AI SEMINAR 7 -- ANSWER KEY Perspectives on Tourism Pre-reading Task: 1) projected growth of tourism by 2020 2) spreading western values through tourism 3) people who criticise the tourism industry 4) a negative example of so-called "ecotourism" 5) the portion of travel spending represented by ecotourism 6) cheaper airplane fuel 7) tourism as a non-polluting industry 8) the needs and desires of western travellers 9) a way of living off natural resources (agriculture and fishing) 10) number of people who could lose their jobs in a tourism downturn Reading Task 1: A) Great Changes are Needed - 11 B) Tourist Funds Can Rescue Wildlife - 8 C) An Alternative to Typical Tourism - 10 D) Tourism Creates Jobs - none E) The Industry Takes Away the Local Flavour - 9 F) The Commercialisation of Traditional Festivals - 7 G) Changes in Personal Attitudes to Travel - 12 H) Travel Doesn't Always Help the Local Community - 6 Listening (6 minutes) The Impact of Tourism Note: Some difficult expressions are explained at the end of the text.* Presenter: Fiji is a group of tropical islands in the Pacific Ocean. Tony Green has just (1) revisited Fiji, where he worked during the early eighties. He's noticed how the islands and islanders have changed. Tony, is Fiji the "tropical holiday paradise" that the holiday brochures tell us about? Tony: Well, in many ways it still is -- if you can get away from the main island and the capital, Suva. There are, after all, over (2) 300 islands in the group, of which only one hundred are inhabited. Politically, Fiji is not a very (3) stable nation -- the main problem is that of the 670,000 people, half are ethnic Fijians and half are ethnic Indians, the descendants of labourers who came to work on the (4) sugar plantations. The Indians tend to* run the commercial life of the islands. They have the businesses and the shops, (5) whereas the Fijians own the land and they are farmers and fishermen - oh, and they also dominate the government. (6) Recently , many Indians have left Fiji because life has become more difficult for them and these (7) racial tensions have rather destabilised the country, making it less popular than other more (8) peaceful destinations. Tourism started in the late sixties because flights between America and Australia had to land in Fiji to (9) refuel and visitors began to stop over in Fiji, to (10) sample which was then an unspoilt, quote "tropical paradise" unquote. The tourists mainly came, and still do come, from Australia and New Zealand. About, I think, (11) 200,000 go there each year. Tourism is the main dollar earner of the islands. Nearly (12) half the country's income comes from tourists. However, for every dollar earned, (13) 75 cents goes straight out of the country again to pay for what the tourists (14) consume. The visitors eat meat and dairy products and vegetables flown in from New Zealand; they drink Australian beer, (15) wine and orange juice. The local farmers just haven't been able to cope with the international (16) demands of the visitors. The islands of Fiji are very fertile, but the farmers haven't adapted to the requirements of the tourist industry, which requires a reliable (17) supply of standard quality products. It's easier for them to grow sugar cane, bananas, and ginger for export than to cater for the whims of tourists.* Consequently, it's cheaper and simpler for hoteliers to (18) import what their guests want to eat and drink, even some of the fruit, by air. One of the more noticeable (19) effects of tourism on the people is that you see children playing truant from school* to act as "guides" for the tourists. Local shopkeepers pay them to grab tourists and pull them into their gift shops. (20) Ironically, many of the souvenirs they buy are not made locally at all. They're imported from places like Taiwan and Hong Kong. The Fijians used to be known for their friendliness and hospitality. This is something I noticed particularly when I was there before, but now you're beginning to see a sullenness creep into their character.* People seem to resent the (21) visitors and "friendly Fiji", as advertised in the holiday brochures, is no longer so apparent, I`m afraid. Yeah, these slogans have devalued a complex situation. I suppose you can't expect everyone to welcome foreigners into their community without the foreigners (22) treating the locals with respect too. I mean, you can't buy (23) smiles with dollars, or deutschmarks, or whatever. Presenter: I see, They do say that travel broadens the mind. Is that your experience? Tony: Quite the opposite, I'd say. Every international hotel looks very much like another. There are no local styles, and the services they offer are (24) similar too. In fact, if you look at the visitors in those hotels, they're all starting to look alike! They dress the same and behave the same. They talk about the same things, they (25) share the same opinions, they eat the same food, drink the same drinks. They never learn a word of the local language or find out about the local (26) customs -- apart from the folklore evenings laid on for them* at the hotels. They find themselves buying the same Hong Kong-made souvenirs all over the world. But what is saddest of all is that they are totally (27) unaware of the local people and their aspirations, of their problems, and their interests. The only local people they speak to are waiters, shopkeepers, chambermaids, you know? Tourism, in fact, is not conducive to mutual understanding.* In some cases it even gives rise to (28) mutual contempt, I think. The only difference for the tourist being at home and being on holiday is that the weather is (29) warmer. On holiday, they have people to do the cooking and serve the food, and do the washing-up afterwards! Presenter: I see. So, how do you see the future of Fiji? Tony: Well, (30) despite what I've said, I'm optimistic. Fiji can't revert * to how it was in the past. That's just too much to ask. You can't put the clock back. But the (31) airport on Fiji is no longer an essential refuelling stop. Long-range jets cross the Pacific non-stop now, which means that the tourists who go to Fiji now aren't people who are just stopping over for a night or two, but people who have chosen to stay there for one or two weeks, or whatever. And Fiji doesn't depend too (32) heavily on tourism for its income. Recently, important reserves of copper have been found which will improve the balance of payments. I think the number of tourists is likely to stabilise at an acceptable (33) level. And it looks likely that the relationship between the natives and visitors will develop -- as it has in Spain or Greece, for example -- into a mature, sensible, businesslike one. *some difficult expressions from the text: tend to = usually do something or want to do something to cater for the whims of tourists* = to serve the particular demands of tourists playing truant from school* = not going to school when they are supposed to a sullenness creeps into their character = they develop a negative attitude laid on for them = prepared with extravagance for them is not conducive to mutual understanding = does not support the understanding of one another revert * = to go back to how things were Grammar -- Suffixes and Prefixes +--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Verb | Noun | Adjective | Adverb | |---------------------+------------------------+---------------------------+-----------------| | doubt | doubt | doubtful, -less, -able | doubtfully | |---------------------+------------------------+---------------------------+-----------------| | conserve | conservation | conserved, -ing | - | |---------------------+------------------------+---------------------------+-----------------| | destroy | destruction | destructive | destructively | |---------------------+------------------------+---------------------------+-----------------| | empower | empowerment | empowered, -ing | - | |---------------------+------------------------+---------------------------+-----------------| | consume | consumption | consumable, -ed, | consumingly | |---------------------+------------------------+---------------------------+-----------------| | force | force | forcible, forcing, forced | forcibly | |---------------------+------------------------+---------------------------+-----------------| | subsidise | subsidy | subsidised | - | |---------------------+------------------------+---------------------------+-----------------| | develop | development | developed, -ing | - | |---------------------+------------------------+---------------------------+-----------------| | benefit | benefit | beneficial | beneficially | +--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ inexperienced, imperfect, unconscious, subconscious, self-conscious, misjudged, undervalued, overvalued, abnormal, invaluable, immature, irrational, overloaded, under loaded, dishonest, illegible