Running head: SURFING TOURISM
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SURFING TOURISM
Surfing Tourism
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Introduction
Surfing Tourism has had a significant impact on the people of Lagundri. The locals have been involved in harvesting coconut and rice to put the food on the table. However, surfing tourism has boosted the economic, social and cultural activities in the area. However, it has had a negative impact such as promoting crime in Lagundri area. Following the case study of the surfing tourism in the lagundri Bay about the Indonesian island of Nias, various social impacts were eminent, and there is a need for improvement of the development as the surfing tourism destination undertakes it. After the earthquake of the 2004/ 2005, one can be embark on that it was a chance for the Lagundri community to change the nature of the surfing tourism in their community via procedural limits of acceptable change. The aim of this essay is to outline how surfing tourism has impacted the Lagundri community and various management tools, strategies as well as actions that ought to have been used in addressing various impacts in the aspect of rebuilding Lagundri Bay surfing tourism industry following the tsunami natural disaster. On the other hand, the objective of the essay is to discuss whether the economic activity the people of Lagundri engaged in could be their destiny, social-cultural impacts of surfing tourism and strategies and actions to take to rebuild Lagundri after the occurrence of calamities. The aims and objectives will be met by conducting a thorough research from different sources.
Do you think that the simple life of harvesting coconuts and rice would have been a better destiny for the people of Lagundri?
I do not think that the simple life of harvesting coconuts and rice would have been a better destiny for the people of Lagundri. For a long time, the inhabitants of Lugundri have been engaging in farming to eke out a living. However, making a living out of farming has turned out to be a pipe dream. People of Lagundri have been plagued by Endemic poverty, and this is an indicator that economic activity such as farming has not been successful (Lovett, 2010). The income that these people make out of the activity of selling rice and coconuts is barely enough to feed them. It means that most of the families at Lagundri strive to put the food on the table and this has been a glaring challenge. The agricultural activity that the local villagers engage in does not generate the necessary means to cater for education and medication. As a result, most of the children do not receive adequate education as required since harvesting of rice and coconut provides income for necessity. The residents barely make to get two dollars in a day and the World Bank term this as poverty. In this regard, the tourism industry is the only source of income that can have a significant positive impact on the people of Lagundri (Barilloti, 2010).
Briefly, outline what you think the key socio-cultural impacts of surfing tourism to Lagundri Bay have been
Surfing tourism has had a key social-cultural impact on the Lagundri Bay. Surfing tourism has promoted cultural exchange between the locals and the visitors. When locals visit non-locals, they tend to learn the language of each other. This enhances interaction between the people of Lagundri Bay and the visitors. Tourism further promotes peace among the people that are involved in interaction, and this has helped in steering other social agenda in the area (Mason, 2015).It is worth to note that, tourism enhances understanding among people from diverse background. As a result, there has been increased mutual support as well as common understanding.
The sustainable surfing tourism has added value to the Lagundri community in a variety of ways (Lovett, 2010). For instance, it has led to the creation of job opportunities to the residents. These opportunities are important in that they enable the people to put food on the table. Besides, the social lives of the people have been impacted positively due to the returns they gain when they gain job opportunities. It is imperative to note that, surfing tourism has reduced juvenile delinquency that is brought about by poverty such as lack of food. People who earn their dairy bread from tourism activities have been able to provide for their families, and this has reduced undesirable behavior among the young people including children in Lagundri. Tourism activities have reduced rural-urban migration in the area. People usually move from the rural area to town to search for employment opportunities. However, the creation of these opportunities in Lagundri has made the locals to stick in the area and eke out a living. This shows the advancement of civilization and people are embracing modern attributes without abandoning their culture. Even with interaction with foreigners, the residents have preserved their cultural heritage. Visitors have to preserve natural resources as well protect the heritage of Lagundri. During celebrations and festivities, locals entertain tourists with dances when they visit the area, and this is a preservation of cultural heritage (Mason, 2015). Surfing tourism has led to the establishment of community facilities such as clinic, churches, and schools (Lovett, 2010). The development of clinic has improved the healthcare of Lagundri locals due to the access to the clinic. As the health of the people improves, residents can engage in other activities without health related problems being attended.
Despite its positive impact, surfing tourism has weakened the culture of the residents. When tourists visit Lagundri, they tend to interact with locals. As they interact, the locals ape some of the things that tourists do such as using the language used by the visitors and this has been weakening the culture of the people of Lagundri. There are other social vices that crop up such as gambling, crime, and alcoholism (Barilloti, 2010). Tourists like gaming such as gambling, and this makes the youths to engage in such activities for money. There is also a behavior of alcoholism that develops as the residents like to do what the visitors do. Due to tourism activities that take place in the area, young people tend to engage in crime such as stealing from other people which is considered as undesirable behavior.
