Mass tourism kills culture. It is a poisoned chalice, which brings economic benefits at the price of destroying historic communities. In an age when it’s fashionable to talk about the contribution made by the aviation industry — particularly budget airlines — to global warming, it’s easy to forget the damage that is being done by bringing thousands of people to previously sleepy corners of the globe. This is genuinely heartbreaking, and should be of concern to anyone, who cares about our world continuing to play host to a large plurality of cultures and identities.
Tourism accounts for around 70 per cent of the GDP of Cyprus, with 62 per cent of the labour force working in the industry. The south of the island is dominated by resorts, the most famous of which is Ayia Napa. Last week, I spent a few days in the area, on the outskirts of Protaras, a down-to-heel resort town near Paralimni. There, I visited English Cypriot friends with a house in the area, on land that belonged to their family long before tourism became as pronounced as it is today.
They told me that they used to be able to hear the cockerel crowing in the morning, and that shepherds used to pass by their house on the way to the nearby field. However tempting it might be, it would be wrong to sentimentalise such images. But to hear further tales of robust Cypriot village life, a life that has survived the traumas of mass emigration and rapid modernisation, it’s surely worth making an effort to capture these vanishing voices.
This is especially the case now that the whole area has become an endless and awful stream of resort towns, dominated by British tourists. There are theme pubs with “traditional” British fare and inducements to heavy drinking. Of course, by pointing all this out I’m laying myself bare to the charge of classism. I also have to deal with the supposedly supreme logic of supply and demand: Cyprus has provided the punters with what they want and has received extraordinarily rapid modernisation in exchange. But the point is this: it’s not an either/or. There should be no reason why Cyprus cannot continue to provide a splendid destination for all kinds of travellers. All it needs is a bit of give and take.
Tourists should be made to understand that travelling involves entering another country. Cyprus is not Britain with added sunshine. Whatever your purchasing power, creating enclaves is no way to endear yourself to the local population. Spend a bit of time beyond the beach. Venture into the interior, both literally and figuratively. Every country has something fascinating to offer, if you put a bit of effort into finding it.
It may be too late to tell. Tourism is so deeply embedded in southern Cyprus, the economy so reliant on it, that any hope of providing more balance may be impossible. But there are other places around Europe which are only just familiarising themselves with the names Ryanair and Easyjet. In a week in which Brendan O’Neill rightly pointed out the benefits which air travel has brought to the planet, it is worth making the effort to ensure that opening up the treasures of the world to mass transit doesn’t lead to their cultural destruction. All it needs is a bit of give and take. Are we up to the challenge?