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Tourism Across Cultures

Nobody much likes tourists. They have a reputation for being loud, rude and disruptive. They are blamed for everything from prostitution to environmental degradation. They want to have a good time, they are not well informed and want a short ‘wow’ factor. Yet tourism may in fact be the true salvation of humankind’s cultural heritage. Internationalization has, in practice, been a process of everyone’s coming to live and act the same; the Japanese gave up their kimonos because they were considered ‘unmodern’, while Beijing destroyed its old city for the same reason. But tourists are looking for something old and something different – and they’ll pay for it.

The effect can be seen across the globe, rescuing traditional cities and cultures from the brink of extinction. In Latin America interest in cultural and ecological tourism has been on the rise in recent years. Tourism to Guatemala, for example, with its Mayan heritage, rain forests and lakes surrounded by volcanoes, has doubled in the past decade to nearly 2 million foreign visitors a year. Their dollars have kept young indigenous women interested in learning the specialized craft of weaving. Indigenous artisanry forms an important part of the Guatemalan touristic product. If this were not the case, such crafts could die off and the younger generations would have to look for new trades that would allow them to survive.

Indeed, the souvenir trade can keep fading cultures alive. In the Tatra National Park in Poland, the highlander tradition of making smoked sheep cheese – dying out among the younger generation – has earned a new lease on life thanks to tourists’ desire for unforgettable souvenirs. Highlanders make the cheese in their huts, forming it by hand and smoking it over a fire. Visitors feel free to chat with the locals as they watch, have a taste of the cheese and a glass of fresh goat’s milk; most leave some money.

Tourists used to maintain their ties to the places they visited with photos and souvenirs. Now, as travellers grow both wealthier and more socially and environmentally aware, they are increasingly concerned that their good times have a good impact. They are doing everything from sponsoring local families to supporting conservation groups with cash. There is definitely a growing market of globally caring tourists.

Tourism is not just about preserving old cultures; it can also influence modern ones. Catering to tourist whims provides a quick education for entrepreneurs from the little boys pushing post cards, to the people who run small travel agencies, bed-and-breakfasts and coffee shops.

For developed countries, tourism can help maintain a healthy competitive edge. Consider Japan, which until recently did not feel the need to court foreign travellers, and in the process nearly fell off the tourist map. The country ranks only 30^th in the world as a tourist destination. Without overseas visitors’ clamoring for special services, hotels and inns rarely offer Internet access, ATM and mobile phone networks won’t link up with the rest of the world, and design and amenities at resorts lag behind world standards. Without tourists, modern culture fails to take the next step.

Of course, it is the tourists who benefit most from tourism. They go home having learned something about societies different from their own. And that, in the end, may do more good for the local cultures they visited than any amount of dollars. When tourists go to other countries, it increases the locals’ pride in their own culture. Tourism is the avenue on which we can exchange our cultures and learn from each other. Tourism brings peace. Not to mention some really unforgettable smoked sheep-cheese souvenirs.

(After Alex Kerr and Alexandra A. Seno, Newsweek, April 2006.)