Amazon Interactive
The Ecotourism Game
Have a contemporary fiesta
Manytourists are surprised when you bring out the stereo, plug it into the gasolinegenerator, and play pop music. Some sit on the benches, confused and obviouslynot having much fun. Others get up and dance, enjoying the beer and aguardientecane alcohol which is repeatedly passed around.
Over the months, you notice that fewer tourists are comingto your community. The ones that do seem less interested in the rainforestand more interested in the fiestas and the liquor. It's not unusual fortourists to stay up until 4 a.m. drinking with Pedro and Fernando. Somepeople in the community begin complaining about the bad influence on thechildren. After several community meetings, everyone agrees that touristsare no longer welcome.
The community votes to end your experiment in tourism. Youwill have to return to agriculture full-time. You know that you'll soonhave to clear another hectare (two and a half acres) of primary forest fora coffee plantation. You need the money to pay for a new roof and schoolsupplies for your children. Agriculture is once again your life. Eventuallyyou forget about tourism, especially since there are so few patches of primaryforest left to attract tourists.
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| Losing tourism means expanding agriculture. More rainforest must be cleared,leaving you with less than 15% of your land forested. | Losing tourism means losing money too. You and your friends once again earnabout $600 a year, after the brief burst of income from tourism. |
This is the end of the ecotourism game.
Would you like to see what happens if you stagea traditional cultural program?
