Anthropology Commons^™

From Truck Bed To Bare Feet: The Anthropology Of Tourism, Lee Ballard

Inquiry: The University of Arkansas Undergraduate Research Journal

In the summer of 2004, three companions and I set out on an adventure after a month of archaeology work in the northwest jungles of Belize. This essay is not only a loose account of some exploits and misadventures, but it also illustrates how the tourism industry has affected this region. Through my experiences I was able to create a dichotomy of two contrasting countries, Belize and Guatemala, in order to convey how tourism can affect the culture and structure of different societies. Here I present a portrait of how socio-economic changes, complex acculturation, and changes in environmental stability have …