The price of cultural tourism

Angkor Wat 1880.

The attraction of cultural tourism is its uniqueness and, most often, its scarcity. It is precisely because a historical monument or a cultural tradition is unique and only found in one place that cultural tourism exist: one must go there to experience the culture. Unlike attraction parks that can be replicated anywhere to meet market demand and spread the traffic, cultural destinations cannot duplicate themselves and cannot expand without compromising or diluting some aspects of their cultural value. Where is the fair and ethical line between preserving virgin state and meeting demand?

The price of cultural tourism

Angkor Wat 1880.

The attraction of cultural tourism is its uniqueness and, most often, its scarcity. It is precisely because a historical monument or a cultural tradition is unique and only found in one place that cultural tourism exist: one must go there to experience the culture. Unlike attraction parks that can be replicated anywhere to meet market demand and spread the traffic, cultural destinations cannot duplicate themselves and cannot expand without compromising or diluting some aspects of their cultural value. Where is the fair and ethical line between preserving virgin state and meeting demand?

How to find the right local guide?

You checked qualifications, fluency in the required language, references, license if required, the guide turned out to be excellent but your guests were far from satisfied, even annoyed. What happened is a classic mismatch: You forgot to check your guests before picking the guide! Back in the days of the 5-day 10-country group tours, it was simple and straightforward as what was expected from the guide was exactly what they had learn to do and did very well day in and day out. The same circuit: church, monument, statue, church again, another monument complete with accurate historical dates, names and descriptions. It was by the book, on schedule and flawlessly boring.