◄Unit 12: Global media rights and responsibilitiesUnit 14: Genderand society►

Unit 13: Relationship between tourism and culture

  • Unit 13: Relationship between tourism and culture

    TOPIC 4: Culture: Cultural Diversity

    Key unit competence: To be able to analyse the relationship between tourism and culture

    Activity

    1. Identify practices, cuisines, dressing, ceremonies, symbols, celebrations, music and dance, arts and crafts and architecture that portray the Rwandan culture.

    2. Explain how each can be useful in promoting tourism in the country.

    13.1 Cultural heritage


    Activity 1
    In form of a table, identify the major cultural items in Rwanda.


    Culture refers to the way of life of a specific group of people. It defines who we are in our society. Culture is passed on from one generation to another. People value culture because it gives them pride in their identity. In Rwanda, the beautiful hand-woven Agaseke basket promotes the Rwandan culture of peace, unity, saving, solidarity, sharing and friendship among Rwandans. The practice of Ubudehe promotes the spirit of working together to solve problems in our society. Other items that promote the Rwandan culture include customs, artifacts, historical sites, lifestyle, food, housing, festivals and art.

    Cultural heritage refers to expressions or indicators of the way of living developed by a community. They are passed on from one generation to another. They include customs, objects, practices, oral history, places, artwork and values. Cultural heritage is preserved and valued by present generations.

    Cultural heritage is expressed as tangible or intangible. Tangible heritage(material or physical) includes historic sites, monuments and artifacts that are preserved for future generations. They are important because they tell the history of people’s culture and traditions. Intangible heritage (immaterial) includes traditions inherited from our ancestors and passed on to future generations. They include language, oral literature, performing arts, social practices, rituals, festivals, knowledge about nature and the universe or the knowledge and skills to produce traditional crafts.

    Activity 2
    Fill in the table with various forms of cultural heritage found in the country. The first one has been done for you.

    Culture is now increasingly used to promote tourism in most countries, including Rwanda. The cultural heritage of a country enhances its competitiveness and attractiveness to tourists. Culture and tourism have thus become closely connected and serve as powerful agents of economic growth. People need therefore, to protect, preserve and promote their cultural heritage.

    Activity 3
    Examine social cultural practices that are carried out in Rwanda. Give the name of a ceremony/festival or ritual and explain how it is carried out.


    13.2 Relationship between tourism and culture


    Imagine how exciting it would be to ride an elephant in Southeast Asia, or sing and dance with hundreds of thousands of other carnival revellers down the streets of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. When you visit a different country, or a different region with diverse cultures, you are likely to be interested in seeing or experiencing the culture of the people. It is exciting, refreshing and educative to go for an adventure in a new place, different from familiar territory.
                                      
    Tourism and culture have a close relationship and benefit from each other. The different forms in which culture is expressed, act as tourist attractions. Culture, therefore, is a resource for tourism. Culture provides entertainment and is a source of attraction for tourism and tourism adds value to culture. This calls for a community or country to preserve and strengthen its local cultural identity.

    Activity 1
    1. Identify areas where tourists have a chance to see a live performance of Rwandan traditional music, ceremonies or festivals.
    2. Explain how music, ceremonies or festivals promote the Rwandan culture to tourists.

    Tourists consider the culture of the people when deciding to visit a cultural site. Historical sites, cultural performances, cultural artifacts, local cuisine and dressing provide great cultural attractions for tourists as well as tourist market opportunities. The global tourism industry has become very competitive nowadays. Countries are working towards promoting their cultural heritage to keep up with other countries in the world.

    Activity 2
    1. Identify locally created arts and crafts which are sold as souvenirs to tourists who visit Rwanda.
    2. Think of ways people in your district can promote and boost cultural tourism.
    3. Discuss and come up with a possible business plan for Secondary Six leavers. The business should be aimed at promoting cultural tourism in your district. The idea should also be one that has been untapped or one that needs developing. Present the plan in class.

    Cultural festivals serve to grow, preserve and promote the culture of a community. They also express values and beliefs held by members of a community and provide a chance for them to share experiences and information.

    Cultural festivals off er entertainment and give tourists an opportunity to interact with the host community. In our country, cultural festivals focus on the country’s rich culture and tradition and give tourists an opportunity to see and appreciate the Rwandan culture. For example, the Gorilla Naming Ceremony (Kwita Izina) attracts tourists to Rwanda. This ceremony is held yearly in Kinigi and was influenced by the traditional Rwandan ceremony for naming children.
                     

