Adaptation to tourist demands

Tourists want souvenirs, arts, crafts, and cultural manifestations, and in many tourist
destinations, craftsmen have responded to the growing demand, and have made changes in
design of their products to bring them more in line with the new customers' tastes. While the
interest shown by tourists also contributes to the sense of self-worth of the artists, and helps
conserve a cultural tradition, cultural erosion may occur due to the commodification of cultural
goods.
Creating molas, which are the blouses worn by Kuna women in Colombia, is an art that began
with designs that reflected the conception of the world, of nature, and of the spiritual life of the
Kuna Nation. Now it is increasingly being transformed, through tourism, into a commercial trade
which causes loss of its spiritual value and quality. This is changing the designs of the molas to
correspond to the interests of the tourists, while at the same time the Kuna women are losing
their knowledge of the old designs and the interpretations and meanings of the mola designs.
Source: Eco-index

Measures
Regulatory measures help offset negative impacts; for instance, controls on the number of tourist
activities and movement of visitors within protected areas can limit impacts on the ecosystem
and help maintain the integrity and vitality of the site. Such limits can also reduce the negative
impacts on resources.
Limits should be established after an in-depth analysis of the maximum sustainable visitor
capacity. This strategy is being used in the Galapagos Islands, where the number of ships allowed
to cruise this remote archipelago is limited, and only designated islands can be visited, ensuring
visitors have little impact on the sensitive environment and animal habitats.