The Cultural Impacts of Tourism on the Host Communities Essay Example

Indians have become mercenary, changing their traditional dances for the tourists’ benefit. The dancers now put on a show for the tourists and are dressed in a caricatured approximation of the costume their ancestors would have worn when the dance was not a show, but the centre of an intense religious life. The dances, in which participation was traditionally limited to men, now includes pretty girls in short-skirted imitations of traditional costumes, wearing cutely stylised versions.Tourism can turn local culture into commodities when religious traditions, local customs and festivals are reduced to conform to tourist expectations, resulting in what has been called ‘reconstructed ethnicity’. This is also apparent in the growing tourism industry in South America.

For example, the culture in Paraguay has been adapted to what the tourists want to see i. e. cultural events designed primarily to satisfy the tourists’ requirements, and also what will generate more profit; the dancers charge tourists extra if tourists want to pose with one of the costumed dancers.Culture clashes can also occur because tourism involves the movement of people to different geographical locations and the establishment of social relations between people who would otherwise not meet.

Cultural clashes can take place as a result of differences in cultures, ethnic and religious groups, values, lifestyles, languages and levels of prosperity. For example, tourists visiting Nepal are attracted not only by the forests, ancient villages and cities, but also by the variety of people and cultures of the country.In Nepal there are 70 ethnic groups who speak roughly 42 languages and people come from all over the world to experience the diversity of culture and way of life. http://unesdoc.

unesco. org/images/0012/001226/122619eo. pdf Although it may be considered a positive impact in some cases, the mixing of people with different lifestyles and from different cultural backgrounds can create negative issues. The ‘demonstration effect’ can become apparent due to the mixing of people from widely different cultures in tourist settings.Another example of this can be seen in western Amazonia’s Jurua Valley, most of whose tribes have had decades of contact with a non-indigenous society, the Ashaninka people of the River Amonia have been so besieged by visitors and journalists that they have resorted to virtually closing their reserve to visitors.

The reason for the Ashaninka’s attraction is the photogenic ‘authenticity’ of their material culture; as opposed to neighbouring groups who have abandoned nudity for shorts and T-shirts, they still wear their distinctive kitarentsi robes.Few visitors are aware that these robes themselves represent a ‘foreign’ cultural influence; the Ashaninka copied them from the Incas, whose forest stronghold of Vilcabamba they helped defend against the invading Spanish. So, as a result of the continuous intrusion from visitors, the tribes have discarded their traditional way of living, and conformed to they way the tourists live by wearing shorts and T-shirts. The host try to follow the values and aspire to the material possessions of their more wealthy visitors.

This can lead to change in cultural values on the part of the host community; they want to change their traditional ways and live their lives how the wealthy do. http://www. biodiversity. ru/coastlearn/tourism-eng/why_socioimpacts. html Ray Youell (1998), Tourism an introduction Although the cultural impacts of tourism are mainly negative, there are some issues that can be seen as positive both to the

host community and the visitors. Cultural tourism can make a contribution to the conservation of an areas cultural heritage by, for example, helping to maintain cultural traditions and preserving heritage sites.

It can also contribute to improvements in the quality of life for the local residents of tourist resorts by offering them an enhanced programme of cultural and social events, designed primarily to satisfy tourists’ requirements but also available to the host communities. Ray Youell (1998), Tourism an introduction Another positive cultural aspect is that experiencing different cultural practices enriches experiences, broadens horizons, and increases insight and appreciation for different approaches to living.Often, declining interest in host cultures is revived by reawakening cultural heritage as part of tourism development, which increases demand for historical and cultural exhibits. This interest by tourists in local culture and history provides opportunities to support preservation of historical artifacts and architecture. By learning more about others, their differences become less threatening and more interesting. http://www.

seagrant. umn. edu/tourism/pdfs/ImpactsTourism. pdf Bibliography http://www.

biodiversity. ru/coastlearn/tourism-eng/why_socioimpacts. html ·http://www. seagrant. umn.

edu/tourism/pdfs/ImpactsTourism. pdf ·Ray Youell (1998), Tourism an introduction ·Leonard J. Lickorish, Carson L. Jenkins (1997), An Introduction To Tourism ·D. Pearce (1996), Tourism Development ·Geoffrey Wall, Alister Mathieson (2005), Tourism - change, impacts and opportunities ·http://unesdoc.

unesco. org/images/0012/001226/122619eo. pdf ·http://www. newint.

org/issue245/natives. htm