Tourists in Tsunami-ravaged areas of Asia are faced with a dilemma: should they stay or should they go?

The photos are disturbing: Western tourists sunning themselves, cocktails in hand, on the beaches of Phuket Island, Thailand. In the background, workers clear the debris of broken lives and broken dreams left in the wake of the terrible tsunamis that hit parts of Asia in December.

To some viewers, the images illustrate the very worst of human compassion. Or lack thereof. How can these tourists just lounge there, with all that destruction around them? Of course, unless they are doctors or aid workers, there probably isn't much they can do.

Should they pack their bags and catch the next flight home? Or do they stay and spend their money at hotels, bars, restaurants, dive shops and craft stores?

The government of Thailand certainly wants tourists to spend their coveted foreign dollars on its shores. There is already a campaign in the works to lure tourists back to the country. The tsunamis hit at the height of tourism season, and could hurt the national economy for months, if not longer. While there is devastation in some areas, many vacations spots are unscathed and open for business. In Phuket, three-quarters of the beaches are undamaged and 90 percent of hotels are receiving guests.

Many of us are shocked to learn that tourists continue to frolic in now-calm seas during this time of widespread death and despair. "It's a real Catch-22 - what do you do?" asks one tourist still in Phuket. "It's bizarre to be on a beach with all this destruction around you," he says, "but if the tourists spend their money somewhere else, the local people will be even worse off."

The ethics of tourism are complex at the best of times, and it's true that communities in impacted places like Phuket need to get back to work. Tourism is one of the world's biggest industries, and cheap airfare has put the entire planet within reach of the modern-day tourist. Half of the people who holiday now do so in the Third World. White sand beaches, emerald seas and warm climes are a comparative economic advantage that many Developing Countries enjoy.

We travel for relaxation. We travel for adventure. We travel to escape the familiar and venture into the unknown. Governments in the Third World want us to travel - it's a cash cow. Tourism brings in money and creates employment: one in 16 jobs worldwide are now related to tourism. In Thailand, tourism is the leading source of foreign exchange. Tourism can help to maintain a country's interest in its own cultural and artistic heritage, and at it its best, can foster genuine friendships between different members of the human family.

We need to ask not only should we travel, but also how we travel. There can be negative side effects of tourism, from pollution to prostitution to cultural insensitivity. (Photographers, for example, have been caught posing 'natives' into more 'traditional' stances.) And much of the tourism industry is based on the all-inclusive resort, walled off from the surrounding country while importing food and furniture. Owned by foreign companies, very little of the money spent by tourists is left behind in the host country. Tourism doesn't always benefit the very places that vacationers visit, beyond the generally low-paying but admittedly important service jobs the resorts offer.

Increasingly, 'alternative travel' is the in way to see the world these days, as more and more vacationers venture off the beaten track to experience unique cultures and unspoiled nature. These travellers are setting out on foot safaris in Africa, camping in Mexican rainforest, and trekking to hill tribe villages in Thailand. Ten percent of the global travel market is now eco-tourism.

Although the term 'eco-tourism' is over-used, it's generally accepted to mean responsible travel to natural areas in a way that conserves the environment. Eco-tourism can be a viable alternative to industries that threaten the environment, as it gives an economic incentive to preserve nature.

However, that trek off the beaten track can quickly become beaten. The most beautiful wild spaces are often the most fragile, highly susceptible to the ravages of too many interlopers. Even alternative travellers, with their slogan "take only memories, leave only footprints" can have disturbing consequences. Like leave too many footprints. It is possible to love nature to death.

In Costa Rica, whose parks are wildly popular with the millions of people who visit the country each year, the behaviour of some wild animals has been altered - some monkeys attack and bite tourists when not fed. Along the trail to the Mount Everest base camp in Nepal, deforestation is getting worse as locals cut down trees to heat meals and to provide hot showers for foreign eco-trekkers.

There can be disturbing social consequences to travel as well. Northern Thailand, home to many different 'hill tribes,' is a case in point. Uniquely individual in language, customs and dress, these semi-nomadic peoples share a history of ancestor worship and a close relationship with the land. They also share the experience of being in something akin to a human zoo. Hill tribe trekking operations sell 'authentic' visits to see 'primitive peoples.'

Community designed and managed eco-tourism has emerged in the Developing World as a response to large-scale tourism that doesn't always benefit local communities. Although it is both relaxing and reassuring to stroll a beautiful beach knowing there is familiar food and a luxury bed waiting for you back at that fancy hotel, resort tourism doesn't offer the opportunity to experience the true character of a country. Being welcomed in an off-the-beaten-track community can be personally enriching; after all, local residents know the area, they are the experts, and they can turn a vacation into the experience of a lifetime.

Tourism can be a positive force for sustainable development. Thai-REST, for example, offers a series of remarkable tours in different parts of Thailand - including southern coasts and northern hill tribe areas - which are carefully managed at the grassroots for the benefit of local communities and the local environment.

REST (which stands for Responsible Ecological Social Tours), calls this 'community-based tourism.' Villagers earn extra income, money is set aside for community development and environment projects, and cultural exchange is encouraged between villager and visitor. While on the REST tours, visitors stay with families, eat regional food and go on trips led by knowledgeable local guides.

"This approach to tourism is far from perfect," admits Jaranya Daengnoy, manager of REST. "It is not a miracle cure or a knight in shining armour that will come to save the community. But it can be an important and environmentally sound part of the local economy." Community-run eco-tourism can also help in the rehabilitation of tsunami-ravaged areas.

Tourists hesitating about whether they should cancel that dream trip to Thailand during this time of trauma must decide according to their conscience and comfort level. But they just might want to hold onto those airline tickets, and keep the passport current. There are alternatives to mass tourism that lets travellers put their ethics where their wallets are.

Written January 2005.

Sean Kelly works with CUSO, a Canadian international development agency which supports Thai-REST. REST has host communities in Southern Thailand on Koh Yao Noi Island, which sustained moderate damage from the Boxing Day Tsunamis