Object Oriented Travel In South America

Object Oriented Travel

The first time I went to South America I bought numerous souvenirs and trinkets, but the last time I went to South America I brought virtually nothing home with me. When I was twelve I had the opportunity to take a trip to Peru. Throughout the trip my eyes were caught by all the intricate souvenirs that were on sale in every market and I was frequently tempted to purchase random odds and ends. My friends bought matching woven bags, parents bought hand dyed scarfs, and I claimed several stone pendants. However, as we moved from town to town, I quickly began to realize that the ‘authentic, homemade’ trinkets were oddly similar to the ones I had seen in previous towns and cities. Then, a few years later when I had the opportunity

A vicious cycle often starts where as more industry turns to perpetuating the almost mythic qualities symbols advertise to tourists, fewer individuals can sustain themselves in traditional occupations. While increased tourism may bring more money, tourists bring with them the expectations they have gathered from past travels and slowly many towns and cities start to change to meet these expectations to keep the tourism market. When I travelled in South America in many of the more tourist trafficked areas it was almost impossible to find a shop that did not cater to tourists on the main streets. While it is unreasonable to expect or desire every community to maintain traditional practices as modern conveniences and wealth enter an area, it is problematic when natives are unable to continue their traditional lifestyle if they wanted to. Eventually natives of the area may feel pushed to leave as the area caters less and less to them. This is especially visible in small towns where the tourism industry can become the main economic

I, for example, have almost entirely stopped purchasing any souvenir like things on trips I take because I realized that by engaging too much with the symbols of a place I enjoyed less of my travel, instead I was experiencing one tourist culture. It is important for people involved in efforts to increase tourism to have concrete plans for how they will maintain important cultural traditions and maintain a livable space for those who currently live in the area. Ali, a man from Goreme, Turkey, which became popular once UNESCO awarded its symbols of fairy chimneys and hot-air balloons World Heritage Site status, is an example of someone who positively navigated how symbols affected his cultural sharing with tourists. After creating a hotel from the natural caves in the area, he noticed how quickly the entire region had changed as the tourism industry ballooned in both positive and negative ways. The augmented amount of money allowed for better quality of life for countless individuals, but several traditions were becoming extinct. Ali found a way to merge the increase of tourism with the preservation of culture by bringing tourists into a restored traditional garden. In this way, Ali was able to capitalize on the simplistic imagery of hot-air balloons and chimneys to lure people