Tourism Cooperatives—Taking Pride in the Community
Pride of ownership—it means the sense of personal satisfaction and responsibility you receive from taking care of the possessions you own or the work that you do. It signifies a level of deep commitment as demonstrated by the care with which an individual treats their valued possessions or their tireless efforts in ensuring that the work they perform meets the highest of standards. Pride of ownership is not something limited to single individuals but instead can be displayed by an entire community that takes pride in its people, culture, heritage, and environmental features. And when it comes to the reason some niche destination spots gain wide popularity, there is a good chance that a community’s pride of ownership, packaged in the form of a tourism cooperative, played a key role.
Tourism cooperatives are community-based organizations formed by local stakeholders including small business owners, artisans, farmers, and residents who work together to develop and manage tourism in ways that benefit the entire community. Tourism cooperatives operate democratically, with all members participating equally in decision-making. The benefits and risks resulting from those decisions are shared equally among the cooperative’s members. Profits derived from the actions of the cooperative are often reinvested into the community. One of the most important aspects of tourism cooperatives is that they give residents of the community greater control over matters pertaining to the development of tourism right in their own backyard. They have a personal stake in how tourism growth happens in their community because it affects their daily lives. This incentivizes them to make decisions that preserve and protect the very attributes that make an area a desired location to visit (and to live in!). Min Park, associate professor and academic program coordinator of the Tourism and Events Management Program within the School of Sport, Recreation, and Tourism Management at George Mason University, recently shared her perspective on tourism cooperatives.
Tourism Cooperatives Offer Key Advantages
Tourism cooperatives offer several important advantages. Among these, tourism cooperatives are comprised of individuals who live and work in an area. Those local connections give members of the cooperative the ability to establish and nurture long-term relationships with visitors. The people who are native to an area are the “storytellers” who can convey a narrative that resonates with visitors. This “personal touch” can go a long way in creating fond memories of a visit which can lead to repeat tourism.
In other advantages, tourism cooperatives have the power to ensure that any increase in tourism results in responsible economic growth that preserves the integrity of the region’s cultural attractions and rich heritage. Tourism cooperatives also promote entrepreneurship which can result in the creation of jobs that go to residents of the local community. These jobs might otherwise be outsourced if large, multinational corporations with no ties to the community are given control of the tourism planning and decision-making process, instead of local cooperatives.
Providing visitors with an authentic experience reflecting an area’s heritage, culture, traditions, and natural resources is key to successful tourism.
The programs and products created by tourism cooperatives are deeply rooted in an area’s heritage, culture, practices, and natural resources. This makes it possible for visitors to enjoy an authentic experience where they will learn about the values, customs, and historical traditions specific to a region. For example, visitors from around the world travel to South Korea’s Jeju Island to watch the Haenyeo divers. The Jeju Haenyeo make up a community of women who dive more than ten meters into the depths of the cold ocean waters off Jeju Island without oxygen tanks, using only their innate natural physical abilities to harvest abalone, octopus, and other seafood. Some historians believe that the Korean Haenyeo community has existed for many generations going as far back as a thousand years.
The Jeju Island community imposes strict limits on the amounts of seafood that may be harvested by the Haenyeo as well as the times of the year when harvests may take place. This reflects the priority that the community places on practicing environmental sustainability and protecting the integrity of the ocean waters upon which the livelihood of the Haenyeo depends. In addition, the traditions of the Haenyeo illustrate the significant role of women in supporting Jeju Island’s economy which is built around the cultural fishing practices of the female divers. In 2016, the culture of the Jeju Haenyeo was inscribed on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
The Jeju Haenyeo experience described here is just one example of how local community-based tourism cooperatives offer opportunities to visitors that are authentic, educational, and which highlight the time-honored customs and traditions of the native residents living in these places.
To learn more about degree offerings in the Tourism and Events Management Program within the School of Sport, Recreation, and Tourism Management at George Mason University, please visit the program website.