Can ICT Support the Development of Ecological Tourism in Aboriginal Tribes? A Case Study in Taiwan

Information communication technology (ICT) has become a tool for achieving development goals for developing countries and disadvantaged groups. An ICT tourism project was launched for Taiwanese aborigines, suffering from low social and economic status, to support local ecological tourism and stimulate economic activities in the area. This study attempts to ascertain the impact of the project on the aboriginal tribes. On the basis of our interpretive case study and intensive interview approach, the findings highlight a number of negative impacts occurring before the actual benefits of the project could be felt. As a result of our observations of confusion and conflict within the tribes arising from the ICT projects, we propose that such a project in aboriginal tribes can be somewhat of a two-edged sword; on the one hand, the project creates confusion about aboriginal identity and deepens the conflicts within the community, while on the other hand, it helps reduce the digital divide and stimulates local commercial activities for the communities. Such ambivalence to the ICT project ultimately undermined its potential for success.