Unpacking cultural tourism.

摘要

Mass tourism is arguably the largest industry in the world, generating billions of dollars in revenue and creating millions of jobs every year. Many critics, however, complain that mass tourism has caused unacceptable social, cultural, economic and environmental impacts, and therefore recommend and support alternative forms of tourism development as potential solutions.;Among these alternative forms is cultural tourism, which is a segment of the tourism industry occurring when people are motivated wholly or in part to explore or experience the different ways of life and/or ideas of other people, reflecting the social customs, religious traditions and cultural heritage which may be unfamiliar. Professed to have positive impacts, cultural tourism is believed, among other things, to establish and reinforce identity, preserve cultural and historical heritage and facilitate harmony and understanding among people, ultimately encouraging a less damaging and more sustainable form of tourism.;This thesis evaluates the claim that cultural tourism is indeed a less destructive and more sustainable form of tourism development. Using academic literature drawn from a variety of disciplines, including tourism studies, sociology and geography, as well as case studies and a variety of tourism industry documents, it is determined that cultural tourism is not a panacea to the ills of mass tourism. My review of published research suggests that the negative impacts normally attributed to mass tourism are also present in areas where cultural tourism is developed. In addition, cultural tourism creates its own unique problems, stemming in large part from the commodification of culture for touristic purposes.;This thesis concludes with a proposal for a number of recommendations and strategies focused on increasing the benefits and decreasing the costs of cultural tourism development.