Introduction
Cultural change is prevalent in virtually every part of the world. This change is highly influenced by cultural mix, which is brought about by tourism. Tourism brings people from different cultural backgrounds together. It ensures that cultural mix is achieved. Over time, cultural mix brings about change, which is usually gradual. Tourists visit various sceneries throughout the world. This ensures that they meet different people from varied cultural backgrounds.
In essence, cultural change is a result of tourism and media, among other factors. However, tourism plays a significant role in cultural change. Cultural change has raised concern over its long-term repercussions. For instance, a number of cultures have been swallowed by others considered superior. This has brought about cultural decay in various parts of the world. Cultural change is highly observed among the youths.
Furthermore, some cultures merge to form new ones. A number of countries have initiated plans to preserve their cultures. Moreover, some tourists go about exploring for unique cultures. These include the Maasai culture in Kenya and the Bushman culture in Namibia, among others.
It is therefore essential that cultural change be closely monitored with a view to preserving cultures that are beneficial to society. This paper will explore various articles on tourism and cultural change. It will also seek to establish its significance in tourism (Butler and Hinch45).
Tourism and Cultural change
Cultural change is widely evident throughout the world. Various ethnicities have lost touch with their cultural backgrounds. Media is widely blamed for this change. However, tourism is also a big factor in cultural change. People from different cultural backgrounds meet in tourism industry. In the process, cultural mix is achieved as they try to move along.
This is highly evident among tourists that go for exploratory purposes with the intent of migrating to those areas. Once they migrate, it is only a matter of time before cultural change starts. Tourism; therefore, has a big influence on cultural change. It begins the onset of cultural change.
This is quite detrimental to inferior cultures. For instance, most western cultures have swallowed their superior counterparts. This has destroyed diversity and cultural prowess that was once magnificent. Moreover, the introduction of international languages like English, Spanish, and French, among others has worked to escalate cultural change. Tourism and cultural change are; therefore, inseparable since they complement each other (Loulanski 837-862).
Scholarly article
Cultural tourism in an ethnic theme park: tourists’ views
Yang’s scholarly article explores cultural tourism through the perspective of tourists. It looks at factors that affect cultural tourism on the side of tourists. The paper explores experiences of tourists in cultural tourism with a view to ascertaining factors that influence cultural tourism.
To achieve this, the author borrows from several sources like secondary sources, informal interviews, surveys, and observation to come up with quality research on the subject. In this regard, the author explores their views on cultural authenticity and experiences, among others.
From these results, the author finds that most tourists are more concerned with satisfaction than specific issues relating to authenticity of cultural assets. In essence, they are not concerned with the specifics of cultural change; instead, they are concerned with overall satisfaction and experience from tourist sites. This shows that less focus is placed on monitoring cultural change than on overall satisfaction.
That is, cultural change takes place unnoticed. The article also mentions that a number of tourists showed concern about misinterpretations, high costs, and poor service, among other issues in the sites. This shows perceptions and cultural differences between the visiting and the visited culture. In essence, the article gives experiences and views of tourists on cultural tourism. The paper is; therefore, well research with a view to establishing cultural changes caused by tourism (Yang 320-340).
Web article
Authenticity and commodification in changing tourism trends
This article talks about issues of authenticities, which relates to culture commodification. The authors affirms that commodification of cultures is common in various sectors of the industry. In fact, she claims that this occurrence in culture is relevant in many destinations globally. She lists the numerous authors that have contributed to this topic over the years.
These include MacCannell and Shepherd, among other theorists. Moreover, she reviews the concepts of authenticity in the concept of cultural change. In addition, Bougot explores the advantages and disadvantages of culture commodification. Moreover, the article goes on to explore staged authenticity as a resistance tool utilized by some host communities. The article continues by stating its shortcomings in conducting literature review on cultural commodification.
Moreover, it focuses on the impacts of commodification in locals that reside in areas sites but are not actively involved in tourism industry. This shows how essential cultural change is to the tourism. It also shows the impact caused on locals by cultural change. This paper is well researched with a view to establishing commodification and authenticity trend s in tourism. It succeeds in doing this although it calls for further research on the same.
The author uses a wide range of sources to support her arguments. These sources are derived from credible texts that are important in strengthening her arguments. Moreover, she relates these trends to the modern tourism techniques like poverty tourism. In essence, tourism has led to commodification of culture (Bougot 1).
Opinions
Group pushes cultural tourism
The article emphasizes the need for cultural tourism. It gives a detailed discussion of the need for a push towards cultural tourism. In fact, the author uses quotations to show evidence of the need for increased cultural tourism. In this regard, the author pushes for preservation of heritage to attract cultural tourism.
