That tourism flows pollute the local culture1 and degrade the authenticity of a location (Desforges 517-518) has almost become a truism. In fact, as Coleman and Crang observe such critiques are as old as tourism itself (qtd. in Desforges 522-524) and are linked up with a wrong understanding of places – at least from a human geographical point of view. If detractors state that a locality has become “inauthentic” under touristic influence than in reverse it must have been “authentic”, meaning genuine, unaffected and stable, before travelers visited it and brought their own culture. In contrast there is basically no place which developed without the influence of travelers. As Doreen Massey notes a place is not the way it is because of internal characteristics but because of global linkages (qtd. in Crang 45-49) and as Desforges adds “tourism and travel are merely a new form of interconnection between places” (523). For instance the Dutch city Middelburg gained some of its today's distinctive appearance and character by the slave trade and the resulting prosperity some hundred years ago (Encyclopædia Britannica). As Greenwood concludes “some of what we see as destruction is construction” (182). However, distinctive local traditions like certain ceremonies can change or even lose not only their original meaning but also the sense for residents under the influence of mass tourism (Hall and Page 122; Greenwood 181-182). One example for such a change of meaning can be seen in the development of the wine festivals in the Palatinate in Germany which will be examined later.
Table of Contents
1. The Influence of the Tourist Industry and Municipality on Cultural Changes
Objectives and Topics
This essay explores the complex relationship between the tourist industry, municipal management, and the transformation of local cultures. It aims to determine whether tourism inherently destroys local traditions or if cultural changes are more significantly driven by commodification and external marketing strategies, analyzing case studies from Germany and Hawaii to address these questions.
- Analysis of the "cultural commoditization" theory by Davydd J. Greenwood.
- Examination of the role of municipal promotion in altering traditional local rituals.
- Evaluation of the impact of mass tourism on local social identity and perception.
- Case studies on the "Alarde" festival in Fuenterrabia, the "Dürkheimer Wurstmarkt", and Hawaiian bridal tourism.
Excerpt from the Book
The Influence of the Tourist Industry and Municipality on Cultural Changes
“Alarde”, a huge annual parade commemorating the resitance of the Basque city Fuenterrabia against the sixty-nine days lasting French siege in 1638, Greenwood shows how an internal ritual was transformed into a public touristic attraction within two years with the aid of municipal promotion. In the former times the Alarde was was not only a re-enactment of a historical event but also mattered as a display of their Basque identity. Then in the course of an increased publicity for the city when a hotel was opened in the rebuild fortress in 1969 the Alarde was added to the “basic tourism package” (177). The municipality tried to change the way this ritual was performed, so that hotel guests could see it, and even wanted to show it twice a year. The initial bewilderment of the inhabitants soon changed in a renunciative stance and the municipality encountered problems finding participants for this event. The prior ritual which was seen as a “performance for the participants” (176) was transformed into a show, a tourist feature.
This example shows quite well what Greenwood means with his term “cultural commoditization.” Some people would consider this also as a prime example for a case in which tourism, or rather the “capitalist development” (Mowforth and Munt, 40), spoiled or destroyed the local culture. For the contemporary residents, this might be true because they lost an internal ritual which was once meaningful to them. However, whether a certain change of a ritual is positive or negative should only be judged from the perspective of the residents – even if they might also tend to disagree to cultural changes too quickly. Criticism by outsiders is therefore often connected with a “scarce empathy” (Thiem 28) with the locals. Furthermore, criticism sometimes originates in a “cultural pessimism” which values every variation from their imaginative, romantic picture of a certain place as a step towards cultural decay (Thiem 28). Then we also have to think about the impact that the tourism has on the economic status of the town Fuenterrabia (or any other touristic city) which might not be insignificant on the long run.
Summary of Chapters
1. The Influence of the Tourist Industry and Municipality on Cultural Changes: This section investigates how tourist development and municipal efforts to market local traditions can lead to cultural commoditization, focusing on specific examples of ritual adaptation and the potential alienation of local residents.
Keywords
Tourism, Cultural Commoditization, Municipality, Local Culture, Authenticity, Alarde, Dürkheimer Wurstmarkt, Bridal Tourism, Hawaii, Social Identity, Globalization, Tradition, Cultural Change, Commercialization, Tourism Impact
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this academic paper?
The paper examines how the tourist industry and municipal actions influence and potentially transform local cultural traditions and identities.
What are the central themes discussed in this work?
Key themes include cultural commoditization, the authenticity of local rituals, the role of municipal promotion, and the socioeconomic impact of tourism on local communities.
What is the primary research question?
The paper explores whether tourism is solely responsible for the destruction of local culture or if cultural transformation is a more complex result of municipal marketing and external economic interests.
Which scientific methods are utilized?
The work employs a literature-based analysis of anthropological and geographical theories on tourism, complemented by a small-scale survey regarding local perceptions of the Dürkheimer Wurstmarkt.
What specific topics are covered in the main body?
The main body covers the theoretical concept of cultural commoditization, the transformation of the Basque "Alarde" ritual, the commercialization of wine festivals in the Palatinate, and the development of bridal tourism in Hawaii.
Which keywords best describe this research?
Relevant keywords include Tourism, Cultural Commoditization, Authenticity, Local Culture, Social Identity, and Cultural Change.
How does the "Alarde" parade example illustrate the author's argument?
The "Alarde" example serves to demonstrate how a meaningful internal ritual can be turned into a commercialized tourist attraction through municipal intervention, leading to a loss of original identity for the participants.
What is the significance of the "Dürkheimer Wurstmarkt" case study?
This case study highlights how large-scale tourism can turn traditional events into generic "fun fairs," potentially alienating locals who no longer identify with the commercialized version of their tradition.
What is the author's conclusion regarding the role of the municipality?
The author suggests that cultural "spoiling" is often driven more by municipal public relations and advertising strategies than by the presence of tourists themselves.
- Quote paper
- Nora Görne (Author), 2010, The Influence of the Tourist Industry and Municipality on Cultural Changes, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/177731
