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“We need to ensure that people have access to leisure time that is not necessarily a vacation. I am referring to creative and edifying leisure that allows us to learn and do things. And not just consume.” The statement comes from Sergio Rodríguez Abitia, President of the Americas of the International Social Tourism Organization (ISTO) and member of the Advisory Board of the Conservatory of Gastronomic Culture of Mexico.
The Mexican, who has extensive experience in government organizations related to tourism, private companies and academia, was one of the speakers at the recent First International Symposium on Social Tourism, held in Mar del Plata and Chapadmalal (Argentina), exactly two places, which experienced the conquest of vacation by the popular classes during the first Peronism in the 40s and 50s.
At the meeting, which brought together academics, researchers and representatives of cooperatives and mutual associations in the region for three days, Rodríguez Abitia spoke about inequalities in Latin America, the right to leisure and the need to build a tourism that acts as a tool to transform the reality of the region. And not just the business of a few.
“It is essential that our population has access to recreational opportunities linked to the knowledge and enjoyment of heritage. Because? Because this enables us to integrate into families and neighbors and build an identity. The ultimate goal is to strengthen the social fabric and spread a tradition. In short: all things that don’t necessarily have to do with money,” he added.
The social tourism specialist proposes a paradigm shift in looking at the activity, focusing not on “how much” (the number of tourists arriving at a destination) but on “what for”.
“The big question is: Why are you doing this? When it’s just business, they do very well. But the why also implies other questions. Do you satisfy people’s needs for rest and relaxation? Can you restore people’s physical and mental balance? If you organize things smarter, not only can you do great business – we have nothing against that – but you can also create a healthier society through vacation. I mean more relaxed, more relaxed, more integrated and less alienated,” he emphasizes.
After a long weekend, tourism offices usually send emails to the media with visitor numbers. Of course, the logic can be summed up in a single sentence: the more, the better. Rodríguez Abitia points to the need to measure other factors aimed at giving tourism a social approach.
“Beyond consumption in restaurants or hotel capacities, which is important for economists, other important things are not measured.” How does this affect people’s well-being, for example? Nobody in the industry does this just because it’s not an economic consideration; It cannot be converted into pesos and cents. The auditors’ speech beats us. The square meter is worth so much, I have to make so much money with it. The rest – aesthetics and ethics – faded into the background. The lives of people and groups living in places are becoming less and less interesting. “It all depends on consumption.”
Against raw material tourism
In the mainstream and classist tourism discourse to which Rodríguez Abitia refers, communities are important only to the extent that they can add value to the process of consumption and capital creation. “This situation can be clearly observed in my country, Mexico, where the rural population does not have the logic of industrial consumption. Since they cannot be included in these processes, they are pushed out and marginalized in order to bring in workers from other parts. This leads to greater inequality and an activity that is not tied to territory but to an international process. We are turning our tourist centers into exploited mines. “This raw materials economy, which has been criticized by many, is also part of tourism.”
Some of the most paradigmatic cases of this “extractive tourism” can be found in Mexico, the country of Rodríguez Abitia, where even the word “acapulquizarse” is used. The expression refers to the Acapulco case as a kind of indication of what should be done – and, above all, what should not be done – regarding the development of a city that has gone from a mecca of tourism to a capital of violence .
“Another example is Playa del Carmen, which is idolized here in Argentina and elsewhere. It is one of the communities in Mexico with the highest suicide and family breakdown rates. The vast majority of residents are tourist immigrants. The logic is to arrive at a place, exploit it as much as possible and, when it becomes Acapulco, leave again. It’s the moment when you say, ‘Something’s wrong.’”
People must be at the center of the discussion and the generation of change, says the Mexican. Not just among those who travel, but also among those who receive travelers, who live locally and work in the industry. “We can only talk about development if it is ensured that both visitors and residents of tourist communities are well off. If you don’t make it, there’s only growth, but it’s not the same.”
The main point of tension is convincing certain actors in the public and private tourism sectors, for whom numbers remain the only priority. “The same people who promoted this model are aware that not everything is automatically positive, but that it causes environmental and social problems that are contrary to them. You can ask Acapulco hoteliers what they think. Surely they will tell you: “We were wrong.” Composing this problem is not so easy. That is why we must prevent this from happening and other destinations becoming “Acapulqui” with the only logic of lower costs and higher incomes at all costs. “We have a problem when ethics go down the drain.”
After a few minutes of conversation with Rodríguez Abitia, questions are still swirling in the air. He does them himself, even if he doesn’t have the answers. Why do we want more tourists? What is the optimal number of domestic and foreign tourists? Why do secretariats and ministries commit the “sin” of giving importance only to their promotion office? Are we selling tourists a city or a country or a caricature of the place?
In short, a big part of the discussion is about making tourism more sustainable and getting to the bottom of the concept without distorting it. “They gave tourism many names: ecological, social, community, gastronomic and so on. It’s part of an enormous need to position yourself. Sustainable has become fashionable and no one really knows what it is. When talking about sustainability and sustainable development, one has to address the economic aspect, but also the environmental and social aspects, which are the areas where the least work is done. That’s why we like to talk about social sustainability. Because there are many environmentalists who fight for the landscape and the animals, but no one defends people. What’s the point of caring for the environment and making money if it doesn’t serve the well-being of people?”