Honest, balanced information about the pluses and minuses of the outside world, coupled with an appreciation of the good observed in the the local culture, can go a long way to help people think twice before abandoning their own culture wholesale in exchange for the glitzy promises of the modern world. We believe it is possible and necessary to incorporate both ecological and cultural conservation in ecotourism development. It should not be necessary to choose between them. However, if it is ever necessary to prioritize between the two, it would be well to remember the wise words of Nepal's pre-eminent trekker, Dr. Toni Hagen, who walked over 10,000 miles throughout Nepal in the 1950s. The latter can be reduced by technical measures.
Ecological damages are theoretically reversible.
The loss of cultural substance and identity is irreversible. No money or technical measures whatsoever can buy it back. For travelers, the bottom line is to respect the dignity of your hosts, to treat them in the same way you would want to be treated if the tables were turned. Put simply, the old-fashioned Golden Rule. If a foreign tourist walking down your sidewalk suddenly whirled and began photographing you mowing your lawn, gesturing to you to please smile for the camera and turn this way or that, you might respond rather icily.