Paradise Lost

What can be done to stop tourism destroying the object of its affection? Maurice Chandler
reports on the boom in world travel.

On the sun-soaked Mediterranean island of Majorca, the locals are angry. Too late. In the last
quarter of the twentieth century, they cashed in on foreign nationals, mainly Germans, wanting
to buy up property on their idyllic island. Suddenly it occurred to Majorcans that the island no
longer belonged to them. They don't deny tourism's vital contribution to the local economy. The
industry has transformed Majorca from one of Spain's poorest parts to the richest in per capita
income. But the island's 630,000 inhabitants are increasingly convinced that the 14 million
foreign visitors a year are far too much of a good thing. Water is rationed, pollution is worsening,
and there is no affordable housing left for them to buy.

On the other side of the world, 250 Filipinos were recently evicted from their homes. Their lake-
shore village of Ambulong was cleared by hundreds of police, who demolished 24 houses. The
intention of the authorities was to make way for a major business venture - not oil, logging, or
mining, but an environmentally-friendly holiday resort.

Section A: …………………………………………
Tourism is the world's largest and fastest growing industry. In 1950, 25m people travelled abroad;
last year it was 750m. The World Tourism Organization estimates that by 2020 1.6bn people will
travel each year, spending over two trillion US dollars.

Section B: …………………………………………
To millions of tourists, foreign destinations are exotic paradises, unspoilt, idyllic, and full of local
charm. But many of the world's resorts are struggling to cope with relentless waves of tourists,
whose demands for ever more swimming pools and golf courses are sucking them dry.

'The issue is massive and global,' says Tricia Barnett, director of Tourism Concern, a charity which
campaigns for more responsible approaches to travel. 'Tourists in Africa will be having a shower
and then will see a local woman with a pot of water on her head, and they are not making the
connection. Sometimes you'll see a village with a single tap, when each hotel has taps and
showers in every room.'

The problem is that tourists demand so much water. It has been calculated that a tourist in Spain
uses up 880 litres of water a day, compared with 250 Iitres by a local. An 18-hole golf course in a
dry country can consume as much water as a town of 10,000 people. In the Caribbean, hundreds
of thousands of people go without piped water during the high tourist season, as springs are
piped to hotels.
‘In1950, 25m people travelled abroad; last year it was 750m.’

Article adapted from Soars. L & Soars, J.2005, New Headway Upper Intermediate Student’s Book , 3rd Ed., OUP, Oxford, pp.20-21.
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Section C: …………………………………………
The host country may not see many benefits. InThailand, 60% of the $4bn annual tourism
revenue leaves the country. Low-end package tourists tend to stay at big foreign-owned hotels,
cooped up in the hotel compound, buying few local products, and having no contact with the
local community other than with the waiters and chambermaids employed by the hotel. 'Mass
tourism usually leaves little money inside the country; says Tricia Barnett. 'Most of the money
ends up with the airlines, the tour operators, and the foreign hotel owners.'

These days the industry's most urgent question may be how to keep the crowds at bay. A prime
example of this is Italy, where great cultural centres like Florence and Venice can't handle all the
tourists they get every summer. In Florence, where the city's half-million or so inhabitants have to
live with the pollution, gridlock, and crime generated by 11 million visitors a year, there's talk not
only of boosting hotel taxes, but even of charging admission to some public squares. The idea is
to discourage at least some visitors, as well as to pay for cleaning up the mess.

Section D: …………………………………………
For many poorer countries, tourism may still offer the best hope for development. 'The
Vietnamese are doing their best to open up their country,' says Patrick Duffey of the World
Tourism Organization. 'Iran is working on a master plan for their tourism. Libya has paid $1 million
for a study. They all want tourists. And people like to discover ever new parts of the world: they
are tired of mass tourism. Even if a country doesn't have beaches, it can offer mountains and
deserts and unique cultures.'

Yet if something isn't done, tourism seems destined to become the victim of its own success. Its
impact on the environment is a major concern. In hindsight, tourist organizations might have
second thoughts about what exactly they were trying to sell. As Steve McGuire, a tourist
consultant, says, 'Tourism more often than not ruins the very assets it seeks to exploit, and having
done the damage, simply moves off elsewhere.'

‘For poorer countries, tourism may still offer the best hope for development.’
(808 words)

Article adapted from Soars. L & Soars, J.2005, New Headway Upper Intermediate Student’s Book , 3rd Ed., OUP, Oxford, pp.20-21.
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Paradise Lost
Look at the list of places. Match the country to the picture.

What do you know about them? Would you like to visit these places? Why?

1 2 3

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Thailand …….. Africa …….. Australia …….. Singapore …….. Greece …….. Venice ……..

What do you know about them? Would you like to visit these places? Why?

Comprehension Questions

1. Skim the article Paradise Lost for one minute (time yourself using your watch or mobile phone). Which of
the above places is mentioned?

Make notes about the important facts about each place here:

Place Important facts

Article adapted from Soars. L & Soars, J.2005, New Headway Upper Intermediate Student’s Book , 3rd Ed., OUP, Oxford, pp.20-21.
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2. Read the article again. Choose the correct heading for each section:

i. The effects of tourism Section A ……..

ii. Winners and losers Section B ……..

iii. The future Section C ……..

iv. A growth industry Section D ……..

3. Read the article carefully and answer these questions.

a. What are three problems caused by tourists on Majorca?

…………………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………

b. How much will the tourism industry be worth by 2020? …………………………………………………..

c. How is the attitude of tourists a problem in Africa?

…………………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………

d. Why are golf courses a particular problem?

…………………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………

e. How is Thailand affected economically as a result of foreign investment?

…………………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………

f. Who benefits from mass tourism?

…………………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………

g. What is one idea that has been suggested to solve Florence’s tourist problems?

…………………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………

h. Give two examples of ways poorer countries are encouraging tourism.

…………………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………

i. Why are people keen to visit these poorer countries?

…………………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………

j. How has tourism become “a victim of its own success”?

…………………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………………………………………

Article adapted from Soars. L & Soars, J.2005, New Headway Upper Intermediate Student’s Book , 3rd Ed., OUP, Oxford, pp.20-21.
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