When cultures collide
Few of us enjoy the feeling of sticking out like a sore thumb when we are on holiday. We giggle about the strange habits of overseas tourists here in the UK, but maybe it’s them laughing at us when we are away on holiday?
However sometimes cultural faux pas are no laughing matter. Although our intentions might be good some of our behaviour can inadvertently cause great offence in destinations. For example, that little pink mini skirt which looks great in Brighton or Miami can, when worn away from the beach in Muslim countries, cause offence. The same types of culture clashes happen in conservative Christian communities in Polynesia, the Caribbean and the Mediterranean.
Beyond causing offence to individual people tourism can impact on the culture in entire destinations. The tourism industry packages up and sanitises religious rituals, dress, ethnic rites and festivals to conform to tourist expectations. Once a destination begins to see itself through the eyes of tourists it begins to lose its sense of itself and its identity (and pretty quickly the reason why tourists came in the first place).
Commodification and cocacolaisation
When a destination is sold as a tourism product, and the tourism demand for local culture begins to exert influence its easy for the original meaning and values of local culture to be lost. For example molas, which are blouses worn by Kuna women in Colombia, were designed based on local spiritual beliefs. However as tourists demand new designs the Kuna women are losing their knowledge of the old designs and their meanings.
Tourism can ‘cocacolanise’ tourist destinations. In order to make tourists feel ‘comfortable’ we’ve exported English pubs and fish and chip shops to Mediterranean fishing villages – changing them beyond recognition. Those of us who seek more authentic tourism experiences are sadly disappointed.
Looking on the positive side
Responsible cultural tourism can help sustain local cultures. In Namibia I’ve been tracking and walking with San (or bushmen) grandfathers. They told me that their sons had shown no interest in learning their fabulous bushcraft, but now that tourists wanted to visit them - and are willing to pay for the privilege - their grandchildren were proudly leaning these ancient skills. Many of the traditions of rural villages in Europe also benefit in the same way. In other case excited new cultural events such as The Edinburgh festival are created for tourism.
So what should the tourist do?
Basically, we need to acknowledge that when we travel we are guests in other people’s homes. Those who have travelled widely will have found that travelling with respect earns you respect – for example those few words of local language, or the little bit of local history, that you’ve read about in your guide book work wonders in opening conversations with local people.
Our tips
1. Read up on local cultures and traditions before you visit – you’ll have a more enjoyable trip, get a warmer welcome and avoid creating any unintended offence
2. Hire a guide from the local community – you’ll make a new friend and discover more about local life and traditions. He’ll advise you on where to go, and how, and where not to go. He’ll also earn an income.
3. Ask permission before you photograph local people – in some countries it can cause offence. In other cases as local villages charge no admission fee its only fair that you a pay a little to take a picture.
4. Realise that often the people in the country you are visiting have different time concepts and thought patterns from your own, this does not make them inferior, only different.
5. Instead of the western practice of knowing all the answers, cultivate the habit of asking questions and discover the enrichment of seeing a different way of life through others eyes.
However sometimes cultural faux pas are no laughing matter. Although our intentions might be good some of our behaviour can inadvertently cause great offence in destinations. For example, that little pink mini skirt which looks great in Brighton or Miami can, when worn away from the beach in Muslim countries, cause offence. The same types of culture clashes happen in conservative Christian communities in Polynesia, the Caribbean and the Mediterranean.
Beyond causing offence to individual people tourism can impact on the culture in entire destinations. The tourism industry packages up and sanitises religious rituals, dress, ethnic rites and festivals to conform to tourist expectations. Once a destination begins to see itself through the eyes of tourists it begins to lose its sense of itself and its identity (and pretty quickly the reason why tourists came in the first place).
Commodification and cocacolaisation
When a destination is sold as a tourism product, and the tourism demand for local culture begins to exert influence its easy for the original meaning and values of local culture to be lost. For example molas, which are blouses worn by Kuna women in Colombia, were designed based on local spiritual beliefs. However as tourists demand new designs the Kuna women are losing their knowledge of the old designs and their meanings.
Tourism can ‘cocacolanise’ tourist destinations. In order to make tourists feel ‘comfortable’ we’ve exported English pubs and fish and chip shops to Mediterranean fishing villages – changing them beyond recognition. Those of us who seek more authentic tourism experiences are sadly disappointed.
Looking on the positive side
Responsible cultural tourism can help sustain local cultures. In Namibia I’ve been tracking and walking with San (or bushmen) grandfathers. They told me that their sons had shown no interest in learning their fabulous bushcraft, but now that tourists wanted to visit them - and are willing to pay for the privilege - their grandchildren were proudly leaning these ancient skills. Many of the traditions of rural villages in Europe also benefit in the same way. In other case excited new cultural events such as The Edinburgh festival are created for tourism. So what should the tourist do?
Basically, we need to acknowledge that when we travel we are guests in other people’s homes. Those who have travelled widely will have found that travelling with respect earns you respect – for example those few words of local language, or the little bit of local history, that you’ve read about in your guide book work wonders in opening conversations with local people.
Our tips
1. Read up on local cultures and traditions before you visit – you’ll have a more enjoyable trip, get a warmer welcome and avoid creating any unintended offence
2. Hire a guide from the local community – you’ll make a new friend and discover more about local life and traditions. He’ll advise you on where to go, and how, and where not to go. He’ll also earn an income.
3. Ask permission before you photograph local people – in some countries it can cause offence. In other cases as local villages charge no admission fee its only fair that you a pay a little to take a picture.
4. Realise that often the people in the country you are visiting have different time concepts and thought patterns from your own, this does not make them inferior, only different.
5. Instead of the western practice of knowing all the answers, cultivate the habit of asking questions and discover the enrichment of seeing a different way of life through others eyes.
Interested? Take a look at more tips, advice on visiting tribal cultures or search for responsible holidays.