Why People Travel: The Search For The Authentic Other

http://www.mastersungroup.com
The Search for
The Authentic Other
(India: As the Authentic
Other)
By
Sarvajeet Chandra
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
• Introduction
1. The ‘Place’ product
2. History of travel and tourism
3. The business of leisure
4. Touristhood
5. The language of tourism
6. India-the ‘other’
a. India : The authentic ‘other’ country
b. India : The lure of Tantrism and
Hinduism
c. India: The drawing force of Buddhism
d.India : Himalayas
e. India : The desert and the sea
f. India : Of heritage and events
• Bibliography
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INTRODUCTION TO
THE AUTHENTIC OTHER
Tourism is the ‘ism’ that drives the largest industry of the modern world.
It forms an integral component of the fast growing business of leisure.
Accounting for roughly 11% of global GDP, tourism is a major
‘movement’ impacting the world.
The Search for the Authentic Other
A very substantial part of tourism, as we know today, is the individual’s
search for authenticity; of people travelling away from their home
societies to an authentic (often primitive) other; drawn by myths embedded
in folklore, heritage, religion, literature.
It is this search for the authentic other that has brought tourism closer to
religion, blurring boundaries between a pilgrim and a tourist. The tourist
of the west, searching for the authentic other, is a pilgrim of the modern
secular world. His religion is the individualistic religion of the modern
society, as different from the collective and organised notion of civil
religion. The tourist, fed up of the western secular materialism, locates
his elective centre ‘out there’ away from his home society. The
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counterpart of the western tourist is the pilgrim of the east who locates
his elective centre in the holy places of worship.
Thus, there is a great degree of similarity in the sacred pursuit of
authenticity for a western tourist and an eastern pilgrim. This search for
authenticity, in both cases, is thwarted by the tourism industry and the
religious establishments respectively by setting up of staged
authenticities - fake representations that are perceived as real by the
pilgrim and the tourist.
Tourism for Recreation
The rest of the tourism movement is driven by recreation; of people
whose centres are firmly rooted in their own societies, who travel to
indulge in ‘play’ - a characteristic feature of post-modernistic society.
These people are lured by the myths created by the tourism industry;
indulge in pleasures - becoming paupers, kings, visiting miniature ancient
Egypt etc.
The most striking example of this kind of tourism is the concept of
theme park, notable Disneyland. The theme parks ‘recreate reality’ and
creates myths about peoples, countries, concepts, civilisations etc. The
tourist plays with these, often deriving a vicarious pleasure.
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Thus a useful way of looking at tourism is to look at two major
motivations propelling modern tourism
• The search for the authentic other (driving many tourists of the west
and pilgrims of the East).
• The recreation and the concept of ‘play’
This booklet examines tourism in the light of what is mentioned above.
The breadth of this project is restricted by its focus on ‘tourism in
India’. However India, as we shall see, is a good example of the diversity
and the complexity of the issues involved in the study of tourism.
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CHAPTER 1
Place Product
Tourism is an important component of the big business of leisure that
sells a destination or a place product.
The characteristics of a place product are:
• Spatial scale: a place is inevitably one component in the hierarchy of
spatial scale, a characteristic unique to the place product. The potential
holidaymaker buying Goa may be simultaneously purchasing other
levels of hierarchy - the hotel, India, east etc. A different structured
hierarchy may create a different product.
• Multi sold: The same destination, the same facilities etc. can be sold to
different groups of consumers for different purposes.
• The place may be viewed differently in tourist origin area and tourist
destinations inclusive of travel in the former and exclusive in the
latter.
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A place product is distinguished by variety of businesses and experiences
obtainable at that place. Each individual consumes a unique selection of
these products. As a consequence, place product is marketed by
destination agencies without a clear idea of nature of product being
consumed.
A Tourism Product = Place Product + Travel
Segmentation On The Basis Of the Place Product
The segmentation can be product focused and can therefore be done on
the basis of types of destinations. Destinations can be segmented in
broadly three segments:
1. Locations
a) real
b) man made( cities , theme parks )
2. Travel as the destination - cruise liners, trains (toy trains).
3. The stay as the destination - resorts, hotel cum palace etc.
1. Locations
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The real locations will always continue to lure people. It will be difficult
to replicate the experience of visiting the real thing. However, the most
inventive solution is to shed history and natural environment and create
destinations from a scratch. These artificial locations can be purpose built
and can be altered to suit the requirements of changing times.
