Decommodifying ecotourism: Rethinking global-local interactions with host communities

This article examines the implications of a decommodifying thesis for the g lobal-local politics of host communities and ecotourism, and the future of this form of tourism in Australia and elsewhere. Decommodified social polic y is usually accessible to all and places social objectives and human right s such as the right to work or to a decent standard of living over that of economic value and ends. The commodified/decommodified distinction can also be applied to the development of ecotourism. Commodifying processes occur where the final outcome is defined as the economic use-value of the product . Current directions in ecotourism are towards the commodification of natur e in the search for global profits and the tourist dollar in capitalist eco nomies. We argue that the negative impacts of such a trajectory on host com munities require decommodifying actions towards ecological sustainable tour ism. In place of the almost exclusive pursuit of industry profits, ecotouri sm needs to place social value on local environments and economics. These i nclude: the touristic approaches of indigenous or host communities; the qua lity of interaction of tourism with such communities and with nature; the e thics of care for nature; and, a greater appreciation of the consequences o f human action on nature in local economies. Several examples of variation, innovation and resistance to commodifying and globalising processes amongs t such host communities are discussed. Criteria are developed for a realiza ble fit between the concerns of globalisation of tourism and the preservati on of tradition and cultural identity in ecotourist industries. The key dif ficulty for sustainable local ecotourist industries is seen to lie in the c ommodifying potential of global processes. Finally, policy strategies towar ds more decommodified practice are suggested such as increasing government regulation and for self-regulation of the industry using measures like stro nger industry compliance to codes of ethics and specified limits on tourist carry capacity in host locations.