Tourists and tourism activities play a great role in building the identity of individuals, communities, and societies. Among the global and local consequences of tourism, the construction of identity specifically to the host society is evident. Touristic culture, therefore, forms the center stage through which identity is negotiated and constructed. Tourists in the process of mingling with the locals directly or indirectly influence their, ethnic, elite, and national character. This paper aims to explore the linkage between tourism and various forms of identity construction in society, and the correlation between the identities. The discussion will mainly feature the influence of tourism, and the role it plays in the construction of people’s character across a nation, ethnic group, race, and gender.
The linkage between tourism and national, ethnic, gender, and race identity construction.
Tourism, specifically in the domestic context plays a significant role in the formation and development of national identity in a specific society. Gender, race, and ethnic identities are usually involved in shaping the national identity in a specific society. Heritage sites such as museums and parks act as tourists attraction centers for both domestic and international tourists. These sites are highly involved in influencing the construction of national identity while displaying the local’s cultural ethnic practices.
Nationalism “imagined community,” is a feature of national identity which is developed among diverse ethnic populations through significant heritage sites, which are core elements of tourism. Promotion of the sense of common identity and creation of “imagined community” are national goals, whereby tourism plays a great role. (Pretes, 2003).
Tourism to some extend bridges the gap between different cultures and ethnic groups in the creation and development of national identity. The link between national, race, and gender identity formation and tourism in the United States will be explored in various tourists attraction heritage sites in the South Dakota state, particularly the Rushmore National Memorial in the black hills. The monumental sculpture of the four greatest American presidents, associated with national values such as freedom and equality. The monument, which also serves as a national historical shrine is so dominating, that it accounts for most of the tourism activities in the state.
Pretes (2003) noted that the Rushmore monument (shrine of democracy) specifically makes domestic tourists have a sense of pride and happiness towards America while giving the viewers a nationalist understanding of an “American.” The monument brings out a common American culture, which gives both domestic and international tourists a hegemonic discourse of nationalism.
The Rushmore monument contributes to the building of gender identity among Americans. The sculptures express male power through the four father figures “the greatest leaders,” whereby the masculine gender identity is magnified. The monument acts as a national figure uniting the diverse races and ethnic populations of the United States of America. Through the site national, gender, ethnic, and racial identities are collectively constructed.
In Indonesia, the sense of national identity is greatly triggered by international as well as domestic tourism. As noted by Adams, Indonesia is an “archipelago nation,” having over 300 ethnic communities. To promote nationalism, the Indonesian Ministry of tourism strategized the aims and objectives of developing domestic tourism, for building and strengthening unity among its ethnic groups, reinforcing the community’s love for their nation, as well as promoting their national cultural life and tourists historical sites.
The Indonesian government also emphasized domestic tourism as a strategy of building their national identity, a move which would help in molding Indonesians to be better citizens, while instilling a sense of patriotism and nationalism among the Indonesians. The government also maintained that through domestic tourism, its nationals would intermingle with others, learning and experiencing their cultures. These diverse cultures are symbols of national treasures, which are fundamental for the promotion of nationalism, a national identity. The local cultures would help build the national identity (Adams, 2006).
Adams (2006) observed that other nations were also utilizing their diverse ethnic cultures and arts to build their multicultural national identity. The Belize nation is a perfect example. The nation has got four major ethnic groups, which it currently utilizes their ethnic differences as forms of attracting tourists and promoting national cohesion in experiencing the others cultures through domestic tourism just as in Indonesia.
Tourism has a direct link with cultural arts in the promotion of national and ethnic identity. Still, in the case of Indonesia, the country started the National Tourism Consciousness Campaign in 1990. The government in this campaign aimed at emphasizing creating awareness to the Indonesian communities on the importance of developing and embracing the Sapta Persona (Seven Charms). Each community or city was supposed to initiate a cultural display, in them demonstrating that they had the seven charms, i.e. hospitality, friendliness, security, beauty, cleanliness, comfort, and memories.
The tau-tau and tongkonan touristic cultural arts were the main focus in the Toraja Society. The Indonesian government believed that these cultural displays would promote tourism both international and domestic while strengthening the ethnic and national identity and discipline (Adams, 2006).