    If you were to travel as a tourist to another country, some of the cultural experiences that you might encounter could have a big impact on your holiday. Such experiences become part of your cultural experience as a tourist in a foreign country. If the first contact with the foreign culture is pleasant, it will possibly influence you to make a return visit. The locals are not just seen as hosts but as participants in the tourism experience.

    Domestic and international tourism are an important vehicle for cultural exchange. Tourism gives room for cultural preservation. Cultural tourism enhances peoples’ culture and provides income-generating opportunities for the people. Promotion of cultural heritage also boosts economic activities in an area.

    Activity 3
    1. Discuss how the Rwandan cultural heritage is related to the tourism industry in Rwanda.
    2. Describe some of the cultural activities which may become a lasting experience for a tourist visiting Rwanda for the first time.
    3. Explain the importance of genocide memorials with museums and how they have affected the tourism industry in Rwanda.

    13.3 Effects of tourism on culture


    Tourism has both positive and negative effects on culture in a country and the world as well.

    13.3.1 Positive effects of tourism on culture

    Activity 1
    Examine the positive effects of tourism in Rwanda.

    The following are positive effects of tourism on culture.

    1. Tourism leads to cultural exchange between the host (local community) and guest (tourists). This interaction and exchange reduces prejudices and promotes mutual understanding and respect between the host and guest.

    2. When people share their cultures, they learn to respect the opinions and lifestyles of other people. Tourism enables a cosmopolitan culture to develop and peace thrives among the people.

    3. Tourism fosters pride in cultural traditions of a community. This enables the people to appreciate and conserve their cultural heritage for future generations.

    4. Tourism adds life to the culture of a community. Cultural events and festivals that target tourists keep cultural practices alive. Tourism preserves and presents history and culture, thus encouraging the protection and awareness of cultures that might have declined or died.

    5. Community ties are strengthened in the promotion of cultural tourism.

    6. Tourism gives the community a chance to revive or revitalise their native cultures, traditions or handicrafts that might have been lost.

    13.3.2 Negative effects of tourism on culture

    Activity 2
    With relevant examples, discuss the negative effects of tourism on culture.

    Cultural tourism has many economic and social benefits particularly in rural areas. However, it also has some negative effects. Tourism creates some threats to the culture of people in a particular place. These include the following:

    1. Important religious rituals, traditional rites and cultural festivals may end up being performed to meet tourists’ expectations. When this happens, respect for sacred sites and objects, rituals and rites may be lost as people see them as goods to trade. This can lead to basic changes in human values.

    2. Tourism can lead to cultural changes among the people and this causes the local community to lose their cultural identity.

    3. Cultural expressions such as songs and dances may be changed to suit the tastes of tourists thus losing their authenticity. With regard to crafts and souvenirs, craftsmen and women may respond to the growing demand from tourists by making changes in design of their products to appeal to tourists’ taste.

    4. Where there is lack of sensitivity to local culture and values by tourists, cultural clashes can occur as a result of differences in cultures, religious groups, values and lifestyles. This causes cultural friction, conflict and stereotyping between the locals and tourists.

    5. Cultural arrogance sometimes occurs when tourists ignore and disrespect the host’s cultural, social, religious and moral values and this can often lead to conflict.

    6. Tourists come with lifestyles and habits that are different from those of the locals. Some local people who interact with these tourists may copy their behaviour, leading to social misfits within the local culture. The newly adopted behaviour from tourists often causes friction in the local community

    Activity 3
    Conduct research into the following concerns and write an essay.Identify lifestyles and habits that tourists exhibit which are different from those of Rwandans. Examine how the local community copies their behaviour. Assess how this leads to social misfits among the locals, corruption of moral culture and friction in the community. Discuss how the local community can discourage such negative impacts while promoting cultural tourism.

    7. Tourism may lead to cultural deterioration or damage to cultural resources when tourists vandalise or illegally remove cultural heritage items. Tourism activities can encourage trade in stolen or illicit cultural property, thus harming the cultural resources of the host community.

    8. Tourism often leads to conflicts with regard to traditional land-uses. This often occurs in highly exploited areas such as beaches and islands that are converted into tourist beaches and hotels. Sometimes, land that has been used traditionally for other activities by locals is taken up for tourism development. Th is can affect local cultural practices such as fishing and farming. Land that is considered sacred and which has been used for cultural festivals and traditional recreation or for activities such as grazing, repairing boats and nets, may be made inaccessible to the locals for tourism developments. Some of the developers make the areas exclusive only to tourists and workers in the tourists’ resorts.

    9. Tourism provides easy access to prostitution and sex tourism which are generally regarded as immoral and culturally unacceptable in African cultures. Many poor women and children are attracted to the easy money offered by tourists and end up engaging in prostitution leading to moral decay.

