All that glitters in tourism is not gold

Like the Japanese tourists in the late 20th century, the rising number of free-spending Chinese tourists now appears to be most sought after in both the industrialised and emerging countries as a means of boosting their economies. Or if you like,  'the graveyards of ships' dubbed as 'ruin tourism' in New York, and their dramatic photographs online show deteriorated boats emerging at low tides to entice people to see the decaying sites for themselves, perhaps for a kick. All these have their downsides as well.
Let's begin with one of the world's top destinations of tourists Thailand and the problems they have come to face from fastest rising number of tourists from China. The Chinese nationals alone visited the country during last year was estimated to be well over 4.6 million. Tourism is an extremely important sector for the Thai economy as it contributes a whopping 8.5 per cent of the county's gross domestic product. The Chinese tourists and their numbers are also important for Thailand because on an average, they spend 5,500 baht ($160) - more than the average European visitor.
Visitors from China, according to an estimate prepared by the industry, are expected to collectively spend $5.6 billion this year - no small sum for any country anywhere. This is certainly an impressive forecast but then where lies the problem? It lies with the habit and culture of a section of the Chinese visitors, tourism officials say. This is an interesting phenomenon because Thailand, which has become a popular tourist destination since the 1970s during and after becoming the rest and recreation centre (RR) for the American soldiers in Vietnam, has come a long way in direct contact with totally different habits and cultures of the tourists coming from all directions.       
The accusations, according to various agency reports, include urinating in public, spitting on the street, or even kicking a sacred temple bell (perhaps happened by accident) have all added to a growing public resentment against the travellers from China. Growing popular anger over the perceived disrespect from the free-spending tourists, prompted the authorities concerned to print and distribute thousands of copies in Chinese-language etiquette manuals to keep the seemingly unknowing and unconcerned tourists in check.
The French news agency quoted a tour guide Pin Su, at White Temple, as saying that her job has become an art in diplomacy because of the rising number of Chinese visitors. She has managed to tell them the truth without hurting their sentiments. A tough job indeed and the graduates from the Fletcher School of Diplomacy may even envy them.
SPAIN'S BERCELONA GETTING THE HEAT: Despite continuing recession, Spain's second largest city and the iconic Mediterranean port city of Bercelona is getting the pinch of becoming one of the world's most successful tourist centres of attraction. But the problems that the Mayor of Bercelona faces are totally different in nature than the tourist authorities and tour guides in Thailand.
The mayor, Ada Colau, an anti-eviction activist who was sworn in June, however, is working on a plan to make the residents' daily life compatible with this important economic sector that generates 120,000 jobs.  One of her problems is also to prevent the city from becoming a bland theme park as it happened in many places with the surge of demand of the money-spinning tourism industry.
Bercelona, a city of only 1.6 million residents, is the third most visited cities in Europe after London and Paris.  Around 27 million people visit the Spanish port city annually and contribute 14 per cent to its economy. So tourists are vital to Bercelona and Spain as a whole. Spain became an attractive centre of tourism for a long time, but Bercelona's problem began to surface after its successful hosting of the Olympics in 1992 when the surge in tourism began.        
'Tourists go home' is now frequently printed on the walls of the buildings in the city centre. Describing this resentment against the visitors as 'touristophobea,' the University of Berelona geography professor Francesc Lpez Palomeque explains: "This tourism boom has been a very quick process - in 25 years - and the city did not absorb it well." He should know because he had worked on the city's 2008-13 tourism plans.
Bercelona's success has also created other social problems. For example, the dependence on tourism is already evident in areas such as the tree-lined Ramblas Avenue. Once a meeting place for locals, the streets are heaving with tourists who throng fast food restaurants and souvenir shops.
Oldest flower shop owner on Ramblas Avenue Carolina Palles complains: "We are losing our essence. Where there used to be only flower, now there are only souvenirs." Her shop was founded by her great-grandmother in 1888.  
Reports say, last year there were grassroots protests against tourism in the seaside neighbourhood of Bercelona following an explosion of short-term rentals that flooded the area with young rowdy visitors. The city's mayor Ms Ada Colau, though elected to the position nearly a year after the protests, has quickly responded after her swearing-in by stopping the issuance of new licences for tourism accommodation temporarily for a year while new strategies are being worked out for the sector.         
The city now has a total of 600 hotels with 74,000 rooms in addition to 9,600 tourist apartments. However, officials suspect that the number of unregistered tourist apartments rented through online bookings is much higher. A tourism study has estimated as many as 137,000 rooms for rent in private homes are available through online platforms.
GATHERING CLOUD ON INVESTMENT: The mayor's decision has irked the investors who have staked large sums in investment in the city's future development. The decision has affected 30 projects, agencies say. These also include a plan to turn the city's iconic geyser-shaped Agbar skyscraper tower into a 5-star Hyatt hotel. This sparked protests from the investors.
The investor, Emin Capital, which has bought the Agbar building in 2013 for 150 million euros ($166 million) and had planned to open the hotel in 2017 and estimated the project would generate 1,000 jobs. Annoyed at the mayor's decision, Emin Capital's president Jordi Badia reportedly said: "Bercelona is a global model when it comes to tourism. Every investor wants to come here. But if we create larger insecurity, they will go elsewhere."
Tourism is as much a global phenomenon as it is local anywhere in the world. It generally thrives on the wind of change lubricated by orchestrated publicity and imaginatively useful facilities developed by investors. The government and the concerned authorities have to work closely hand in hand with the private sector partners, briefing them on local sensitive issues as well as making them aware of climatic and environmental compatibilities while developing facilities for tourism. These issues should be carefully articulated and should form part of the policies and conditions for developing such facilities from the very beginning. Strict monitoring of the projects at the implementation stage is necessary to prevent the issues that have a tendency to explode soon on the face when all involved tend to bask in the glory of their successes.
Such a strategy is needed more in Bangladesh where some unplanned facilities are being developed for tourism in places like Cox's Bazar, the Sundarbans and lately at the scenic beauty spot Kuakata, taking the advantage of lax government monitoring on implementation without caring about damage being done to climate and environment. Such developments in Bangladesh are still in early stage and careful planning and strict monitoring while implementing these can still save the situation from a total ruin.
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