National museums, as well as theme parks in Indonesia, have contributed much to the construction of local ethnic identity. The Indonesian government is strongly supporting and advocating for the development of museums and theme parks, for showcasing the ethnic cultures of the numerous Indonesian communities. The linkage between inter-ethnic cultures is also emphasized. Domestic tourism in the museums and theme parks was the way through which Indonesians were to rediscover their ethnic identities while building a wholistic national identity. Therefore the national identity is promoted through the construction of ethnic identity. Despite showcasing and constructing ethnic identities, interethnic conflicts and differences are negotiated at these sites (Adams, 2006).
The Makassar Museum in Sulawesi city in Indonesia fueled ethnic conflicts between the Torajans and the Buginese communities. This was through the use of the Buginese to display ethnic dances and events perceived to be Torajan-oriented, intensifying the need for ethnic identity between the conflicting groups. The Torajans thought that the Buginese were profiting from their culture, hence had to assert their own ethnic identity.
The Sulawesi culture park was also another landmark initiated by the Indonesian government to suppress ethnic conflicts while addressing the ethnic identities of all communities. The different ethnic cultures were merged together in the museums and parks to produce a national identity of Indonesia. Domestic and international tourists had to experience the cultures of different communities without trekking the communities but just visiting the parks (Adams, 2006).
Tourism activities associated with the equinox, a ritual event among the Yucatan communities in Mexico, help in the construction of their ethnic cultural identity, which in turn shapes the national identity. The equinox is a historical memory event preserved in the Museum of the Maya culture. The Mexican government supports the culture as an official explanation of the equinox occurrence. The equinox event coincides with a Mexican national holiday on March 21st which guarantees the event a great turnover. The event which is significant among the cultural festivals which attract tourists in Mexico acts as a major boost to strengthening the cultural ethnic identity among the Yucatan communities, and particularly the Maya (Casteneda, 1996).
Brennan (2004) noted that sex tourism was linked with the construction of transnational linkages between commercial sex workers and their clients (sex tourists). Sex tourism is so common among the Sosua women in the Dominican Republic, such that it plays the greatest role in constructing their transnational identity as commercial sex workers.
This practice also contributes to the shaping of gender and race identity among Dominican women in various ways. According to Brennan (2004), it is a gender role and responsibility for Dominican women to provide for their families, through working in the sex trade. Race identity has been constructed between sex workers and sex tourists, through the reinforcement of existing inequalities. The foreign sex tourists are considered superior to the locals, as they are the ones who control the sex relationships.
These transnational sex relationships, Brennan considered them the main factor behind racial inequalities and hierarchies, which contributes to the construction of racial identity. The Dominican national identity on sex tourism is built through the encouragement of women to take part in the labor force inclusive of commercial sex work (gender identity) who segregate certain races according to monetary ability (race identity).
There is a direct correlation between race, gender, class, and citizenship (national) identities, as constructed through sex tourists’ abilities. For instance, a white European male, of the middle class is considered to have a better economical ability than other tourist (Brennan, 2004).
Tourists’ apartheid (segregation) of certain places by race or citizenship greatly influences the link and correlation between race identity and national identity in a certain society. Poor countries such as the Dominican Republic are emphasizing on feminization of the countries’ workforce, even though gender inequalities exist in terms of payments. Race identity is impacting on the construction of national and gender identities.
Tourism has greatly influenced the construction of national, ethnic, gender and race identity among people in a particular setting. Gender, ethnic and race identities are usually main ingredients in the construction process of national identities. Through domestic and international tourism, national heritage sites such as museums, theme parks and historical monuments offer domestic tourists a sense of nationalism an aspect of national identity. Ethnic identities of different ethnic groups are constructed and shaped through recognizing their cultural arts, events, rituals or architecture in tourists and heritage sites such as the culture parks.
These cultures are merged in museums to give a blend of national identity. Sex-tourism has also contributed to the construction of transnational identities between sex workers and sex tourists. It has also contributed to the shaping of gender identity, particularly among women who participate in the sex trade with tourists. Different governments are putting efforts in the creation of tourist sites in the quest to promote national identity while preserving the local ethnic identities.
Works cited
Adams, M., K. Art as Politics: Re-Crafting Identities, Tourism, and Power in Tana Toraja, Indonesia. Manoa: University of Hawaii Press, 2006.
Brennan, D. What’s Love got to do with it: Transnational Desires and Sex Tourism in the Dominican Republic. Durham and London: Duke University Press, 2004.
Casteneda, Q. Vernal Return and Cosmos: That Serpent on the Balustrade and the New Age Invasion. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, 1996.
Pretes, M. “Tourism and Nationalism” Annals of Nation Tourism Research. 30:1 (2003): 125-142.