borders Tagore's POSTECH
Travelling is more than hopping on a plane and passing borders, instead it is a way of being that roots us back to the present. It offers new experiences that help us grow as individuals and understand the world better. It broadens our perspective of the world and leads to the discovery of new opportunities. According to the article published on Mossy Brains website titled: ‘The Science of Exploration: How Travel Expands Your Mind and Broadens Perspectives’ travel enhances our creativity and fosters personal growth. Many spiritual leaders have travelled throughout the history such as Siddhartha Gautama, Guru Nanak Dev Ji and Lao Tzu. They did so as they aimed to spread wisdom, promote peace, and awaken people to deeper spiritual truths.
This essay will be exploring the impact travel has on cultures, examining both the negative and positive aspects of tourism. While travel undoubtedly enriches the soul of the traveller, it is far from being a one way street as it also impacts the culture and people living in that place in vast ways. As the travellers continue to explore and interact with people, they exchange their thoughts, beliefs and culture with the people. Places which are well-known to the tourists are known as tourist places.
These places are the most impacted due to tourism because of the numerous amount of tourists. Tourists are often attracted to these places due to several factors such as beautiful landscapes, their significance in history and culture. To understand the impact tourism has had on Tourist places I will be taking Leh-Ladakh for an example. Popular for its adventure activities, vibrant culture and astounding sceneries is a famous tourist spot. Below are some points indicating the effect tourism has had on Leh-Ladakh that is also applicable to other tourist places.
Positive impacts of tourism on Leh-Ladakh:-
- Tourism is a major source of income for Ladakhis generating 60% of the total revenue.
- Creates diverse job opportunities for people and boosting income of artists by purchasing handicrafts such as Pashmina shawl as souvenirs.
- Due to tourism the culture of the tourist place can be appreciated and showcased to the world.
- Tourism increases exposure and interactions with people from different regions of the world. The exposure to new ideas can make people more open-minded.
- It can lead to cultural blend where people share their cultures known as cultural fusion
Although tourism has its own positive effects, it comes with its drawbacks. As the tourism increases in a region, the people start getting dependent on visitors. Cultures start becoming products losing its authenticity, places start to modify to cater the needs of the tourists. The following points will be focusing on the impact tourism has had on Leh-Ladakh negatively.
Negative impacts of tourism on Leh-Ladakh:-
• As the tourism increases in a region, the locals gradually start growing dependent on visitors and also it enhances local handicraft business. So, the 60% earning of revenue from tourism might not be as good as it seems as it increases the dependence on tourism to be well-functioning.
• Cultural commodification, defined as when the culture of a place is transformed into products or services for tourists to consume and purchase rather than a genuine way of life. This has been happening with many cultural aspects of Leh-Ladakh such as its culinary. Traditional food such as thukpa is being served in restaurants with modification in the recipe to cater to visitors, losing its authenticity.
• Due to more visitors, more globalized brands came to Leh-Ladakh. This might affect how visitors and locals perceive the place. Instead of people appreciating it for its unique culture and traditions, they might start to see it more like any other place with big, well-known brands.
• Disturbance in the environment of Ladakh has occurred such as increase in solid waste, pollution of water bodies and threat to wild animals.
• Although tourism can lead to cultural fusion where people are sharing their cultures intermixing them, it also can dilute the culture, putting them at the risk of cultural loss. If one culture dominates the other, it might lead to cultural hegemony. An example that suffered from cultural hegemony is Tibet, where the Chinese government’s control over Tibet overshadowed Tibetan language by promoting Mandarin Chinese. Although, fortunately Ladakh has not suffered from cultural hegemony yet, its impact remains crucial as the growing influence of tourism makes it a potential risk.
After analysing both the negative and positive impacts of tourism, the question that “is tourism good or bad?” is far from an answer which is black and white. While tourism boosts economy and promotes cultural appreciation, it also carries the risk of cultural loss. It raises the question “can cultural authenticity even be preserved unless totally cutting off the connection with the outside world and forbidding people to travel?”
The truth is that nothing can be kept totally authentic and that if people don’t continue to keep adding new elements into culture, it might die even faster just like languages. Although, it is important to recognize when the cultural fusion is transforming into the loss of authenticity and cultural hegemony starts to take place. In the end, tourism is neither good nor bad. We should embrace the local culture of the place while enriching it, without erasing the diversity of it as change is natural and culture should be allowed to breathe and evolve.
As Cesar Chavez said “Preservation of one’s own culture does not require contempt or disrespect for other cultures.”
By: Sidak Kaur Dhaliwal
Write and Win: Participate in Creative writing Contest & International Essay Contest and win fabulous prizes.
About the Author
