Post COVID-19 ecological and social reset: moving away from capitalist growth models towards tourism as Buen Vivir

Abstract

Tourism has been one of the industries most highly affected by COVID-19. The COVID-19 global pandemic is an ‘unprecedented crisis’ and has exposed the pitfalls of a hyper consumption model of economic growth and development. The scale of immediate economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic has shattered the myth of ‘catch up development’ and ‘perpetual growth’. The Crisis has brought unintended degrowth, presenting opportunities for an economic and social ‘reset’. In terms of long-term thinking post COVID-19, it is time to change the parameters of how we imagine a trajectory going forward, to prefigure possibilities for contesting capitalist imperatives that ‘there is no alternative’. In relation to tourism, the pandemic provides an opportunity for reimaging tourism otherwise, away from exploitative models that disregard people, places, and the natural environment, and towards a tourism that has positive impacts. Non-western alternatives to neo-colonial and neoliberal capitalism, such the South American concept of ‘Buen Vivir’, can help us to shift priorities away from economic growth, towards greater social and environmental wellbeing, and meaningful human connections. Taking a Buen Vivir approach to tourism will continue the degrowth momentum, for transformative change in society within the earth’s physical limits. Yet Buen Vivir also redefines the parameters of how we understand ‘limits’. In limiting unsustainable practices in development and tourism, a focus on Buen Vivir actually creates growth in other areas, such as social and environmental wellbeing, and meaningful human connection. Buen Vivir can reorient the tourism industry towards localised tourism, and slow tourism because the principles of Buen Vivir require these alternatives to be small-scale, local and benefiting host communities as well as tourists to increase the wellbeing for all.

摘要

旅游产业是受到新冠状病毒严重影响的产业之一。新冠状病毒全球性危机是一场”前所未有的危机”, 暴露了过度消费型经济增长与发展模式的陷阱。新冠状病毒全球性危机对经济的直接影响程度已经打破了”追赶发展”、”永久增长”的神话。这次危机带来了意想不到的退增长, 在一定程度上为经济和社会的重构提供了机会。关于后疫情时代的长期思考, 是时候改变我们对未来轨迹设想了, 是时候预测挑战资本主义”无替代品”原则的可能性。对于旅游业而言, 这次流行病为重塑旅游业提供了机会, 使其摆脱以往无视人、空间和自然环境的剥削模式, 转向了具有积极影响的旅游业。新殖民主义和新自由资本主义的非西方替代品, 例如南美洲”美好生活”的概念, 可以帮助我们将发展重点从经济增长转移到更大的社会和环境福祉, 以及更有意义的人际关系上。采用追求美好生活的方式发展旅游业将继续保持退增长动力, 以实现在地球的物理极限范围内的社会变革。与此同时, 美好生活也重新定义了我们对”极限”的解析参数。在限制经济社会发展和旅游业的不可持续行为时, 对美好生活的关注实际上促进了其他领域的增长, 如社会和环境福祉, 以及有意义的人际关系。美好生活可以将旅游业重新定位为本土化旅游、慢速旅游业, 因为美好生活原则要求这些替代品必须是小规模的、本土的, 以及有助于社区居民和游客增加福祉的。

Keywords:

• COVID-19
• Buen Vivir
• degrowth
• decolonial tourism
• neo-colonial
• neoliberal capitalism
• prefigurative politics

关键词:

• 新冠状病毒
• 美好生活
• 退增长
• 殖民地旅游
• 新殖民主义
• 新自由资本主义
• 预测策略

Disclsoure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Phoebe Everingham

Dr Phoebe Everingham is an early career researcher and sessional staff member at the University of Newcastle, Australia. She draws on multi- disciplinary perspectives such as human geography, sociology and anthropology and tourism management studies.

Natasha Chassagne

Dr Chassagne is a University Associate at the University of Tasmania, Australia. She holds a PhD based on Buen Vivir as an Alternative to Sustainable Development from Swinburne University of Technology’s Centre for Social Impact. Dr Chassagne is currently writing a book on the same topic to be published late 2020.