Product Description

Skiing in the Alps; Cruising in the Caribbean; Backpacking in Thailand; Lying on a beach in Kerala. Sounds like bliss, doesn't it? But what cost are our two weeks in the sun having on the destinations we fantasize all year about visiting? From the cruise ship to the pistes, from the sun lounger to the themepark, Leo Hickman has been on a quest to discover how we can have a truly "good" holiday. No industry in the world employs more people or earns more foreign currency for destination countries than tourism. Long billed as the "cleanest" industry for developing countries to invest in, tourism seems to offer everyone involved a positive experience. This is the official line, anyway. In truth, the reality is much more complex. On his travels, Hickman interviewed all the key players from chambermaids through to global CEO's to try and get a full picture of the environmental and social cost of our bids to escape. Behind the sunny facade of smiling locals and exquisite cuisine he found an often damaging phenomenon that is spreading unchecked to all corners of the globe. But none of us are going to stop holidaying and at the heart of "The Final Call" is an emphatic attempt to impassion readers, not turn them off tourism. By offering solutions, Leo hopes to guide readers towards making informed decisions in their holiday choices.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #289160 in Books
• Published on: 2007-06-04
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 416 pages

Jeremy Leggett
I very much hope this important book helps to awaken people, and
make them want to join the debate.

Jason Webster, author of GUERRA
A fascinating and harrowing read...The publication of this could
well prove to be a 'tipping point'.

Zac Goldsmith
Well written, entertaining and hugely important.

Customer Reviews

We love our holidays - but at what cost?

I see myself as a responsible traveller - small group holidays via Intrepid Travel etc where we use local accommodation and public transport, but still feel uneasy about the carbon footprint of the flight. Most people don't think of the costs of the holiday - through being a spectator and not a traveller, and how our demands can have a significant impact on the country and local people.

This book looks at a number of popular holiday destinations and describes the impact. The chapters include:

* Skiing in Chamonix, France where the snow is often a consequence of using snow cannons
* The construction of new resorts in Dubai such as the palms and ski Dubai and the poor conditions of where the workers live, particularly those on construction who have had to pay for the privilege of working there for very low wages.
* Seeking the unspoilt locations around Thailand
* The huge cruise ships from Miami and how everything is bought centrally so little of the money spent goes to the countries visited, guests are steered towards shops which pay to be recommended
* Eco resorts in Costa Rica
* Clubbing in Ibiza

An interesting concept was around the different stages of tourism from the people who first discover it, to when the large chains move in and then people move on because it is not what it used to be.

A very thought provoking book and useful for anyone with concerns about the impact of travel.

One recommendation is to think of travel on a 3 yearly cycle
- year one long haul
- year two to a more local country where you can travel by train (slow travel and enjoy the journey)
- year 3 stay close to home

I'm going to try to do this!

An excellent overview of tourism's impact on the planet
Part travelogue, part investigation, Leo Hickman's excellent and compelling book is an important and unique insight into why both tourists and the tourist industry need to look extremely long and hard at what impacts - often negative - they are having on destinations around the world. Hickman visits many popular destinations - Cancun, Pattaya, Chamonix, Benidorm, Dubai, Miami, Costa Rica, Tallinn etc - and asks the various workers and industry officials there what they make of the perceived benefits they receive from tourism. There are not many contented voices, let's put it like that.
But for me, perhaps the most moving and horrifying sections of the book are those dealing with the environmental damage often caused by tourism. It is so sad to think that our holidays can reap such damage. Importantly, the book really moves you to examine your own holiday habits. In fact, I would challenge anyone who has read the book to say they have not been moved by it. Anyone who says differently must simply be in denial about the damage their lifestyle habits and consumer choices can cause, in my opinion.
This is very much not an 'anti-holiday' book. Hickman is passionately arguing that we must all try to make our holidays a more positive experience for the destinations we visit. I just wish every tourist would read this book before they set off on their holidays. While I except that isn't really very likely - those airport novels can rest easy - I do think this is sure to become a set text for all tourism students.

time to think about your holidays
The Final Call is something of an investigative world tour, with Leo Hickman visiting some of the world's most popular holiday destinations, and peering under the carpet. What he discovers is a mixture of environmental and social degradation.

There are the obvious problems - flying being the most high profile at the moment - but there are lots of other issues we don't hear about, from the effects of the stag/bachelor party market on Estonia, to the Indian villagers seeing their water 'stolen' from their wells to fill hotel swimming pools. Hickman has done his research well, and always talks to a variety of people. There are fellow holiday makers, resort owners, local politicians and grass roots activists, and he's not afraid to go the extra mile to put a human face to a story. It makes for a varied and informative, and sometimes heart-breaking read.

In his conclusions, Hickman is reassuringly practical. He presents the facts, and resists the urge to damn anyone who still wants to go to Dubai. Instead, he presents a few workable alternatives, and lets us figure it out for ourselves.

In all, an engaging and important book. Those who care about the impact of their travel, on both people and place, will find this a valuable resource.