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Mosaic 1 Reading, 4/e
Brenda Wegmann
Miki Knezevic

Health and Leisure

Before You Read: Skimming for the Topic

It is obvious from the title that the following reading deals with tourism. But what kind of tourism does it talk about? Skim the reading and choose the word or phrase that best expresses the topic of the reading. Then read the article all the way through.

Read



Can Tourism Have a Heart?



As the world becomes smaller and the tourism industry grows, travelers are beginning to penetrate places that until recently had been isolated. The consequence of this is that many cultures, monuments, and ecosystems which were heretofore protected by their isolation have been somehow affected by the traffic, waste, pollution, and social impact of tourists. "Responsible" travel is a trend that has grown as a reaction to this phenomenon. Forms of travel such as ecotourism and cultural tourism have become popular alternatives to the more traditional resorts and package tours. Yet while travelers believe they are being more sensitive tourists, these new types of tourism have their own problems and can negatively affect destination communities.

Another trend in "responsible" tourism is service learning, or international volunteer service. This "volunteer tourism" is a way that travelers can contribute to the society they are visiting. They find out first hand about a culture while helping an underserved community on a volunteer project such as building a wall, teaching English, farming, or renovating a building. These programs can range from one-week work camps to two-year positions living and working in a developing country. The best-known international volunteer service program is the Peace Corps. The Peace Corps was started in 1961 by President Kennedy and has sent 165,000 American volunteers overseas to over 135 countries since then. Peace Corps volunteers have to go through a rigorous application process and spend at least two years overseas.

Like ecotourism and cultural tourism, which are criticized for not always benefiting the destination communities, service learning has its own problems as well. Some argue that it serves the volunteer more than the destination community. It gives the volunteer a good feeling and a sense of accomplishment, while in actuality, little may be achieved on site. Others argue that it causes resentment among host communities who are sometimes not included in the planning of the projects. Finally, at its most extreme, the globalization aspect of international service learning is seen by some as a form of neo-colonialism — the first world imposing its view and customs on the developing world. Even the Peace Corps has been criticized for being more concerned with finding placements for its many volunteers than with creating an effective program. Yet with all the criticisms, it must be recognized that the object of service learning is just that: learning―on both sides. Volunteers find out what it means to be a citizen of the world, and the fact that they may take away more than they give doesn't necessarily mean the project has failed but rather that they recognize that they still have lessons to learn from others.

Here are the accounts of two international volunteers, Andrew and Marya, both Americans who volunteered at international work camps. Find out about their experiences.

Andrew/Czech Republic

I have always been interested in public service. While in high school and college, I did a lot of community service. Since graduating from college I have been working in the field of affordable housing and founded a grassroots nonprofit organization devoted to fair housing in urban areas. After college, I decided to do some international volunteer service before entering the workforce. I had never traveled much, and I liked the idea of doing public service while experiencing a new part of the world. I signed up with a well-known program that organizes short-term work camps for a reasonable fee. I decided to do a two-week program in Slavicín, Czech Republic.

When we arrived in Slavicín, we were greeted by representatives from the organization who showed us where we would be living: a dorm with other international volunteers, totally removed from any Czech locals or establishments such as bars or restaurants. The next day we were more or less dropped in the middle of a field and told to clear it. We worked on our own—not with any Czech farmers or field hands. We spent the two weeks working in a heat wave, without water, decent food (although the food was what a local field hand would eat), or protection from the blazing sun. After work, the volunteers in my group mainly hung out with each other, and none of us got to know anyone from the town. In fact, I don't even know if they knew we existed.

I suppose the experience could have been worse, but I have to admit I was pretty disappointed. On one hand, I did experience life as a Czech field hand would: same food, same working conditions. But I don't know if the problems we faced, such as lack of water, proper tools, and decent food is appropriate if you're actually paying someone to organize the experience for you. Additionally, one of my main goals was to meet Czech people, practice the language (I speak Russian, so I thought I might understand a little), and learn about their culture, but instead I met a lot of rich teenagers who were doing the program in hopes that it would contribute to their college applications. I left feeling that not only had I contributed very little to the community in Slavicín, but that I had gained very little myself. I had a great tan, though!

Marya/Guatemala

I decided to go to Guatemala after working in the corporate world for about five years. I was taking a break before entering business school and knew I wanted to travel abroad. After being in the money-hungry world of management consulting, the idea of trying to give something to an underserved community really appealed to me, so some sort of international service that incorporated work and travel seemed ideal. I researched many programs, and finally settled on a work camp in Llanos de Morales, a village in the highlands of Guatemala. I would be working with the villagers building a wall to protect a school from flooding.

The program started with a day of orientation in Guatemala City. Then we traveled to Llanos and were paired with host families. The work was hard, but the working environment was great, both with my fellow volunteers and the host community. I think that one of the most effective things about the experience was that the organization I chose in the United States partnered with a local organization in Guatemala, and the project was generated by a local organization, so it had a better chance of success. Each one of us was matched with a participant in the community, so we worked side by side, directed by community leaders. I was really comfortable with this joint approach because I felt less like an outsider coming in, and more like someone who was providing a needed service. I got the impression that was an especially good project that worked extremely well because there is always a danger that you are seen as outsiders and the community is resentful.

I definitely recognize that I was the one who benefited the most. From a personal point of view, it was a very powerful experience. From the point of view of the community, it was a more mixed experience, and I don't know if there's any way to avoid that. We provided the money and labor, so it was like we were in a position of power despite being directed by locals. What we gave was not a permanent solution to help them but rather a quick fix for a distinct problem. Also, living with families, and it was obvious that people had given up a lot to have us in their homes. At the same time, the kids in the school really enjoyed spending time with native English speakers and learned a lot from us. From the community's point of view there was a tradeoff.

After working in a fast-paced environment for so long, those two weeks in Guatemala made a big impression on me. Even though it was only two weeks, I really got a sense of how the locals lived their lives. Of course there are the obvious differences, such as the lack of plumbing and electricity. But beyond that I also got a sense of our differences in terms of pace and values. In that village in Guatemala, life has a different pace―you experience the moment―you're not hurrying from one thing to the next. Part of that comes from not having many options, and part comes from a greater emphasis on personal relationships. It definitely made me reevaluate the pace of my own life and rethink the things from which I derive pleasure. The great patience that people have was at first frustrating, but soon became enlightening. To learn that "slow" didn't have to mean frustrating was very important for me. That has stuck with me.

Both Marya and Andrew have continued to be committed to public service. Marya has volunteered her business skills to local non-profits and Andrew has continued to work in urban community development. Neither has volunteered for another work camp.



1

A)Ecotourism
B)Cultural Tourism
C)International Service Learning