I believe tourism has given Tafi a real economic lift. Local businesspeople have more customers, and there has been a modest but genuine increase in employment.
The new jobs are quite specific. People work as guides, cooks and accommodation providers. Caterers have learned to prepare food visitors ask for, including omelettes and pancakes. Families offering homestays keep their houses noticeably cleaner because they want guests to feel comfortable.
Some residents earn money by teaching visitors drumming and dancing. These activities allow local people to benefit from cultural skills they already have.
Shopkeepers also earn more. Apart from mineral water, they are not selling completely different products. They sell larger amounts of water, biscuits, fruit and soft drinks. The women who cook for tourists buy more ingredients, and that helps my own business as well.
Tourism spreads through the village: when cooks buy more food, shopkeepers and other local suppliers benefit too.
The income earned through tourism is divided in several ways. Some goes to the chiefs, and some is used for community development.
One plan is to create a pottery workshop where local people can work and sell their products both to residents and tourists. In the future, the community would also like to buy a trotro to improve transport and build a second guesthouse.
Most visitors treat me with respect, perhaps because I am older. Only occasionally is somebody rude, and that is usually about money—expecting everything to be explained or done without paying for the service.
A few visitors have caused more serious trouble. One group became drunk and broke a sink. Another guest was drunk and vomited over my sheets. These incidents are unpleasant, but they are not how most tourists behave.
Most tourists are respectful. The problems usually begin when people drink too much or expect local work to be free.
I do not want visitors to stop coming because of a few bad experiences. The village needs the employment and income tourism creates.
What I want most is not a different kind of tourist but enough respectful visitors to keep local businesses growing. When guests pay fairly, behave responsibly and value what we offer, tourism can support the whole community.