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| Tourism-Including the Excluding | | |
By Mahesh Kaul
Intolerance, bigotry and hypocrisy have led to the world order that speaks of diminishing human values. These factors pose a great threat to the cultures and civilizations that have contributed to evolution of the society in the sophisticated manner. The intolerance towards the ethnic and cultural aspects of the various societies is posing a threat to these rare gems of world. Religion has been the bedrock of various cultures, on which huge edifices of unique nature representing the crystallization of the human thought and intellect have have made their superstructures. If these expressions of human development and enrichment are not preserved then the human race will be led into the abyss of destruction devoid of any values.
Over the years tourism has acted as a pivot around which the culture and heritage have made their presence felt in a strong way .The availability of disposable income and the global connectivity, the people around the world have been exposed to the plethora of aboriginal societies that have their own way of living and habitat conditions. These ethnic attractions have been in a neglected state and when exposed unexpectedly they have been subjected to a serious danger of annihilation due to the lack of sense that should guard and at the same time market these cultures. There is no doubt the tourism can act as tool for the projection, marketing and preservation of culture but the real challenge is the implementation is the comprehensive strategy that can include all the stakeholders ranging from the host to the guest and hence play a key role to bring the diverse cultures of the world to the fore in the most original form without affecting real aboriginal essence of these cultures.
Keeping these challenges in view the World Tourism Organization (WTO) has given this years’ theme for the World tourism day as”Tourism- Celebrating Diversity”. Peace is the ultimate goal that should be the concern of all keeping in view the political and economic upheavals that have made human life more challenging.Diversity of cultures in the world makes it a colorful place to live as it broadens the landscape of human mind and helps it to be more innovative.Understanding any culture is a learning process and hence understanding the various cultures is a pilgrimage that the whole mankind should take irrespective of any religious and cultural affiliation.The processes that led to the evolution of cultures over the centuries leaves behind it various milestones in the form of palaces,forts,places of worship,art forms ,folk songs etc.which are then classified as tangible and intangible forms of heritage,Of which every human being should feel proud as it represents the process of refinement that ultimately leads to the crystallization of the mature society capable of facing the natures vagaries .
This years’ theme should inspire all those who consider themselves as the stakeholders in tourism as a business and as a way of celebrating the beauty of life. The concern shown by the World Tourism Organization (WTO) to celebrate the diversity of cultures is a welcome step.It needs a comprehensive strategy at all levels from policy making to its implementation.
The formulation of policy should start with the laying down of guidelines by WTO to identify the cultures that on the verge of extinction and face threat at the ploitical,economical and social level.The best method is to go for the cultural mapping of all the cultures of aboriginal nature that need the attention and care of the world community so that these may not loose their place in the shrinking urban and cosmopolitan landscape of the fast changing world devoid of any consideration for the sensitivity that is needs for the fragile nature of these human cultures.
Once the guidelines are finalized then the next step should be to make them incorporated into tourism policies of the governments in whose jurisdiction these endangered cultures and heritage are located. The preservation of these should be monotored by the local governments supervised by the WTO guidwlines.for monetary help the private and corporate sector should always be encouraged to plat its role on terms of corporate social responsibility (CSR).
Culture and heritage are intertwined as one emerges out of the other. Preservation and conservation of these sophisticated genres of developed mankind has economic benefit and can lead to the infrastructure development of the location where they are located.
Once the policies are undertaken under supervision of the government sponsored agencies the next step should be to formulate the strategies at three levels –long term, medium term and short term.
The threat due to ethno-religious conflicts that are prevalent at various places of the world,the theme of celebrating the diversity of cultures becomes even more challenging.The tourism stakeholders and the policy makers need to group together to develop a model for celebrating the cultural diversity in which the emphasis should be on identification,documentation,preservatio,conservation,marketing and above the recognition of the right to life to all cultures of the world that have made it a place worth living.Let tourism be the ultimate bridge to join them all at one focal point that is the celebration of life.It should give a sense of inclusion to all so that tourism leads to Including the Excluding cultures into the ambit of the tourism development.
(Writer is a Ph.D. Scholar at the CHTM, Centre for Hospitality and Tourism Management, Faculty of Management Studies, University of Jammu and Chairman Heritage Initiative Foundation
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