Tourism

Indigenous tourism has become under scrutiny from various quotas given its relevance to the economy and the unique nature that it commands. An argument has been advanced that the local people whose culture and lifestyle are being exploited for tourism purposes have to gain control of the sector. This is meant for the local population to curb the possible exploitation and ensure that the community in question benefits most from any tourist activities carried out in their territory. This has however been met with numerous challenges with the local community remaining exposed to exploitation both economically and culturally. Nevertheless, these communities will endeavor to go on with their struggle to ensure that their rights to gain control of indigenous tourism are upheld.
Stereotypical imagery of indigenous people

Indigenous people demand to be accorded the right to have control over the tourist activities due to the negative effects that tourism has historically had on these populations. Indigenous tourism blossoms because tourists want to have that first hand experience with the people whose cultural background is uniquely different from theirs. There are several reasons as to why these tourists would opt for this kind of tourism whereas some may find motivation in seeking peer approval and curiosity, others are driven by the need for a short-time and not-too-close encounters. Demand for the indigenous tourism is rapidly growing having been influenced by marketing. However during marketing, the images are often accused of creating preconceived ideas among the tourists. Marketing is often not reliable as it perpetuates stereotypes of the indigenous people in false lights which Harron and Weiler refers to as exotic and inanimate curio as opposed to complex living culture. Such stereotypes are aimed at attracting tourists in numbers so as the interested parties can reap from the ensuing business boom at the expense of the indigenous people (Kura, et al 2010).

The need to control Tourism by the Indigenous people
 The case of the Kuna people of the Panama can well demonstrate why there is need for the indigenous people to have control over the tourism matters that affect them. Many Kuna people are today developing tourism designed in a manner to avoid dilution of their cultural values and their environment. The tourism industry is supposed to be integrated with their cultural way of life and not meant to destroy the environment but at the same time, benefit the indigenous people directly. This was not the case as of the years up to 1990s. Tourism amongst the Kuna during this time meant foreign invasion with tourist investments in the islands basically being owned by foreigners. This typically meant that the proceeds from the tourism industry were destined to benefit the foreigners whereas the Kuna people continued to struggle for survival. The Kuna Peoples frustrations led to protests which saw most of the foreigners in the hotel business flushed out of the region in the period expanding from 1960s to 80s. Today, there are several small hotels in the Carti region that are managed by the Kuna to relative success (Mac, 2009).

The protestations by the Kuna led to the drafting of the Kuna statute on Tourism in the mid-1990s which gives the Kuna the power to determine the kind of tourism to be allowed in their land and at the same time they are allowed to shape it in a manner deemed to be beneficial to them. To be specific, they were allowed to implement the hotel tax that would be of benefit in their economic development. Restrictions were also placed on the foreign investors in the tourism industry. There were limitations placed on the freedom of the developers in an effort to control tourism and direct the economic benefits of the industry to the Kuna people. This is just but an example of how an indigenous community can have control in tourism matters that directly impact on them. It is however argued that the efforts by the Kuna people have not been realized to the full especially on implementation. This is because the implementation of the controls has been a great challenge especially when it comes to the collection of the hotel tax and the activities of the cruise ships (Mac, 2009).

Indigenous populations usually suffers considerable social and economic disadvantage when it comes to indigenous tourism. There is need for the policy-makers to discover and create opportunities that would provide sustainable development to the concerned communities. The indigenous people can engage in well protected micro-businesses which should be insulated from failure through substantial planning. Indigenous tourism comes with opportunities that can be exploited to benefit the local population and this works well when the industry is incorporated in the cultural orientation of these people. There is need to revamp indigenous participation in the tourism industry so as they feel being part of the whole as opposed to being mere components. In this regard, the indigenous people deserve all the rights to control the tourism activities that are closely linked with them.