'Tourists can remove their egos—and their selfie sticks—from the landscape and learn to appreciate the past.”
While tourism can bring money into local economies, it often has significant negative impacts on the native communities. This is especially true in places with small populations and fragile ecosystems, such as Rapa Nui—better known as Easter Island.
“My research is focused on the moai and their role in Rapa Nui culture,” Van Tilburg told Newsweek. “I am interested in how societies create and expand their sense of identity and purpose using art. I first went to Rapa Nui in 1981 [and] have basically invested my archaeological career in the mysteries and magic of the island.”
“As everywhere, tourism at the current level is having a hugely negative impact on Rapa Nui’s natural resources, especially water,” Van Tilburg said. “The entire infrastructure is strained. More importantly, tourism of the sort experienced today has a very negative impact on the Rapa Nui sense of community.”
“I am troubled by the lack of genuine tourist interest in the island and its people,” she said. “There is a lack appreciation for the Rapa Nui past. It seems that many wish only to insert themselves into history by taking a selfie with the timeless statues.”
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