Tourism as a Form of Livelihood Diversification: A Case Study from Taiwan

Abstract

It is argued that while sustainable development has received widespread acclaim, practical application of the concept has been fraught with difficulties. Furthermore, when adopted and adapted by a single sector such us tourism, further problems arise because many sustainability challenges are inter-sectoral, involving competition for the use of scarce resources among different potential uses. Impacts on local residents who do not participate in tourism-related activities are often ignored yet they may be critical to the overall development of a community and an ongoing tourism enterprise. If tourism-related activities consume resources that are required by other members of the community, it can undermine social cohesion, outweighing benefits to the direct participants. Alternatively, if the enterprise generates a number of spin-off jobs and other enterprises, this can be a major input to the local community. A sustainable livelihoods approach is introduced as being more practical, especially in the common situation in which communities and individuals sustain themselves by multiple activities rather than discrete jobs. When tourism is introduced into a community, it is important that it complements rather than displaces existing activities. One case study is presented of an aboriginal community in Taiwan to illustrate the links between tourism and other sectors. Additional insight will be gained by probing why non-participants and ex-participants declined (or were kept from) involvement in tourism.