To what extent are conflicts between tourists and residents unavoidable in culture? Should host nations suffer from mass developments and tourists, caused by power and destroying of their culture, case study of: Malaysia’s diving communities
Author: Zoe Louise Humphreys
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Strand 3: To host or not to host. Conflict of values between residents and tourists
To what extent are conflicts between tourists and residents unavoidable in culture? Should host nations suffer from mass developments and tourists, caused by power and destroying of their culture, case study of: Malaysia’s diving communities
Abstract:
This report discusses the advantages and disadvantages of diving tourism to a destination and who really benefits, case study Malaysia. Malaysia is a very diverse culture with its 11 states and 2 federal territories, with the large contrasts between the new westernised culture and the traditional. With the extreme competitions of the developing worlds and modernising of destinations, developers are believed to be exploiting local businesses in order to make a ‘quick buck’. Developers and organisations have been creating unique selling points with propositions, in order to gain a competitive advantage with positioning themselves within the market share and meeting the needs of consumers. However who really benefits from these mass developments? Is it really the locals or in fact the developers who benefit from these new leach of developments?
Firstly defining the term ‘culture’ has and is still proving to be very difficult (Edelstein et al, 1989), roughly over 160 different definitions and meaning of the word dating way back into the early 1950s. The actual meaning of the word comes from the Latin Cultura, which literally means ‘to culitivate’ (Kroeber and Kluckholn, 1950s). Malaysia’s key attractions are a part of the natural environments and culture, the breath-taking sandy beaches, rugged mountain range, waterfalls leading down to the protected ancient coral reefs. All these contrasts add to Malaysia’s USP, adding more to the image of ‘diversity’. Consumers are drawn to Malaysia initially by these key facts, with the developments of towering skyscrapers and modernised five-star hotels metres away from the protected reefs and on looking the wooden hutches of the locals, will consumer now be put off by change and what they can get at home on their local high street?
The realisation of the changing world is inevitable, indeed our economy and global industries are growing at a rapid rate but a compromise is needed in order to benefit both parties involved. However both parties needs are not been taken into account, research leads us to believe that the result of culture ‘homogenization’ is down to the ‘result of capitalist pressure upon a society or grouping that cause global sameness, either in terms of expectation or interpretation’ (Hall, 2005, P.163).
Visiting such cultural places such as Malaysia consumers need to take into account that not all industries will be the same as back home, however it is agreed that this is a great financial boost for the local economies and well-being; moreover visiting such destinations realising that most tourists do not seek out; such experiences sun, sea and the evolvement of mass tourism. Furthermore it seems that consumer needs are more important to satisfy (Wearing et al, 2010), that why the travel agents offer package and tailor-made holidays. With the traveller picking their location, price, activities and ancillary products whilst on holiday and the expectations of what restaurants or designer brands they want or expect to see on holiday, however Malaysia could be marketed as a wider knowledge and education cultural tourists actively seek authentic, originality, uniqueness and sincere experiences, activities that interact or involve the local communities or individuals whilst on holiday (Harrison, 2003; Taylor 2001). This could be the key to finding a happy medium with the host nation, developers and visitors, in order to keep the heritage of traditional ways of life alive and teach others their culture such as diving. Diving with the local communities consumers will see the best of the natural habitats, searching and fishing for food to eat, without causing as much damage as the big organisations such as the big diving organisation PADi. The massive organisations are there just to make a profit and never give back to the local communities, whereas taking excursions with the locals gives them a source of income. But who will the consumers pick a well-known organisation or a local business with no recommendations from other sources?
References
Reisinger. Y, and Turner, L. (2003)cross-cultural behaviour in tourism- concepts and analysis, Linacre house: Oxford
Robinson, P., Heitmann, S., and Dieke, P.U.C. (2011) Research Themes for Tourism- MPG Books Group: Oxford.
