16 cultural tourism

Wednesday, April 12, 2023 Dr. Nimit Chowdhary

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Cultural tourism

Dr. Nimit Chowdhary Professor

Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management


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Googled “Taj”7,330,000

Why do so many people travel thousands of miles to visit Taj?

Why are you so busy going about places at 45oC?


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Tourism is edutainment!

“Learning and knowing is a basic human need”

This is education!


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Education is two things!

Knowing

and

Realizing


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Realizing “atma-sadh”

• Tourism is a lifestyle product• It is experience• It is understanding

• Multidimensional• Conceptual• 10% tangible 90% abstract• It’s a challenge!!


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What is culture?

• There are more than 160 definitions of culture

• “Communicable knowledge, learned behavior passed on from generation to generation”

• “An Integrated system of learned behavior patterns that are distinguishing characteristic of the members of a given society”


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What is culture?

• “ The collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one group or category from those of another”

• “Something that shapes behavior or structures one’s perceptions of the world.”


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Cultural orientations

The cultural orientation of the society reflects the complex interaction of values, attitudes, and behaviors displayed by its members.

Individuals express culture and its normative qualities through the values that they hold about life and the world around them (Adler 1997)


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Culture

“Culture is how an individual relates to the world around him/her”


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Artifacts

Values and Beliefs

Underlying assumptions

A. Products; and

B. Behaviours

Readily observable, but hard to interpret

Cultural elements include: anecdotes, arts, ceremonies,

communications, heroes, habits, jargon, language, myths , norms,

physical arrangements, rituals, ceremonies, dresses, crafts, etc.

Not directly observable, but can be distilled from how people explain and justify what they do

Cultural elements include: cognitive process, beliefs,

commitment, ethics, feelings, values, ideologies, justifications,

vision, knowledge, sentiments, etc.

Foundation of culture that is so widely shared that people are largely unaware of them

Cultural elements include: assumptions,

consensus, ideologies, mindset,

philosophy, world view, etc.

Understanding culture


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Cultural DimensionsPeople’s People’s

Relationship to Relationship to NatureNature

Individualism Individualism versus versus

CollectivismCollectivism

Time OrientationTime Orientation

Activity Activity OrientationOrientation

Degree of Degree of FormalityFormality

LanguageLanguageReligionReligion


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Six questions of your existence

Who am I?How do I see the world?How do I relate to other

people?What do I do?How do I use space?What is my time

orientation?


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Cultural tourism is the form of tourism concerned with a country or region's arts and culture. It generally focuses on traditional communities who have diverse customs, unique form of art and distinct social practices, which basically distinguishes it from other types/forms of culture.


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Cultural tourism is a genre of special interest tourism based on the search for and participation in new and deep cultural experiences, whether aesthetic, intellectual, emotional, or psychological" (Stebbins 1996).


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A glimpse of American cultural tourist

• In 2007, 103 million Americans included at least one cultural, arts, heritage or historic activity or event while traveling.

• Historic/cultural travel is up 13% from 1996, increasing from 192.4 million person-trips to 252 million person-trips in 2007.

• Cultural travelers spend more: $641 vs. $467.• Cultural travelers will use a hotel, motel, or bed

& breakfast: 62% vs. 56%.• Cultural travelers travel longer: 5.1 nights vs.

3.4 nights.• Cultural travelers travel by air: 22% vs. 18%.Source: National Assembly of State Arts Agencies and polls by Louis Harris, Inc., the Travel Industry Association of America and Decima Research.


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'Cultural tourism' (or culture tourism) is the subset of tourism concerned with a country or region's culture, especially its arts.

• in urban areas, particularly historic or large cities and their cultural facilities such as museums and theatres.

• in rural areas showcasing the traditions of indigenous cultural communities (i.e. festivals, rituals), and their values and lifestyle.

A narrow definition of cultural tourism


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Tourists’ Limitations

• Time

• Resources

• Access to life in host community

• Selective perception!


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What is my role as a tourism professional?

• Not just to tell

• Help them understand and feel

• Create– Right context– Image

• Facilitate learning!


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How do I put this all together?

Quality management is all activities achieved to satisfy the needs of a

customer…tourist in this case!

Quality management!


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Tourist buys

Advice, information, sales knowledge, ease of booking, price, etc.

Tourist prepares for visit

Visa, internet, information, etc.

Promise promoted

Image, sounds, language, etc.

Tourist travels and arrives

Airport, airline, immigration, forex, transfers and transport, etc.

Tourist returns

Airport, taxes, CRM, regular communication, etc.

Tourist experiences

Attractions, service levels, shopping, accommodation, food, friendliness, roads, transport, infrastructure, safety, environment, etc.

Tourism supply chain


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Pre visit image/ message

Pre visit information

Making bookingJourney to destination

Eating (cuisine)Staying

(accommodation)

Information in destination

Initial welcome

Attractions and amenities (built

attributes)

Infrastructure and

environment

Farewell and return journey

After visit contact and memories

Tourist (experience) value chain


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Cultural tourism strategy

• Recognize and appreciate cultural assets

• Showcase culture

• Tangibilise intangibles

• At each stage of tourist value chain bring in authentic cultural interventions

• Preserve heritage structures

• Sensitize community (to preserve and participate and reap economic benefits)


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Cultural tourism strategy

• Bring in community to be part of tourism experience

• Provide genuine interpretation• Allow for adaptations• Preserve cultural elements (both physical

and ephemeral)• Develop cultural tourism products (Create

seamless value chain of cultural experiences)


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16 cultural tourism

Technology

tour guiding series

tour guiding series

culture tourism

cultural elements

cultural facilities

cultural travelers travel

form of tourism

deep cultural experiences