Mixed Drinks and Overpriced Sunglasses
by Jessica Shorland

As most US college students embark on their long awaited and highly anticipated spring break excursions, we pack according to our own expectations for our pending exotic adventures: Swimsuit (check); digital camera (check); obscenely overpriced sunglasses (check); tanning oil and sunscreen (check and check); beach towel (check); and of course, our iPods (check). Many of us choose to venture to the lovely beaches of Latin America or the South Pacific, always reminding ourselves that this is our week – vacation at last. Throughout our trips, we often close our eyes to our surroundings. This is our week.

Upon our return, we scroll through our pictures and form our memories from the beautiful scenery we see on our screens, remembering the golden sunsets and the reflection of the sun off of the white sand, so bright, we had to put on our obscenely overpriced sunglasses. Thank goodness we packed them.

What we fail to reconstruct in our memories are the things that we see as "ugly." The "poverty" we pass on the dirty road and the unbelievable living conditions of the people. We are on vacation. We don't need to think about that.

Tourism is the fastest growing service industry in the world, and many Latin American countries hinge their revenue on this industry; Costa Rica leading the pack. In 2000, Costa Rica hosted over 1,100,000 tourists alone, making about one billion dollars. Thus, many countries are finding it more profitable to preserve their natural resources instead of using land in order to develop agriculture and industrial sectors. This provides many countries with incentives to preserve their natural wonders, but may also cause more subtle negative consequences.

Some resorts and services claim to be environmentally friendly, but can actually produce massive amounts of waste. This is due to the appeal of profit over protection. They not only claim to be environmentally friendly, but also refuse to spend the extra money necessary to "go green." Due to issues in nations where these tourism gems exist, including limited finances, inadequate local expertise, and corruption, there is no enforcement of environmental policies. They become examples of policies that only exist on paper. These cumulated effects often lead to disguised environmental damage, noticed only when it is too late.

Many Latin American countries do not necessarily have the capital to construct the infrastructure necessary to sustain many tourism industries. So, international and foreign corporation donors are called upon to support the projects. While tourism is expected to increase domestic employment and economic opportunities for locals, this process can cause the profits to "leak" into the hands of the wealthy and elite. And when they begin to take over, the workforce can sometimes become exploited at the hands of these distanced investors. After considering these ideas, we are left with the question of whether a profit-oriented industry can actually preserve the environment. It is a rather oxy-moronic idea. The risks can, of course, be considerable, but in the long run, the resulting development and possible environmental protection may be worth the investment. But we should invest not in a huge resort where we sit by the pool sipping on overpriced mixed drinks, but in one where we can absorb as much of the true culture as we can.

And so, with everything packed, we embark on our journeys. But instead of seeing these beautiful countries through a camera lens, we should immerse ourselves in the spectacular cultures and take advantage of the experiences they have to offer. Instead of considering the "poverty" a pitiable thing, we will instead find ourselves amazed by the skill, sincerity, and enthusiasm of local businesses. And while only taking pictures with us, we could recognize that we leave behind nothing but a nation beginning to compete in the fast-paced world market, instead of focusing only on what we consider aesthetically beautiful.

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