Alternativ Alternative Tourism Analysis

1.Introduction

Comprehensively, we are probably aware that Mass Tourism has the accompanying attributes: (a) involvement of a huge number of people in tourism, (b) holidays are being standardized, rigidly packaged and inflexible (Karamustafa 2012), (c) it is being mass produced and mass marketed and (d) consumed by tourists that are unconcerned about the local culture or practices. This goes to say that Mass Tourism requires vast improvement in tourism and the need of the involvement of international travel intermediaries like travel agencies and tour operators (Karamustafa 2012). Travel agencies and tour operators tend to combine individual element into one package that is standardized. Destinations can easily substitute one another since mass tourism is being homogenized and rigid. While Mass Tourism can be seen to bring about economic development, it is also linked with several negative effects. These impacts would be further discussed in this essay.
Alternative Tourism also aims to foster the involvement of the locals in decision making and adding them in the tourism development process. Alternative Tourism stresses the idea of conserving social, natural and historical assets of a tourist destination (Christou 2012). Alternative Tourism is more than just concerning of the physical environment but also includes economic, social and cultural considerations. It emphasizes on slow but sustainable growth rather than Mass Tourism that aims at quick economic revenues and less focused on environmental, social impacts and sustainable development. This essay seeks to analyse the positive impacts of Alternative Tourism. However, there are also underlining impacts that questions what Alternative Tourism can bring about in the