zondag 13 september 2015

Culture for Sale

“Travel feeds the soul” is a statement I often hear from friends who are quite frequently on the move. And this is not an unpopular opinion. In fact I believe most people agree wholeheartedly with this, whether they be tourist or traveller. The underlying reasoning is that to travel, is to exchange cultures. It is this trade of ideas and opinions that can be an enriching experience.

But sadly, this is not always the case. In an earlier blog I discussed the notion of commodification; making an experience  or an other intangible object into a product open for sale. Although the commodification of cultural artifacts may bring newfound wealth to the country, it also reduces their cultural heritage to mere products that anyone can enjoy for a fee. I am of the opinion that this process makes the experiences less worthwhile, a notion closely related to the quest for authenticity.

One such example, where a cultural heritage was devalued is Petra. Petra was once the capital of an ancient people called the Nabataeans, who lived there for centuries. Later on it was inhabited by the Bedoon, a stateless people who still roam in Jordan today. It wasn’t until the 20th century that Petra became a popular destination for (mostly) Western tourists. The Jordanian board of tourism saw this as an opportunity and forced the Bedoon to resettle to a nearby encampment.

Isn’t it ironic that we value Petra due to its portrayal of a beautiful city, and yet force away those that make it an actual living and breathing city? Don’t get me wrong, Petra is still an amazing place to visit. But the experience would be that much more valued by me, and presumably others as well, when it would’ve kept its original valued function.

That’s enough complaining about tourism for now. In the following entry I will try to examine how tourism ‘feeds the soul’.

Reference: Williams, Stephen. Tourism geography. Routledge, 2009.

Geen opmerkingen:

Een reactie posten