Management tools, strategies, and actions that could have been used to address rebuilding impact of the Lagundri Bay surfing tourism industry afterward tsunami/earthquake natural disasters
Doxey’s (1975) ‘Irridex’ model put forward that societies pass through various responses following the influences of developing tourism industry as they become more pronounced to perceptions and changes experienced. It is imperative to come to the realization that tourism in destination all over the world faces some challenges that are related to political, environmental as well social crisis hence need for environmental management system. There are some of the external forces that destination managers together with tourism planners lack control over and nor some extent play a critical part of influencing the choice of the consumer through environmental impact assessment. We have all witnessed how the air travel post 9/11, HINI outbreak in 2009 as well as political instability all over the world has been troublesome in the wellbeing of the tourism businesses. Disasters extant challenges to tourism industry mainly because of the negative impact on the visitor’s number and the potential for the traveler’s impact on recovering destinations (Baggio, Czakon & Mariani, 2016).
Being demonstrated effect to communities, conservation of the environment as well as the provision of supportive solutions to the local problems is paramount. Some of the undertakings in this case study should have included emergency preparedness as well as response programs that deal with climate-related as well natural disasters around the globe. Through Pretty’s Typology of Participation, It is imperative to have an effective plan of rebuilding the infrastructures that have the capacity of being able to remain standing in case of a disaster hence facilitating the resilience of the industry’s construction and earthquake technology. The impending question in this entire scenario is about the causes of these destructive natural forces and their impact on the economic resources besides the technological infrastructure paramount in taking tourism industry to the next level. For instance, In the U.S. States Geological Survey displays the activity of volcanic. Thus it is possible for the scientists to monitor volcanic activity hence be able to check as well have a prediction of the likely eruption. When monitoring gas levels, it is imperative to note that levels of the sulfur dioxide and that of carbon dioxide ought to be carefully monitored for the reason that of their release from tubes or vents exhibits building pressure likely to cause an eruption. This, in the end, facilitates preservation of the traditional cultures making them curious for others to see and observe in time to come referred as the concept of Zooification (Ponting, 2007).
One of the Sustainability Certification Programs used by a scientist is QuikSCAT used together with radar as well as a satellite to facilitate precise extent of the probable scenarios of disasters such as an earthquake. It is imperative to note that QuikSCAT has the potential of registering near the surface speed of wind using “specialize microwave radar’’. It is through this that scientist can make an observation of the process through which storm descend on the surface by this means hitting out water vapor in addition to the commencing process of causing to a hurricane henceforth letting the new possibility of preparation and detection. From a political point of view may it be in developed or less developing countries, natural disasters can invoke compassion and generosity in others. From a management point of view, it is a known fact that political insinuations concerning disaster-preparedness technology fix societies are together resulting in the power of uniting nations and other organizations. Thus, is deemed necessary to assist those in need to reconstruct protected areas via valid codes of conduct (Ponting, McDonald & Wearing, 2005).
Conclusion
It is evident that surfing tourism has profoundly changed the lives of local resident at Lagundri. Surfing tourism has also created employment opportunities for the locals. It has also promoted cultural exchange that enhances understanding between the local residents and the visitors. Adopting acculturation in this case study, it is necessary to revisits role of the tourism in the aspect of culture commodification. Acceptance of the cause and effect association amongst tourism and cultural commodification stresses for the approval of the problematic idea of ‘authenticity.’ This is for the reason that tourism bases cultural commodification on largely unexamined dependence on the Marx’s labor value theory. This value referred by Barbara Herrnstein Smith as a ‘double discourse of value,’ via which intrinsic as a well sacred cultural sphere of value should have circulated the independent of an unstable as well profane trade and industry sphere of value. Thus concerning the situation in the case study, it is imperative that the management tactics, strategies and actions that were taken have thoughtfulness of the best practices at the global level via a Sustainability Management Systems.
References
Barilloti, S. (2010). Lost Horizons. The Surfer’s Journal, 89-97.
Baggio, R., Czakon, W., & Mariani, M. M. (Eds.). (2016). Managing tourism in a changing world: issues and cases. Routledge.
Lovett, K. (2005). THE KINGDOM OF LOWALANI. Lagundri Bay, Nias, 1-9.
Lovett, K. (2010). The Dream. The Surfer’s Journal, 1-1.
Lovett, K. ( 2010). The Story of Lagundi Bay. The Custodians of the Point, 84-118.
Mason, P. (2015). Tourism impacts, planning and management. Routledge.
Ponting, J., McDonald, M., & Wearing, S. (2005). De-constructing wonderland: Surfing tourism in the Mentawai Islands, Indonesia. Loisir et Société/Society and Leisure, 28(1), 141-162.
Ponting, J., & Wearing, S. L. (2003, April). Beyond Wonderland: How’Tourist Space’and Ecotourism Principles Can Facilitate Moves Towards Sustainable Surfing Tourism in the Mentawai Archipelago, Indonesia. In International Ecotourism Conference. Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia (pp. 15-17).
Ponting, J. (2007). The endless bummer: The past, present and future of surfing tourism in the Pacific. In CAUTHE Conference, Sydney.
