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 a few Quichua men. Some peoplein the community begin complaining about the bad influence on the children.After several community meetings, everyone agrees that tourism has not beengood for Pangayacu.
The community votes to end your experiment in tourism. You'llhave to return to agriculture full-time. You know that you'll soon haveto clear another hectare (two and a half acres) of primary forest for acoffee plantation. You need the money to pay for a new roof and school suppliesfor your children. Agriculture is once again the way of life here.
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| Losing tourism means expanding agriculture. More rainforest must be cleared,leaving the community with less than 10% of its land in primary forest. | Losing tourism means losing money too. You and the others 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?
