Development, Equality, and Participation: Socially Responsible Tourism through Capacity Building
Year: 2008
Type: article
Abstract: Statement of the problemThe dissertation addresses a paradox: tourism was introduced in the towns of Elmina and Cape Coast in the Sub-Saharan African country of Ghana more than 15 years ago as a tool for economic development, poverty reduction and the preservation of three World Heritage Sites -the Elmina or St Georges' Castle, Fort St Jago (Elmina), and the Cape Coast or Carolsburg Castle (Cape Coast).These sites were created by foreign conquerors during the 400 year transatlantic slave trade.However, its benefits are distributed unequally and the sites are not properly preserved.One of the reasons is that the emphasis is placed on higher gross returns of foreign exchange earnings, and a greater visitor numbers, with little attention given to maximising net benefits to poor communities, and without a clear strategy of how tourism growth should contribute to poverty reduction.Ironically, in the field of development, many people argue that tourism has the potential to bring more equitable, sustainable, and even net benefits to Endnote
Author: Christina Koutra
Institution: Bournemouth University
Language: English
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W2202006752