Local perspectives on global tourism in the Asia-Pacific region [introduction]

Item does not contain fulltextThe articles brought together in this special issue of the IIAS Newsletter are centered on the question of how people at the grassroots level in the Asia-Pacific region have responded to international tourism. In view of the widespread negative view of the potential impact of tourism on local cultures and societies, it is interesting that recently it has also been suggested that local people in popular tourist destinations should not be regarded simply as powerless victims of tourism, as many earlier studies have implied. Tourism world-wide is not infrequently characterized by situations in which the 'host' society has a great deal of control over tourism development, which enables local people to turn 'impacts' creatively into economic and cultural opportunities. In this special issue, too, the focus is on strategies that use the interest of tourists in local culture to strengthen local identity. After all, a striking characteristic of tourism is the way in which it promotes self-awareness, pride, self-confidence, and solidarity among people in host societies, as most of the contributions to this special issue demonstrate.6 p