    Activity 4
    1. Analyse the negative effects of tourism on culture and discuss ways in which the community can improve such situations.
    2. Explain the effects of poorly managed cultural tourism in a country.
    3. Assess how women and children face exploitation in the tourism industry.

    13.4 Promoting tourism through culture


    Activity 1
    1. Identify the various cultural festivals practised in Rwanda and discuss their importance to members of the community.
    2. Explain some of the lessons a tourist can learn from the cultural festivals.
    3. Identify other cultural heritage tourist attractions that can be used to increase tourism activities in the country.

    There is stiff competition in the world for tourists. A country that provides a vibrant culture and beautiful attractions can be distinctive in a crowded marketplace. Developing a strong relationship between tourism and culture can enhance the attractiveness of a destination and create a strong identity for people in a country.
                    

    Rwanda, for example, has great potential for cultural tourism because of its rich history and heritage. Much of this history remains unexplored for local and foreign tourism. If fully explored, it could generate a lot of revenue as well as create awareness of the culture of the Rwandan people. In recognition of this, the government of Rwanda has focused on museums and cultural heritage sites by establishing the Institute of National Museums of Rwanda (INMR). The INMR works to restore the historical values and cultural features that were lost or diminished during the colonial era.

    A first step in supporting cultural tourism is to preserve the country’s national heritage and promote communal culture and traditions. This will help to protect the various cultural traditions from disappearing. It is also important to identify all historical sites that form part of Rwanda’s heritage and protect and conserve them. Through the INMR, several museums have been established and numerous forgotten heritage sites restored across the country.

    Activity 2
    1. Identify museums and cultural sites that have been established by the INMR in Rwanda.
    2. Describe the significance of museums and cultural sites in the promotion of Rwandan culture.

    Clothes and fabric can also be used to promote cultural tourism. They are particularly effective because of their visibility everywhere and they do not have restrictions to particular sites. A good example is the African fabric or print, which is worn in Eastern, Southern and Western Africa and is sold as a souvenir to many tourists.


    Handicrafts, jewellery and other forms of art promote cultural tourism in a country and also create employment for artisans who preserve cultural heritage. Tourists love to buy jewellery and handicrafts as part of their holiday experience. Such souvenirs in turn serve as marketing tools.

    Food products can also be used to promote cultural tourism. For example, Rwanda is famous for its tea and coffee that can be sold to tourists and be used to market the country. Similarly, special local beverages such as Maracuja (passion fruit) juice and banana beer or wine can make a tourist’s experience memorable.

    The promotion of traditional foods is an important part of cultural tourism. Many tourists like to experience a taste of the local cuisine. Food as a product for tourism can be promoted through special events, such as holding food festivals, adding local food in the tourist hotel menu and having locally grown food in the hospitality industry.

    Other strategies can be used to promote tourism through culture. They include the following:

    • Informing tourists about the various cultural heritage practices and items found in the country. This can be done through advertisements and offering incentives to tourists when they visit.

    • Raising awareness about the less known cultural events and attractions that are found in the country. Th is enables tourists to know more about them and this reduces the chances of cultural friction or conflict due to ignorance.

    • Providing good infrastructure that enables tourists and service providers access to cultural heritage sites and events in the country.

    • Training key stakeholders in the tourism sector about the importance of cultural heritage sites and events. Th is will increase both their awareness and their knowledge and develop their capacity to manage cultural tourism.

    • Tour operators should be encouraged to include cultural heritage sites, galleries and museums in their tour packages.

    • Sensitising host communities and service providers to welcome and off er hospitality to the tourists.

    • Identifying and mapping all local cultural assets including food, handicrafts, music and dance available for cultural tourism exploitation.

    • Making it easy and convenient for tourists to make bookings and reservations for cultural tourism packages.

    Activity 3
    1. Explain how tourism can interfere with or dilute the local people’s culture. Use Rwanda as a point of reference on which to base your arguments, with valid examples.

    2. Discuss what the government and local people can do to promote tourism in the country and ensure people’s culture is not interfered with or diluted.

    3. Identify a cultural value from your country that you cherish and think could be threatened by the influence of foreign tourists.

    Assessment Exercise 13.0

    1. Analyse the relationship between tourism and culture.
    2. Explain the positive and negative effects of tourism on culture.
    3. How can you use your culture to promote tourism in a country?
    4. Have you witnessed cases of cultural dilution as a result of tourism in Rwanda? If so, write an article arguing against cultural dilution by tourism activities in the country.

    Project

    1. Research the effects of tourism on culture and make a presentation.
    2. Analyse the promotion of tourism based on culture.




    ◄Unit 12: Global media rights and responsibilitiesUnit 14: Genderand society►