Tourism and Local Communities Cultures Protection - Report Example

Tourism and Local Communities Cultures Protection Name: Course: Tutor: Institution: Date: Introduction The global market tourism industry has increased over the last two decades. In this case, over the last decades, globalisation and technology development have eased tourism industry transportation, by facilitating convenience and times of travel. However, as the industry develops, a number of concerns have emerged. Key among the concerns is the impacts of the tourism industry on the domestic cultures. As such, while as some argue that the industry supports the retention of such traditional culture, others argue to the contrary. This essay develops a critical analysis of the extent to which tourism promotes or negative impacts on the host communities’ cultures. Tourism Support and Protection for Culture On one hand, this essay argues that global tourism rise increases the retention and growth of a host community culture. This argument can be reviewed through the evaluation of the impacts on the different cultural elements. The first element is food. In this case, it is imperative to understand that food serves as a critical traditional culture identity element for any culture. As tourists in the global markets increase, there is a tendency of a preference of the domestic food materials. In this case, rather than consuming the standard foods the tourists are used to at their homes, they prefer the testing and experiencing of the new culture foods and their cooking styles and systems. As a result, it is evident that the most desired destinations in the global market such as Singapore and India among others have expanded their food industry. In this case, besides the establishment of key traditional food restaurants and hotels in the tourist destination areas, their traditional food outlets can be evidenced even in the western markets such as in the USA and Europe respectively (Henderson, 2004, p.72). This is an illustration that through increased tourism, the traditional foods status has been elevated, leading to their international recognition beyond the traditional host communities’ boundaries. Secondly, global tourism increases retention of the dressing culture for host communities. In this case, for each culture, there is a corresponding dressing code for identification. However, there is a rising trend for the adoption of the modern design and fashions on the global market, leading to a decline in the traditional dressing industry. In particular, the fast fashion industry has been a major challenge in the industry. However, global tourism has been a major pillar to the retention of this cultural aspect. In this case, through global tourism, there are organised expos in the market. These expos seek to demonstrate to the tourists and the global communities the traditional dressing codes. For instance, in China, there are annual tourism expos, that show case the Chinese traditional fashions and designs. As a result, such expo festivals offer an opportunity through which the host communities fashions and designs are showcased to the world. In this regard, the process offers two key merits to the host community. First, it offers them an opportunity to showcase their dressing tradition to the global market, increasing their recognition. Secondly, the expose offer an opportunity through which the communities re-establish their cultures. Through such a process, a majority of the tourists, as a means of creating their memories to the host nations, they often purchase such dresses (He and Zhang, 2013, p.805). As such, this serves as a means of uplifting the domestic dressing industry. In this case, statistics illustrate that a majority of the traditional fashion and dressing industries are mainly sustained by the tourism industry where the tourists purchase the dresses. In the long run period, this creates enough funding to grow, develop and sustain the domestic dressing industry. Moreover, the tourists serve as the industry and traditional dressing ambassadors in the global market. For instance, this can be illustrated through the Chinese traditional dressing industry. The traditional dresses were initially aimed at the tourists in the region, however, as the tourists for the western market increased, they purchase and introduced the dressings into the western market. As a result, this led to the expansion and spread of the Chine dressing industry into the western dress industry, where it is among the key most valuable traditional dresses in the market. Thirdly, global tourism increases and supports the traditional music industry. In this case, the traditional music industry is under immense threat from the globalised modern music industry. In this case, the viewership and audience for the traditional music industry has declined drastically over the years. However, the emergence and rise of global tourism has remained as a key pillar to this traditional music industry. On one hand, the tourism industry plays a critical role in the development of traditional music. In this case, as the tourists visit a given host community, entertainment becomes a critical part of the experience, In this case, most of the tourists prefer traditional based music and entertainment. Hence, this plays a critical role in supporting and encouraging the traditional musicians and dancers in the society. A second element of the entertainment industry supported by the global tourism is the artistic industry. In this case, the industry and especially the tourists focus on traditional arts and designs as a means of creating a lasting memory of their adventures. In Africa, the traditional crafting and artistic industry has over 90% of its demand derived from the tourism industry as compared to the less that 10% domestic demand (Kabwe-Segatti, 2009, p.289). The above analysis and reviews indicate that indeed the global tourism industry plays a critical and pivotal role in the development and enhancement of the host communities’ traditional cultures. Tourism Destruction of culture The first aspect through which global tourism declines traditional culture is through cultural integration. Cultural integration is the process through which the existence of cultural barriers and differences is eliminated through inter-cultural integrations in the market. In this case, the global tourism industry has played a critical role in the integration process. In this case, the increased culture relations have eliminated the traditional barriers. Consequently, as the tourists visit, there is the high likelihood that besides their drawing from the host community, the community equally derives and assimilates some of the new practices from the tourists. This is mainly attributed with the cultural integration in the Indonesian coastal region, In this case, due to the high tourism trends in the region, the traditional cultural practices in the region have been lost. In return, the coastal region is perceived as a cultural integration centre where no Indonesian culture practices and beliefs such as on sexuality exist, as the residents adopt the western culture and practices. An additional element hat decline with increased tourism industry is the traditional food industry. As more food industry players target the tourists, they provide their preferred food products. In this case, rather than focusing on the traditional foods that although aesthetic would have minimal demand mainly due to adventure, the hospitality and hotels industry provides the standardised global foods of which the tourist are familiar with. As the host community interacts with the tourists they equally experience the global foods. As a result, this reduces the overall demand for the domestic traditional foods as more and more people seek to purchase and consume (Sugiyarto, Blake and Sinclair, 2003, p.689). Secondly, the rise of modern fast fashion industry promotes traditional dress industry decline. In the global market, the tourists are considered as role models in the areas they tour. In this case, the host communities and societies seek to emulate and adopt the dressing and codes applied by the tourists. In most case, the tourists have done in the modern fast fashion design clothes. As such, this creates the overall impression that the modern fashion designs are superior and more preferable than the traditional designs. Hence, in the long run period, the host communities are sucked into the use of modern clothing designs at the expense of the traditional dressing designs. Consequently, as the demand for modern design increase, the demand for traditional dressings, leading to the unsustainability of the industry operations, exposing it to overall market collapse in the long run period. Conclusion In summary, this essay offers a critical analysis of the impacts of the tourism industry on the global host communities’ traditional cultures in the market. On one hand, the analysis established that to an extent, the global tourism industry supports the retention of the traditional cultures. This is achieved through their promoting the use of the domestic foods and dressing codes as a means of promoting their experiences and memories of their encounters. Moreover, their demand for the traditional music services and artistic works in the society. However, the essay recognised that there are similar limitations in the market. These are mainly through cultural integration that has had immense negative effect on the dressing, food, and he music industry respectively. This is because, the tourists serve as role models, and the host society members, especially the youths, seek to emulate the foreign culture, especially the western culture. Consequently, this implies that there is the neglecting of the traditional cultural aspects in the long run period. Based on the above findings, this essay notes that although the tourism industry promotes traditional culture retention, it has its negative impacts that should be addressed into the future. References He, Y. N., & Zhang, L. (2013) “Analyze on the Tourism Value of Traditional Costume Culture Resources in South Jiangsu District and the Development of Tourism Products”, Advanced Materials Research, Vol. 821, pp. 803-806 Henderson, J. C. (2004) “Food as a tourism resource: A view from Singapore” Tourism Recreation Research, vol. 29, no. 3, pp. 69-74. Kabwe-Segatti, A. W. (2009), “We Offer the Whole of Africa Here!”, Cahiers d'études africaines, vol. 1, pp. 285-308. Sugiyarto, G., Blake, A., & Sinclair, M. T. (2003), “Tourism and globalization: economic impact in Indonesia”, Annals of Tourism Research, vol. 30, no. 3, pp. 683-701. Read More

