The Crisis |
Tourism is the fastest growing sector of the economy. Many businesses overlook all environmental impacts because they have tunnel vision to the profits. The Dominican is looking to cash in on the economic opportunity that is within its natural environment.Tourism focuses on large hotels, sandy white beaches and clear water, all of which it is destroying. An economy centered around tourism cannot be sustained because this sector of the economy practical destroys itself.
The ironic thing out tourism is that local politicians believe that it is benefiting citizens. In fact, majority of the profits from tourism are sucked out of the economy into foreign investors. Tourism takes away the local's profits and destroys their homeland. If the current pattern of tourism continues, the beauty of the Dominican Republic will be diminished. There are over 100 endangered species in the jungles and beaches of surrounding the Dominican Republic. Tourism may cause these animals to become more endangered or even become extinct. The natural beauty of the Dominican Republic must be harnessed. One citizen said, "Right now we are poor and the beauty is ours. If tourism continues, we will still be poor but the beauty will no longer be ours " Tourism is the second leading source of revenue for this Caribbean country, which has 676 hotels, receiving some eight million visitors in 2007-2008, according to Central Bank figures. Removing tourism as a whole would be devastating to the economy and the people of the Dominican Republic. In order to preserve it's natural resources, the Dominican Republic needs a shift to ecotourism. Ecotourism is both sustainable and less harmful to the environment. By definition, ecotourism is the purposeful travel to natural areas to understand the culture and natural history of the environment; taking care not to alter the integrity of the ecosystem; producing economic opportunities that make the conservation of natural resources beneficial to local people.Ecotourism should be implied because of the many benefits to the environment and the people. Ecotourism's main goal is minimize the negative affects of hotels, trails, and other infrastructure by using either recycled materials or other already available materials. This includes using renewable sources of energy and disposing of all materials properly. Hotels and resorts are both environmentally and culturally aware of the environment and aim to improve overall conditions. Limited damage occurs when ecotourism is implied and the environment is preserved. The Dominican Republic needs to prioritize the future over the present. Profit cannot be put over protection. |
Sources |
"Active Adventures in South America." Defining Ecotourism. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Dec. 2015. <http://untamedpath.com/eco-tours/defining-ecotourism.shtml>.
"DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Tourism Threatens Natural Treasure." - Global Issues. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Dec. 2015. <http://www.globalissues.org/news/2009/05/30/1668>. "Tourism Sectors Developmental Effects On The Dominican Republic Tourism Essay." UKEssays. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Dec. 2015. <http://www.ukessays.com/essays/tourism/tourism-sectors-developmental-effects-on-the-dominican-republic-tourism-essay.php>. |