Tourism

Has tourism been a culprit in commodifying cultures and traditions?

To illustrate this point, we have to go deeper into the impacts of tourism on local communities.

One example which shocked the national tourist authority is the case of the long-neck Karens of northern Thailand. Many people have seen pictures of the women of this tribe on the Internet. They wear brass rings to lengthen their neck to improbable lengths. Some were even rounded up by a business man for display in a ‘’human zoo’’.

Once rituals become tourist entertainment and the objects associated with them turn into souvenirs, they lose their cultural value and become mere capital goods. Traditional values are corroded. What were once revered is now treated only as a means for capital gains. A ritual mask used to scare off the devil by the old comes to be dismissed as nothing more than a souvenir for tourists by the young, to be exploited to earn some money.

Undeniably, demand for such commodities often improve the livelihood of craftsmen, and who is to deny them a better living, even when products once carefully made to servesacred purposes are now customised to meet the preferences of the marketplace? But where is the craftsmanship, when cultural objects are mass produced? Are the genuine craftsmen the beneficiaries? Consider: a traditional cultural object typically takes days if not months to craft; how likely are the products found in a souvenir shop likely to be made the same way, with the same care and skill?

Therefore in my opinion, I believe that tourism plays a major role in the commodication process. It is with great hope that the global tourism boards could minimize this process and retains the authenticity of cultures and traditions.

Sources:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/19380512/Case-Against-Tourism

http://www.studentsoftheworld.info/sites/country/img/992_races.jpg 

http://www.tragnark.com/images/cambodia/cambodia_buddhist_rituals.jpg

Tourism

Tourism & its changes

Tourism is an extremely wide-ranging industry, encompassing the travel, accommodations, transportation, restaurant, souvenir and other businesses. Here are some goals set by the Japan Tourism Agency:

• Increase the number of overseas visitors to 10 million by 2010, with a long-term goal of equalling the number of Japanese overseas travellers (7.33 million in 2006) 
• Increase the number of international conferences held in Japan by over 50% by 2011, with the aim of becoming the top host nation of international conference in Asia (168 conferences in 2005) 
• Increase the duration of Japanese domestic travel by 1 night per person by 2010, to 4 nights annually (2.77 nights in 2006) 
• Increase the number of Japanese overseas travellers to 20 million by 2010, with the aim of promoting mutual international exchange (17.53 million in 2006) 
• Increase domestic travel spending to ¥30 trillion by 2010, through the creation of new demand brought about by improved environment for smooth travel and diverse service offerings by increased productivity in the tourism industry (¥24.4 trillion in 2005) 

Now we look at some of the impacts caused by tourism in Japan:

·        Economical Impact

 Its economic impact is also quite large, and the FY2008 estimate of production impact including secondary economic ripple effect is 5.3% of the GDP (¥972 trillion) or ¥51.4 trillion. In terms of its effect on employment, the industry is estimated to employ 4.3 million, 6.7% of the total employment figure of 64.45 million.

·        Cultural impact

Tourism is an interface for cultural exchange, facilitating the interaction between communities and visitors (domestic and international). Being rich in cultures and traditions, tourism brought about an immense influx and exchanges of cultural perspectives.

However there is a risk of commercialization of local culture. Tourism can turn local culture into commodities when religious traditions, local customs and festivals are reduced to conform to tourist expectations and resulting in what has been called "reconstructed ethnicity".

Also there is the danger of adaptation to tourist demands. Tourists want souvenirs, arts, crafts, cultural manifestations. In many tourist destinations, craftsmen have responded to the growing demand and have made changes in the design of their products to make them more in line with the new customers’ tastes. The interest shown by tourists can contribute to the sense of self-worth of the artists and help conserve a cultural tradition. Cultural erosion may occur in the process of commercializing cultural goods.

·        Environmental impact

With 14 World Heritage sites, Japan certainly has a rich cultural environment. With the development of many places like Okinawa and Hokaiddo to meet the needs if increased demand from tourism, there is no arguing that the environmental impact is huge. Going by the efficient and speedy transport system in Japan, it is with no doubt that tourism has brought a slew of positive changes to the environment.

Sources:

http://www.tourism.jp/english/statistics/inbound.php

http://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/en/about/keiki.html

http://www.coastlearn.org/tourism/why_socioimpacts.html

http://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/en/kankorikkoku/kihonkeikaku.html

https://www.msu.edu/course/prr/840/econimpact/bills.jpg 

http://multiculture.com.au/myimages/impact.gif

http://www.econewonline.com/images/img_environmental_impact.jpg