As such, this serves as a means of uplifting the domestic dressing industry. In this case, statistics illustrate that a majority of the traditional fashion and dressing industries are mainly sustained by the tourism industry where the tourists purchase the dresses. In the long run period, this creates enough funding to grow, develop and sustain the domestic dressing industry. Moreover, the tourists serve as the industry and traditional dressing ambassadors in the global market. For instance, this can be illustrated through the Chinese traditional dressing industry.

The traditional dresses were initially aimed at the tourists in the region, however, as the tourists for the western market increased, they purchase and introduced the dressings into the western market. As a result, this led to the expansion and spread of the Chine dressing industry into the western dress industry, where it is among the key most valuable traditional dresses in the market. Thirdly, global tourism increases and supports the traditional music industry. In this case, the traditional music industry is under immense threat from the globalised modern music industry.

In this case, the viewership and audience for the traditional music industry has declined drastically over the years. However, the emergence and rise of global tourism has remained as a key pillar to this traditional music industry. On one hand, the tourism industry plays a critical role in the development of traditional music. In this case, as the tourists visit a given host community, entertainment becomes a critical part of the experience, In this case, most of the tourists prefer traditional based music and entertainment.

Hence, this plays a critical role in supporting and encouraging the traditional musicians and dancers in the society. A second element of the entertainment industry supported by the global tourism is the artistic industry. In this case, the industry and especially the tourists focus on traditional arts and designs as a means of creating a lasting memory of their adventures. In Africa, the traditional crafting and artistic industry has over 90% of its demand derived from the tourism industry as compared to the less that 10% domestic demand (Kabwe-Segatti, 2009, p.289). The above analysis and reviews indicate that indeed the global tourism industry plays a critical and pivotal role in the development and enhancement of the host communities’ traditional cultures.

Tourism Destruction of culture The first aspect through which global tourism declines traditional culture is through cultural integration. Cultural integration is the process through which the existence of cultural barriers and differences is eliminated through inter-cultural integrations in the market. In this case, the global tourism industry has played a critical role in the integration process. In this case, the increased culture relations have eliminated the traditional barriers. Consequently, as the tourists visit, there is the high likelihood that besides their drawing from the host community, the community equally derives and assimilates some of the new practices from the tourists.

This is mainly attributed with the cultural integration in the Indonesian coastal region, In this case, due to the high tourism trends in the region, the traditional cultural practices in the region have been lost. In return, the coastal region is perceived as a cultural integration centre where no Indonesian culture practices and beliefs such as on sexuality exist, as the residents adopt the western culture and practices. An additional element hat decline with increased tourism industry is the traditional food industry.

As more food industry players target the tourists, they provide their preferred food products. In this case, rather than focusing on the traditional foods that although aesthetic would have minimal demand mainly due to adventure, the hospitality and hotels industry provides the standardised global foods of which the tourist are familiar with.

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