Xinhua News Agency: Second Day Of WTO Meeting Opens With Focus On Erosion Of Culture By Voluntourism
Local Guides, Culturally Sensitive Advertisements Proposed As Solutions
UNITED NATIONS — The second day of debate in the World Tourism Organisation (WTO) started with France’s attempt to set the agenda for the day. They suggested that the council first focus on erosion of culture brought about by voluntourists, before moving to the issue of implementing solutions previously discussed in less developed countries. They would then end off with addressing issues of corruption within governments of the aforementioned countries.
Several countries then reaffirmed their stances or expressed doubts about solutions proposed yesterday in the General Speakers List. Canada in particular believe that coaching sessions for voluntourists to prevent the erosion of culture might be ineffective because of cultural differences and how the nature of short-term volunteering itself would prevent voluntourists from fully understanding tourists. The delegate proceeded to call for other measures to help unskilled tourists preserve the local culture. Israel even raised doubts that short-term voluntourism would help the countries. To bring the delegates to the brainstorming and refining of effective solutions, Egypt then motioned for a moderated caucus on solutions for cultural dilution.
In this caucus, the cause of cultural dilution was reaffirmed by France to be short-term, unskilled tourists. Citing examples of how goods like drugs and mobile phones have been brought in to communities and left lasting damage on the community, Russia suggested that there should be a restriction on material goods to be given to locals, which was supported by Mongolia and Japan. Japan followed up on Russia’s suggestion, adding that not only would the goods tourists bring in damage the psyche of the people, it would also damage the environment they lived in. Ghana suggested that lessons on local cultural norms and acceptable behaviour should be offered to voluntourists, and addressed Canada’s concerns that training would not improve the cultural sensitivity of voluntourists, stating that even a little help was better than no help at all. Canada itself had other proposals that focused on another aspect of the problem. It believed that generic communication messages used by voluntourist companies would give false information about the destination to tourists. Personalised advertisements that showcase the culture of the destination would help with cultural sensitivity. Nigeria agreed with Canada’s concerns, adding on that locals from nongovernmental organisations could accompany voluntourists and provide advice on appropriate behaviour in the country, and the best ways to educate the local children to prevent the erosion of local language. This sentiment was echoed by Germany. However, the education of local language may perhaps be best left to the locals who have a more than fluent grasp on the language, instead of tourists that might not even understand the language itself.
As a conclusion, Egypt declared that voluntourists needed to stick to the original objective that they were meant to accomplish in the country. The delegate used an example of building a well in a country, stating that if the tourists came to build the well, they should stick to building the well and not interact too much with the locals.
When the caucus ended, many solutions were dismissed by Mongolia as unfeasible. The idea by Nigeria on local guides accompanying the tourists was criticised as a huge strain on a country’s budget, and Russia’s suggestion on the restriction of items was declared to be unrealistic as it would take too much time and effort to check all the items that voluntourists would be carrying. In response, Egypt suggested that local guides could take 5 to 6 people instead of taking just one at a time. France then proposed what it believed would be a more realistic solution to introduce tests that would require a certain level of understanding of local culture to volunteer.
Mongolia then ended the conversations going on in the GSL by motioning for an unmoderated caucus to prevent a repeat of yesterday, where the debate was going in circles.
The delegates have two more topics to discuss. They will be finishing them today.
UNITED NATIONS — The second day of debate in the World Tourism Organisation (WTO) started with France’s attempt to set the agenda for the day. They suggested that the council first focus on erosion of culture brought about by voluntourists, before moving to the issue of implementing solutions previously discussed in less developed countries. They would then end off with addressing issues of corruption within governments of the aforementioned countries.
Several countries then reaffirmed their stances or expressed doubts about solutions proposed yesterday in the General Speakers List. Canada in particular believe that coaching sessions for voluntourists to prevent the erosion of culture might be ineffective because of cultural differences and how the nature of short-term volunteering itself would prevent voluntourists from fully understanding tourists. The delegate proceeded to call for other measures to help unskilled tourists preserve the local culture. Israel even raised doubts that short-term voluntourism would help the countries. To bring the delegates to the brainstorming and refining of effective solutions, Egypt then motioned for a moderated caucus on solutions for cultural dilution.
In this caucus, the cause of cultural dilution was reaffirmed by France to be short-term, unskilled tourists. Citing examples of how goods like drugs and mobile phones have been brought in to communities and left lasting damage on the community, Russia suggested that there should be a restriction on material goods to be given to locals, which was supported by Mongolia and Japan. Japan followed up on Russia’s suggestion, adding that not only would the goods tourists bring in damage the psyche of the people, it would also damage the environment they lived in. Ghana suggested that lessons on local cultural norms and acceptable behaviour should be offered to voluntourists, and addressed Canada’s concerns that training would not improve the cultural sensitivity of voluntourists, stating that even a little help was better than no help at all. Canada itself had other proposals that focused on another aspect of the problem. It believed that generic communication messages used by voluntourist companies would give false information about the destination to tourists. Personalised advertisements that showcase the culture of the destination would help with cultural sensitivity. Nigeria agreed with Canada’s concerns, adding on that locals from nongovernmental organisations could accompany voluntourists and provide advice on appropriate behaviour in the country, and the best ways to educate the local children to prevent the erosion of local language. This sentiment was echoed by Germany. However, the education of local language may perhaps be best left to the locals who have a more than fluent grasp on the language, instead of tourists that might not even understand the language itself.
As a conclusion, Egypt declared that voluntourists needed to stick to the original objective that they were meant to accomplish in the country. The delegate used an example of building a well in a country, stating that if the tourists came to build the well, they should stick to building the well and not interact too much with the locals.
When the caucus ended, many solutions were dismissed by Mongolia as unfeasible. The idea by Nigeria on local guides accompanying the tourists was criticised as a huge strain on a country’s budget, and Russia’s suggestion on the restriction of items was declared to be unrealistic as it would take too much time and effort to check all the items that voluntourists would be carrying. In response, Egypt suggested that local guides could take 5 to 6 people instead of taking just one at a time. France then proposed what it believed would be a more realistic solution to introduce tests that would require a certain level of understanding of local culture to volunteer.
Mongolia then ended the conversations going on in the GSL by motioning for an unmoderated caucus to prevent a repeat of yesterday, where the debate was going in circles.
The delegates have two more topics to discuss. They will be finishing them today.
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