I wrote last year about why my panties get in a bunch every time a person says they like to travel. Here is the link to that post if you want to read. I just received an email from someone close to me who is vacationing in Belize, and it contains a description which backs up my arguments with a concrete example of the tourism industry as a form of exploitation. I didn't get their permission to post this, so hopefully they don't mind!
"We even went into the 'tourism village' built for the cruise ship patrons. It's really said how the government and the tourism industry built this village which excludes the local artisans. They had high hopes when it was built that they would have a place there, but when it got built, they were told they needed to come up with $10,000 to purchase a spot. They were pushed to a junky craft area outside tourism village. The cruise ship staff tell the passengers that it's dangerous to shop out there. So sad. They are the most friendly people you could ever meet, just trying to make a living. Their stuff is beautiful and half the price of the tourist shops."
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