Understanding of Ecotourism through Post-colonialism in the Southeast Asian Region

Öz

This article seeks to bring a post-colonical perspective to ecotourism in the Southeast Asia region through concerning the scope of ecotourism activities in the region, its relationship with sustainability, and exploring culture, such as experiencing the lifestyles of indigenous people. While the Southeast Asian region is one of the fastest-growing tourism regions in the world, most destinations in the region have recorded strong growth, particularly since the 1990s. Ecotourism in the region has developed since the 1990s, and almost all countries in the region have implemented plans and programs to develop ecotourism by the 2000s. Ecotourism is a type of tourism that usually includes components such as learning and supporting local ecosystems. Thus, it is designed to help local communities economically in some way, theoretically compatible with sustainable development ideologies. Ecotourism, emerging as an alternative to conventional tourism, has become a strong attraction for tourists in the last few decades and has attracted tourism entrepreneurs, government institutions, and academics. In the Southeast Asian region, ecotourism has been shaped by both the concept of sustainability, such as poverty reduction and efficient use of natural resources and the tourism discourses such as searching of “change” around the indigenous peoples and their “authentic” traditions, cultures, and lifestyles. Ecotourism in the region is seen as a critical way to address many economic, social, and cultural issues indigenous people face. In this context, this article seeks to draw a general portrait of ecotourism in the Southeast Asian region and to bring a post-colonial critique to ecotourism in the region through questioning sustainability and experiencing human/culture. Employing qualitative research methods, this article reveals that one the one hand, ecotourism in the Southeast Asian region has not been a solution to sustainability and it also has led to the consume the cultures of indigenous communities as others on the other.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Authentic and exotic Asia
• ecotourism
• post-colonialism
• Southeast Asian region
• sustainability

Güneydoğu Asya Bölgesinde Ekoturizmi Post-Kolonyalizm Üzerinden Anlamak

Öz

Bu makale, Güneydoğu Asya bölgesinde ekoturizm faaliyetlerinin kapsamını, sürdürülebilirlikle olan ilişkisini ve yerli kültürlerin yaşam tarzlarını deneyimlemek gibi kültürün keşfi üzerinden ekoturizme post-kolonyal bir bakış açısı getirmeye çalışmaktadır. Güneydoğu Asya bölgesi, turizmin en hızlı geliştiği bölgelerden biridir. Özellikle de 1990’lı yıllardan itibaren bölgedeki birçok destinasyonda turizm sektörü güçlü bir büyüme göstermektedir. Bölgede ekoturizm faaliyetleri 1990’lı yıllarda gelişme göstermeye başlamış, 2000’li yıllarla birlikte bölgedeki hemen hemen bütün ülkeler ekoturizmi geliştirecek plan ve programlar uygulamaya başlamıştır. Ekoturizm, yerel ekosistemleri öğrenme ve destekleme gibi çeşitli bileşenleri içermektedir. Bu yüzden, ekoturizmin teorik olarak sürdürülebilir kalkınma ideolojileriyle uyumlu ve bir şekilde yerel topluluklara ekonomik destek sağlamak için tasarlanmış turizm çeşidi olduğu düşünülmektedir. Kitle turizmine alternatif olarak ortaya çıkan ekoturizm, son yıllarda turistler için güçlü bir cazibe merkezi haline geldiğinden turizm girişimcilerinin, devlet kurumlarının ve akademisyenlerin dikkatini çekmektedir. Güneydoğu Asya bölgesinde ekoturizm, hem—görece—yoksulluğun azaltılması ve doğal kaynakların verimli bir şekilde kullanılması gibi sürdürülebilirlik kavramı ile hem de yerli halklar ve onların “otantik” gelenekleri, kültürleri ve yaşam tarzları etrafında “değişiklik” arayışıyla hareket eden turizm söylemleri ile şekillenmektedir. Bölgede ekoturizm, yerli halkın karşı karşıya olduğu birçok ekonomik, sosyal ve kültürel sorunu ele almanın bir yolu olarak görülmektedir. Dolayısı ile bu makale, Güneydoğu Asya bölgesinde ekoturizmin genel bir portresini çizip bölgedeki ekoturizme sürdürülebilirlik ve insan/kültürü deneyimlemek üzerinden post-kolonyal bir bakış açısı getirmeye çalışmaktadır. Nitel araştırma yöntemlerinin kullanıldığı bu makale, birbiri ile ilişkili iki sonucu ortaya koymaktadır; Güneydoğu Asya bölgesinde ekoturizmin sürdürülebilirliğe çare olmadığı ve yerli halkların kültürlerinin öteki olarak tüketilmesine sebebiyet verdiği.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• ekoturizm
• Güneydoğu Asya bölgesi
• sürdürülebilirlik
• otantik ve egzotik Asya

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