TOURISM INDUSTRY

PROTECTING LOCAL CULTURE

Janaka Perera urges culture to be preserved even as tourism is promoted

Promoting tourism and protecting local culture have to be pursued with extreme care due to ancient and deep-rooted cultural traditions.

In its most basic form, tourism is travel for leisure, recreation or business. It can be a powerful tool for raising awareness about cultural heritage, generating funds for its upkeep and even revitalising dying traditions by giving them a new purpose.

Sri Lanka can showcase its local crafts and cultural sites through guided tours that bring historical narratives to life. These initiatives can contribute extensively to the economic viability of preservation efforts.

However, uncontrolled or insensitive tourism can lead to immense pressure on cultural sites and communities. Consider the wear and tear on ancient monuments from excessive foot traffic or the commodification of sacred rituals into tourist spectacles.

Anthropological findings claim that how cultural practices are treated can detach them from their original contexts and strip them of their spiritual or communal significance. For example, sacred ceremonies may be shortened and simplified for tourist viewing by transforming them from deeply meaningful rituals into entertainment spectacles.

Tourism’s influence on cultural preservation can be viewed as a double-edged sword that’s capable of both supporting and undermining efforts to maintain cultural heritage.

With regard to its positive impacts, tourism can generate economic incentives that may be reinvested in cultural preservation to raise global awareness and incentivise the continuation or revival of traditional arts.

On the negative side, high tourist volumes can cause physical damage to fragile sites and lead to the displacement of local communities. And authentic cultural experiences can be altered to dilute their genuine meaning to be in line with tourist expectations.

The concept of treating culture as a commodity is a recurring theme in academic circles with observations on the impact of tourism on cultural preservation.

Drawing on Marxist and critical theory, scholars examine how cultural elements – e.g. rituals, artefacts and traditions – are transformed into commodities to be bought and sold in the tourist marketplace. This process has economic as well as profound social and cultural consequences.

A central question in the academic discourse is whether tourism can truly serve as a vehicle for cultural preservation by contributing to its transformation or degradation.

Post-structuralist perspectives challenge the very notion of preservation as inherently static and essentialist. Viewed through this lens, culture is not a fixed entity to be preserved in amber but a dynamic and evolving process.

Tourism as a global force inevitably becomes part of this process by introducing new influences and shaping cultural trajectories in unpredictable ways.

However, there is the risk of cultural exploitation when tourism is driven by external commercial interests. Local communities may be marginalised and their culture commoditised without any benefit to them or meaningful participation by them. Their heritage sites may be developed without any respect for significance and this can lead to resentment, cultural loss and a sense of disempowerment.

Effective cultural preservation through tourism requires a paradigm shift towards prioritising community empowerment by ensuring that local voices are heard and tourism is a tool for cultural enrichment instead of erosion.

Empowering local communities in tourism development is essential to ensure that cultural preservation efforts are authentic, sustainable and equitable.

Furthermore, critical tourism studies advocate for decolonising tourism narratives. It has historically been intertwined with colonial power dynamics where Western perspectives and values have dominated the representation of other cultures.

Challenging these biases and promoting diversity has been influencing people in many former colonies long after their independence. Promoting intercultural dialogue, and moving beyond superficial encounters to foster deeper understanding and appreciation of cultural diversity, are essential factors.

Local communities must be active participants in tourism planning and management, and not simply passive recipients of its impacts. Their cultural rights, traditional knowledge and perspectives must be respected – and integrated into – tourism initiatives.

Sustainability principles demand that tourism development is managed in a way that minimises negative impacts on the cultural environment by ensuring that resources are used responsibly, and benefits accrue for both present and future generations.

The future of cultural preservation in the age of tourism hinges on our ability to move beyond simplistic notions of preservation, and embrace a more nuanced understanding of cultural exchange, adaptation and resilience.