Travel: The gap between all-inclusive and all-exclusive

Here we are, January in the Maritimes. The excitement and hectic social calendar of the holidays are behind us, the snow and cold are here and those that prefer playing in the sand rather than snow are busy booking and researching winter escapes to tropical destinations.

For many, these winter escapes will be to an all-inclusive resort. All-inclusive vacations are extremely popular and they are generally a great deal and a good way to stay within a travel budget, since you are paying for most of your vacation in advance and need little cash once you arrive.

The concept of the all-inclusive vacation was founded in the 1950s by Gerald Blitz as a not-for-profit organization. The first of these all-inclusive villages was set on an island off the coast of Spain where visitors stayed in surplus army tents, ate family style meals, used pit toilets and took part in various activities arranged by staff. This concept revolutionized the way many people vacation and this first tent camp all-inclusive village evolved to become the well known all-inclusive specialist, Club Med.

Nowadays, all-inclusive resorts are lavish, custom “villages” that offer many options for beaches, pools, food and drink, shopping and activities along with comfortable accommodations. Visitors to these properties have little to no reason to leave the resort once they arrive. This offers a stronger sense of safety along with the convenience, relaxation and budget-control many vacationers are looking for.

The challenge is (and a debated industry topic), many of these resort properties are not embracing the “love local” concepts we are consistently promoting and embracing here at home. Numerous resorts are owned by foreign companies (little economic impact to local residents), local residents sometimes do not receive a fair wage and at times working conditions may be challenging.

It’s common to see local residents in the front-line positions and sometimes foreign workers get hired for supervisory or management positions. All-inclusive properties use more water and electricity than local communities and businesses and they generate more waste. Oftentimes, beach areas are designated for tourists only and sometimes all-inclusive destinations give the vibe that it is not safe to go into the local community (which may or may not be the case). There are numerous cases where all of these factors leave little benefit to the local community financially, socially and environmentally.

Do not get me wrong; with the shift toward the concept of “sustainable tourism,” many resort properties are looking for ways to incorporate the need to support local communities and preserve the environment into their policies and operations.

My hope is that as you are researching all-inclusive vacation deals and packages that you consider taking the extra step beyond the price tag and photo gallery to see if the resort owners and operators have some practices built into their mandate that show support of environmental preservation and community support and consider these properties as your sea, sun and sand destination.

An instructor in the faculty of Hospitality & Tourism Management at the Shannon School of Business at Cape Breton University, SMAC (Stephanie MacPherson) is a self-proclaimed tourism diva. Follow her on twitter @smactourismdiva and check out her blog at smacthetourismdiva.wordpress.com.