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 beenwhat they hoped.
The community decides to end the experiment in tourism andreturn to agriculture full-time. You know that you'll soon have to clearanother hectare (two and a half acres) of primary forest for a coffee plantation.You need the money to pay for a new roof and school supplies for your children.Agriculture is once again the way of life here, and you hope that by gettingrid of tourism you will be able to live quietly here in Pangayacu for manydecades to come.
 |  |
| Losing tourism means expanding agriculture. More rainforest must be cleared,leaving the community with less than 15% of its land forested. | Losing tourism means losing money too. You and your neighbors once againearn about $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?
