Cultural Impact On Tourism

ABSTRACT

During the late 1970’s cultural tourism was identified as driving force in the tourism industry. People who were interested in the tourism industry such as marketers and researchers began to notice that many travellers travelled specifically to develop a insight of the culture or heritage of a destination (Tighe, 1986). Greg Richards (1996) defines cultural tourism as ‘the movement of a persons to cultural attractions away from their normal place of residence, with the goal to collect new information and experiences’. In many parts of the world the culture of a destination has become an important development of tourism and a driving force in the tourism industry. Countless host communities

Tourism is known to contribute to the social and cultural changes in host societies. It creates obvious effects upon the economy as well as the physical environment of a destination. The tourism industry has been ridiculed due to the negative and positive impacts and causes it causes to host destinations. An extensive range of literature declares that the tourism industry has contributed a positive role when it comes to the social-economic development of many destinations (Matheison and Wall, 2006).In contrast many other literature claims that it can create negative impacts on the environment, culture and society of a host destination (Sharpley, 1999). In recent years cultural tourism has become extremely popular with tourists in search of experiencing different cultures. Due to the large amount of tourist travelling in search of culture this can cause impacts to a destination the impacts that are caused is depends upon varies factors such as the attitudes, values and beliefs which a person brings with them as well as those of the residence of the host destination when interacting with each

According to Jackson and Inbakaran (2006) the factors influencing residence attitudes and perceptions towards tourism development are categorised into both demographic and social-economic factors (e.g. age, gender, occupation, level of income and place of residence). Personal factors (e.g. family background, socialisation process and the state of mental health) lastly the cultural factors (e.g. religion and local culture). Furthermore many tourist destinations use their identity to place themselves on the cultural tourism map, but due to there being many destinations which are similar to each other, in order for a destination to be successful when it comes to attracting tourist it must distinguish itself from others. Santanna (1997) claims that ‘identities have been transformed by the impacts of tourism in many places of the world, because tourism is one of the mechanisms of social and cultural change’.

1.2 Objectives and aim

The main aim of this research is to develop a better understanding of the residence of Marrakesh towards tourism, focusing upon their perceptions of the social-cultural impacts of tourism development as well as the associated behaviour changes in their culture and society.

Objectives

The primary objectives of these research are as