One morning I was calculating my spending in Sigri with breakfast beside me. I was trying to analyze tourist expenditure and its linkage with local economy in the touristic destination like Sigri. Suddenly my eyes stuck on the food items on breakfast table: bread, butter, jam, yoghurt, omelet and fruit juice, I noticed many of those products were not from Sigri but imported from other places. I then told myself, “wait a minute! may be the money that tourist expends does not necessarily retain in the place of destination, and there could be leakages.”
Retaining the money in the place of destination requires careful attention and planning from the local government and local service providers. For example, two-third of the food items in the breakfast table was imported despite they could have been produced in Sigri. Supporting my idea Professor Mikael Backman informs there are nearly thirteen women cooperatives already producing such local produces. He further adds there are initiatives to promote these cooperatives, for instance, catering services for any conferences at the local Petrified Forest Museum are contracted to these local women’s cooperative. Similarly, local produces such as jewelry, olive oils, olive soaps etc are displayed in the museum shops. However, there is a need to extend and strengthen such local entrepreneurial chains with the local restaurant/hotel owners. Sigri is losing certain chunk of its tourism income as “import leakage” especially for importing food. However, there are no leakages of money by external tour operators, as there are no external tour operators in existence. A local restaurant owner has different take in this issue. He feels the closure of two tour operators has negatively affected the number of tourist arrival in Sigri. “If there are no tourists, there will be no money at all; forget about its retention or leakage.” He stares at the street and says, “ its empty compared to two years ago there would be so many tourists here on the street.” The local silver shop owner shares the similar feeling, “no tourist means no business, I have been exporting my jewelry to Athens, tourism hardly benefits my business.” Anthony Michael, a regular visitor from Mytilini feels that tourism has been benefiting local economy in Sigri, and a regular inflow of tourist will certainly provide economic benefits to the local and overall local development. He doesn’t feel that there has been significant economic leakage rather sees positive multiplier effect. “Every year I see new restaurants, hotels, shops; an improvement in local development and economy.”
Sure the more number of tourists definitely means more expenditure in the place of destination; nevertheless it is equally important to hold the money by supporting and strengthening local entrepreneurship.
Retaining the money in the place of destination requires careful attention and planning from the local government and local service providers. For example, two-third of the food items in the breakfast table was imported despite they could have been produced in Sigri. Supporting my idea Professor Mikael Backman informs there are nearly thirteen women cooperatives already producing such local produces. He further adds there are initiatives to promote these cooperatives, for instance, catering services for any conferences at the local Petrified Forest Museum are contracted to these local women’s cooperative. Similarly, local produces such as jewelry, olive oils, olive soaps etc are displayed in the museum shops. However, there is a need to extend and strengthen such local entrepreneurial chains with the local restaurant/hotel owners. Sigri is losing certain chunk of its tourism income as “import leakage” especially for importing food. However, there are no leakages of money by external tour operators, as there are no external tour operators in existence. A local restaurant owner has different take in this issue. He feels the closure of two tour operators has negatively affected the number of tourist arrival in Sigri. “If there are no tourists, there will be no money at all; forget about its retention or leakage.” He stares at the street and says, “ its empty compared to two years ago there would be so many tourists here on the street.” The local silver shop owner shares the similar feeling, “no tourist means no business, I have been exporting my jewelry to Athens, tourism hardly benefits my business.” Anthony Michael, a regular visitor from Mytilini feels that tourism has been benefiting local economy in Sigri, and a regular inflow of tourist will certainly provide economic benefits to the local and overall local development. He doesn’t feel that there has been significant economic leakage rather sees positive multiplier effect. “Every year I see new restaurants, hotels, shops; an improvement in local development and economy.”
Sure the more number of tourists definitely means more expenditure in the place of destination; nevertheless it is equally important to hold the money by supporting and strengthening local entrepreneurship.
