural Heritage in the future without any government monitor on quality, the situation will get worse.
One of the National Intangible Cultural Heritage practitioners for Cantonese opera, Ms. Chan Kin-sing
indicated that, although the number of rehearsals is limited by the subsidies granted, she did not worry that
the quality of performance would be influenced by its being listed as an Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Well-known opera singers:
Mr. Lung Kin-sang (Left) and Ms. Miu Suet-see (Right) playing Princess Chang Ping

Well-known opera singers:

Mr. Lung Kin-sang (Left) and Ms. Miu Suet-see (Right)
playing Princess Chang Ping

Question for Discussion

1.In order to ensure a more effective usage of the subsidies
for the development of Cantonese opera, what measures can
the authority implement?