Because tourism is an intangible product, which means that there is no way for the market to check the product before purchase, the success of the country’s tourism depends largely on the imagery it provides its consumers. The picture of the destination shown to potential tourists plays significant roles in increasing the demand of tourism in the country (Page & Connell 42). The more attractive the imagery relayed to the target consumers are, the more likely it is that the countries will encourage more tourists to visit them.
As for Asian countries, their best features to Western tourism are their sense of mystery and exotic identities which are functions of their cultures and religion. Thailand runs with the advertising slogan “Amazing Thailand” and true enough, Thailand stands up to its reputation as an amazing place for tourists to stay after ranking number one in Asia tourist destination. Thailand’s main tourist attraction ranges from beautiful views, unique culture and traditions, warm people and equally welcoming Thai food and cuisine, to corrupt sex industry (Da Silva 1).
With over 90% of its population practices traditional Buddhism, Thailand is home to beautiful temples and religious practices that are unfamiliar to most of the Western tourists. Thailand also boasts of its tropical climate which makes it an ideal place to stay for Westerners that wants to get away from the harsh cold weather of their countries. Thai government is directly responsible for the efforts to draw tourists from all over the world to its country. Indonesia on the other hand took advantage of its archipelagic geography to advertise its beautiful beaches that are cultivated and beautified through the combined efforts of the government and the private sector.
Indonesia holds one of Asia’s most important emerging economies. Foreign tourism is ranked among the top of Indonesia’s income generating industries (Devarajan 147). In 1997 alone, Indonesia had 5.2 million foreign visitors which contributed more than $6.6 billion to the country’s income (World Bank 18). The Indonesian government aid foreign and local investors in the development of commercial buildings and infrastructures that would aid its tourism industry in the long run. In addition to that, the Indonesian government has devised tax packages that entice foreign investments within its domains.
Social Constructions and Social Reinvention Whenever two cultures make contact, attraction or repulsion happens. The tourism industry would not want any kinds of repulsive picture to be seen by the foreign visitors as this may affect the tourism industry in the long run. Of course any country would want foreign attraction to its culture, sights, and sound to last longer so tourists would stay longer with the country and spend more money to see sights, visit places, dine and enjoy their vacations.
In order to achieve this, governments typically design tourist routes that do not go near the areas where negative image abound like images of massive poverty, awful infrastructure, polluted areas, and other related negative imageries. To encourage more tourists in the country, the government typically downplay even political issues that may affect the perceptions of the international market towards the safety and stability of the country, consequently disturbing the flow of tourists from all over the world.
Moreover, the government encourages the people within its political domains that directly or indirectly benefit from tourism to change their social beliefs and practices to accommodate what the tourists want to see in their countries. In other words, active construction and reconstruction occurs whenever interaction in tourism occurs (Godson 40). Thailand is no exception from implementing social construction within its domains to attract more tourists and foreign visitors. Before Vietnam War began, Thailand has a little over 100,000 tourists a year (Da Silva 9).
Since the American soldiers made base in Thailand for rest and recreation, Thailand has transformed into something more inviting especially for American soldiers that are away from home.
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