It gives examples of Filipinos who have worked towards preserving heritage for tourism purposes. Moreover, the author talks of the need to empower artisans as proposed by one of the members instead of saving them (artisans). Moreover, the author emphasizes on cultural preservation by mentioning the venue, which was chosen after its listing in the World heritage sites, this was done in 1999.
The author shares information from the forum in which they discussed ways of preserving world heritage for increased cultural tourism. Moreover, the author attributes need for heritage conservation to function as a medium for resolving conflicts, rebuilding post-disaster societies and resuscitating peacekeeping (Orejas 1).
The author also believes that preservation of heritage sites brings about many benefits to the community and its neighborhood. These include benefits in education, economy, and psychology. These are important in building strong relationships between individuals concerned. In essence, the author attributes peace building to preservation of cultural assets like heritage sites.
The author goes on to mention the fact that communities that preserve literature are important in attracting cultural tourism. In essence, the author emphasizes on the need for cultural preservation for the greater good of society. In this regard, the paper does not encourage cultural change as seen in other sections of the paper.
In fact, it emphasizes the fact that varied cultures promote cultural tourism. This is important since most communities have devalued their cultures and instead acquired other cultures to achieve tourism. This paper is well sourced since it is based on opinions of theorists and researchers on cultural tourism, among others (Orejas 1).
Popular information source
The Impact of Culture on Tourism
OECD is a popular information website where materials related to tourism and economic developments are retrieved. The website has information on tourism and cultural change as it connects different countries with common objectives of economic development. Tourism plays an important role in economic development of these countries as they seek to increase their revenues. This article tackles impact of culture on tourism.
It begins by lauding facts on the importance and presence of cultural tourism. In fact, it considers cultural tourism as the most increasing and biggest global tourism niche in the world. It then goes on to affirm the importance of culture in enhancing tourism. The paper also notes that creative industry is also partly involve in enhancing tourism.
Culture brings about attractiveness and competitiveness for promotion of tourism. The paper asserts that most locations around the world are actively improving both their intangible and tangible cultural resources to improve their suitability as tourism destinations. Moreover, this is aimed at bringing uniqueness in a globalized world (OECD 1).
The paper also goes on to explore effects of culture on tourism. Moreover, it examines the connections between culture and tourism. In this, the paper states that culture is one of the main driving factors in tourism industry. It states this because culture enhances the uniqueness and attractiveness of tourism destinations around the world. Likewise, it adds to the competiveness of these destinations.
However, this can be seen to bring about cultural change since the motivation is tourism and not culture. In essence, the paper concurs with the fact that the need for tourism has led to cultural change. That is, locations around the world are working to shape their cultures in a manner that would attract more tourists.
In this regard, change is unavoidable if tourism can be achieved. In fact, numerous locations have even opted to leave their cultures and strengthen others for tourism purposes. For instance, some communities that consider their cultures unattractive have acquired cultures they consider attractive to lure tourists. This is detrimental to culture because it promotes cultural decay (OECD 1).
Conclusion
Tourism and cultural change are attached. Tourism influences cultural change. On the other hand, cultural diversity also influences tourism. For instance, some tourists visit people to learn their culture. In the process, there is cultural exchange with brings about change. Cultural change can also be attributed to other factors like technological advances, which has made tourism easy and fast. In addition, media and internet have played important roles in influencing cultural change.
However, it is essential to note that tourism has also contributed towards preservation of culture. This is evident in countries like Kenya and Tanzania where The Maasai culture has been preserved for tourism purposes. Nonetheless, this is quite rare because, more often than not, tourism brings about cultural change (Reisinger and Turner 112).
Works Cited
Bougot, Claire. Authenticity and commodification in changing tourism trends. 2011. Web.
Butler, Richard and Hinch, Tom. Tourism and indigenous people: Issues and Implications, Jordan Hill, Oxford: Elsevier Ltd., 2011. Print.
Loulanski, Tolina. “The sustainable integration of cultural heritage and tourism: a meta-study.” Journal of Sustainable Tourism. 19. (2011): 837-862. Web.
OECD. The Impact of Culture on Tourism. 2012. Web.
Orejas, Tonette. Group pushes cultural tourism. 2012. Web.
Reisinger, Yvette and Turner, Lindsay. Tourism and Politics: Global frameworks and local realities, Kidlington, Oxford: Elsevier Ltd., 2011. Print.
Yang, li. “Cultural tourism in an ethnic theme park: tourists’ views.” Journal of Tourism and Cultural Change. 9.4 (2011): 320-340. Web.