The
huge number of tourist arrivals has made headlines these days.
Pictures
of tourists packed like sardines in the streets are a terrible sight. They remind
me of my own experience some years ago.
I was travelling in a place named 周莊,
known for being a collection of beauty of China's water townships. I had seen
it in pictures and been craving to be there myself. But that experience was
horrible beyond words. What could have been charming sights were all hidden
behind the masses of tourists. Instead of admiring the scenery, I was
forced to spend most of my time walking along a narrow lane lined with shops
thronged with bargaining tourists. What made things worse was that the serenity
of the stream, so charming in the pictures, was spoilt by the singing of
village women rowing long narrow boats, cheap imitations of the Venetian
gondola!
I also recall an incident in Tibet a
number of years ago. With the opening of a new railway linking Tibet to 1.3
billion people in other parts of China, the increasing number of tourists was
found to be threatening the security of the Potala Palace. It was becoming
harder to safeguard the jewel of Tibetan Buddhism, the symbol of Tibet.
Efforts were needed to stem the rising tide of visitors.
What about our own city, where tourism has long been an important sector of the economy? I
wonder whether mass tourism is a blessing or a curse. In fact, while
the spending of the tourists may be a welcome boost to Macau’s retail business,
there are a lot of complaints about its adverse effects. Imagine its
interference in the daily lives of the local citizens. We cannot turn a blind
eye to its negative impacts on the local transport, social security, the
environment and our cultural heritages. Even if we do not mind the long wait
for a taxi and the contaminated environment, it pains us
to see the damage done to our treasured heritage sites.
In
addition, mass tourism could ruin Macau’s reputation as a tourist destination. What
fun is there travelling in jam-packed streets? My unpleasant experience in 周莊 is
enough evidence.
It's high time the government took action to curb the masses of tourists descending on us
every day.
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