Sukhdev Singh
The United Nations Tourism General Assembly, in its 22nd session in 2017, defined cultural tourism as an activity wherein “the primary motivation of the tourist is to explore, learn, experience and consume the tangible and intangible cultural attractions/products in the tourism destination”. These four dimensions of motivation shape the agenda of a tourist and his/her tour guide regarding a cultural heritage site or product. In recent times, the understanding of architectural-cultural heritage has been expanded from being limited to archaeological ruins to being a ‘living heritage’: there is advocacy for ‘reuse’ of heritage buildings. Further, the scope of non-commercial travel has been broadened to include not only pilgrimage but also tourism travel for ‘entertainment-experience-relaxation’ and ‘knowing the unknown’; the experience is not just enjoyment but consumption of the destination and it is presented as a tag of higher standard of living. With this shift in the meaning of cultural heritage and travel, tourism and cultural heritage conservation are encouraged to conglomerate in to an industry with a potential to act as a catalyst for promotion of other business sectors such as hospitality, food and accommodation, transportation, general shopping and entertainment etc. Therefore, governments are developing cultural heritage tourism both as a business itself and a catalyst for other businesses, on the one hand and a propeller for national consciousness and identity against globalization and identity crisis, on the other.
Cultural heritage tourism is being projected and promoted as a driver for inclusive economic growth and employment generation. The tourism industry, by default, benefits local businesses, transporters, tour guides, hotels and restaurants, artisans-both men and women, and many other sections and sectors of society at the same time. Due to the geographical continuity of a tour, it becomes a business catalyst both en-route and at the destination. The benefits of linking cultural heritage with tourism, therefore, offer the potential for inclusive employment and development, intercultural exchange and understanding, peace and the preservation of cultural heritage sites, skills and knowledge resources.
The relationship between tourism and cultural heritage is based on the principle of mutuality: if cultural heritage is a means to promote tourism, then tourism can become a driver for supporting and nurturing cultural heritage. Therefore, cultural heritage, which includes places of natural and cultural importance, architectural structures, artefacts, events and intangible knowledge and practice representations, etc., is now becoming a rapidly emerging important segment of the tourism industry.
But the issue is not as straightforward and simple as said and understood. Tourism, as an industry, is founded and operated on the principle of profit and economic development, while cultural heritage is founded on the principle of identity and heritage requiring economic resources to support it. The paradox is that while for tourism, cultural heritage is a commodity; for cultural heritage, tourism is a nurturer which means that tourism catalogues cultural heritage with other commodities of day-to-day consumption aiming at high individual satisfaction and cultural heritage feeds on the returns from tourism. So, the relationship between the two vacillates between gaining from and losing to each other.
In one sense, cultural heritage is seen as an ‘object’ or a ‘commodity’ due to its potential to attract tourists and generate income; but it must be remembered that it is much more than that; it is an emblem of identity and pride consciousness of a community. It represents the customs, values, artefacts and places that constitute an identity and history that define the culture of a community and connect people to their past. Therefore, a balancing check and monitoring is a must.
As the potential for the cultural heritage tourism industry to flourish increases, so do the responsibilities. For the tourism industry to succeed and benefit from cultural heritage, all the above beneficiary sectors must be prepared to work together to provide authentic and enjoyable experiences for tourists while maintaining the authenticity of cultural heritage. While tourism industry operators and activists must teach their tourist clients to understand and respect the protocols of cultural heritage sites, heritage site managers must acknowledge that tourists are not as aware of the etiquette, protocols and sanctity of the heritage site as the local population may be. Tourists must recognize that a cultural heritage site is not just a tourist destination. Tour guides can encourage tourists to observe local customs and lifestyles before and during the trip. They should encourage tourists to interact with local people without intruding on their privacy and affecting private lives negatively.
Cultural heritage structures, sites and other art and craft products need to be better preserved, managed and displayed to benefit from them. The tourism industry can enhance their importance by adding new research-based narratives raising awareness about them, but it is important to ensure that the authenticity of the information in the narratives is not compromised in order to generate more interest in the cultural heritage site and attract more tourists; it is also important to ensure that the lives of the local population are not made uncomfortable and unpleasant by increasing congestion, and environmental degradation due to over-tourism.
India has diverse traditions in agriculture, art, architecture, crafts and philosophy as well as its geographical, ethnic, linguistic and cultural diversity that describe its rich heritage. Apart from heritage sites, India also has rich potential for the tourism industry in general which needs to develop a reliable systemic infrastructure of roads, railway lines and airports for smooth transport, clean environment, honest dealings, transactions and narratives, clear and transparent policies, etc.
If cultural heritage is also to be included as another segment for the tourism industry, then the responsibility increases further. The cultural heritage tourism industry cannot be ‘inclusive’ only as an employment and economic-development driver but also inclusive as a responsibility. The weakness or excessive strength of any one group or any one business sector leads to the risk of imbalance. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a relationship of balance and complementarity between tourism and cultural heritage but this practice cannot be left unregulated. Therefore, a sustainable and responsible tourism policy is essential to prevent potential imbalances between cultural heritage and tourism and to promote their harmonious coexistence.
(The author is former Professor Guru Nanak Dev University Amritsar & Vice-Chairman, INTACH)
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