Tourism Malaysia UK (2015) about Malaysia (online). [Accessed 27th February 2015]. Available at: http://www.tourism.gov.my/en/uk/about-malaysia
Wearing, S., Stevenson, D., and Young, T. (2010) tourist cultures- identity, place and the traveller, sage publications ltd: London
To what extent are conflicts between tourists and residents unavoidable in culture? Should host nations suffer from mass developments and tourists, caused by power and destroying of their culture, case study of: Malaysia’s diving communities
Abstract:
This report discusses the advantages and disadvantages of diving tourism to a destination and who really benefits, case study Malaysia. Malaysia is a very diverse culture with its 11 states and 2 federal territories, with the large contrasts between the new westernised culture and the traditional. With the extreme competitions of the developing worlds and modernising of destinations, developers are believed to be exploiting local businesses in order to make a ‘quick buck’. Developers and organisations have been creating unique selling points with propositions, in order to gain a competitive advantage with positioning themselves within the market share and meeting the needs of consumers. However who really benefits from these mass developments? Is it really the locals or in fact the developers who benefit from these new leach of developments?
Firstly defining the term ‘culture’ has and is still proving to be very difficult (Edelstein et al, 1989), roughly over 160 different definitions and meaning of the word dating way back into the early 1950s. The actual meaning of the word comes from the Latin Cultura, which literally means ‘to culitivate’ (Kroeber and Kluckholn, 1950s). Malaysia’s key attractions are a part of the natural environments and culture, the breath-taking sandy beaches, rugged mountain range, waterfalls leading down to the protected ancient coral reefs. All these contrasts add to Malaysia’s USP, adding more to the image of ‘diversity’. Consumers are drawn to Malaysia initially by these key facts, with the developments of towering skyscrapers and modernised five-star hotels metres away from the protected reefs and on looking the wooden hutches of the locals, will consumer now be put off by change and what they can get at home on their local high street?
The realisation of the changing world is inevitable, indeed our economy and global industries are growing at a rapid rate but a compromise is needed in order to benefit both parties involved. However both parties needs are not been taken into account, research leads us to believe that the result of culture ‘homogenization’ is down to the ‘result of capitalist pressure upon a society or grouping that cause global sameness, either in terms of expectation or interpretation’ (Hall, 2005, P.163).
Visiting such cultural places such as Malaysia consumers need to take into account that not all industries will be the same as back home, however it is agreed that this is a great financial boost for the local economies and well-being; moreover visiting such destinations realising that most tourists do not seek out; such experiences sun, sea and the evolvement of mass tourism. Furthermore it seems that consumer needs are more important to satisfy (Wearing et al, 2010), that why the travel agents offer package and tailor-made holidays. With the traveller picking their location, price, activities and ancillary products whilst on holiday and the expectations of what restaurants or designer brands they want or expect to see on holiday, however Malaysia could be marketed as a wider knowledge and education cultural tourists actively seek authentic, originality, uniqueness and sincere experiences, activities that interact or involve the local communities or individuals whilst on holiday (Harrison, 2003; Taylor 2001). This could be the key to finding a happy medium with the host nation, developers and visitors, in order to keep the heritage of traditional ways of life alive and teach others their culture such as diving. Diving with the local communities consumers will see the best of the natural habitats, searching and fishing for food to eat, without causing as much damage as the big organisations such as the big diving organisation PADi. The massive organisations are there just to make a profit and never give back to the local communities, whereas taking excursions with the locals gives them a source of income. But who will the consumers pick a well-known organisation or a local business with no recommendations from other sources?
References
Reisinger. Y, and Turner, L. (2003)cross-cultural behaviour in tourism- concepts and analysis, Linacre house: Oxford
Robinson, P., Heitmann, S., and Dieke, P.U.C. (2011) Research Themes for Tourism- MPG Books Group: Oxford.
Tourism Malaysia UK (2015) about Malaysia (online). [Accessed 27th February 2015]. Available at: http://www.tourism.gov.my/en/uk/about-malaysia
Wearing, S., Stevenson, D., and Young, T. (2010) tourist cultures- identity, place and the traveller, sage publications ltd: London