One of the important examples of an artificial location is the city of Las
Vegas. It started from a single industry-gambling-destination. The secret
of success of Las Vegas did not lie in gambling but its ability to help
people escape to a different world. However, the secret of continued
success of Las Vegas lies in its continuous innovation. Today, it has
become one of the top convention cities in America.
Another important area in this field has been the concept of theme park
pioneered by Disneyland. They have started the process of creating look-
alike of the existing destinations, or new attractions. The advantage of
creating such destinations is that they can be bigger, more reliable than
the existing destinations. Besides, they can be renovated, scrapped and
modified.
Disneyland theme parks are the biggest tourist draws. Disney researches
the audience's needs and then creates it. The company's biggest works are
simulation of real things, not inventions. At Disneyland in Anaheim, for
example, the company is building California Adventure, a microcosm of
the state, which will allow the tourist to visit the state in one day.
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America has 600 theme parks and half of the Americans have visited at
least one of them.
2. Travel as a destination
Increasingly the ship, the railway etc. are not just a means of travel: they
are the destination. With increasing popularity of cruise liners, cross-
country trains, travel has emerged as an exciting destination. Besides
comfortable stay and reasonable prices, these options provide a unique
environment. They provide the opportunity of seeing popular locations,
often without passport or visa hassles.
For the operators it is very profitable deal .The occupancy of cruise liners
is higher as compared to hotels. In addition, cruise passengers, unlike
hotel guests have to take meals in the ship itself, generating additional
revenue.
Modern cruise ships are floating artificial destinations offering a full
resort worth of entertainment. Like the tourism business, at large, these
cruise liners are divided into two categories: big liners for a wholesome
entertainment and small cruise liners for niche segments - nature watch,
historical sites etc.
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In India, the Palace on Wheels has become an ideal example in which
the tourists travel in a train in a style reminiscent of the maharajas;
where travel is the destination.
3. The stay as the destination:
With the increasing numbers of palaces converted into hotels, hotels
trying to recreate natural environments and resorts the stay has become a
destination. The success of Sun City, with massive promotion through
beauty pageants has made people look as hotels not merely as a place to
stay but a destination. This concept is also represented in the palace cum
hotels and heritage hotels in India. The hotels themselves have become
'the show'.
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CHAPTER 2
HISTORY OF TRAVEL AND TOURISM
2000 years Before Christ, in India and Mesopotamia.
Travel for trade was an important feature since the beginning of
civilisation. The port at Lothal was an important centre of trade between
the Indus valley civilisation and the Sumerian civilisation.
600 BC and thereafter
The earliest form of leisure tourism can be traced as far back as the
Babylonian and Egyptian empires. A museum of historic antiquities was
open to the public in Babylon. The Egyptians held many religious
festivals that attracted the devout and many people who thronged to
cities to see famous works of arts and buildings.
In India, as elsewhere, kings travelled for empire building. The Brahmins
and the common people travelled for religious purposes. Thousands of
Brahmins and the common folk thronged Sarnath and Sravasti to be
greeted by the inscrutable smile of the Enlightened One- the Buddha.
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500 BC, the Greek civilisation
The Greek tourists travelled to sites of healing gods. The Greeks also
enjoyed their religious festivals that increasingly became a pursuit of
pleasure, and in particular, sport. Athens had become an important site
for travellers visiting the major sights such as the Parthenon. Inns were
established in large towns and seaports to provide for travellers’ needs.
Courtesans were the principal entertainment offered.
This era also saw the birth of travel writing. Herodotus was the worlds’
first travel writer. Guidebooks also made their appearance in the fourth
century covering destinations such as Athens, Sparta and Troy.
Advertisements in the way of signs directing people to inns are also
known in this period.
The Roman Empire
With no foreign borders between England and Syria, and with safe seas
from piracy due to Roman patrols, the conditions favouring travel had
arrived. First class roads coupled with staging inns (precursors of modern
motels) promoted the growth of travel. Romans travelled to Sicily,
Greece, Rhodes, Troy and Egypt. From 300 AD travel to the Holy Land
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also became very popular. The Romans introduced their guidebooks
(itineraria), listing hotels with symbols to identify quality.
Second homes were built by the rich near Rome, occupied primarily
during springtime social season. The most fashionable resorts were found
around Bay of Naples. Naples attracted the retired and the intellectuals,
Cumae attracted the fashionable while Baiae attracted the down market
tourist, becoming noted for its rowdiness, drunkenness and all- night
singing.
Travel and Tourism were to never attain a similar status until the
modern times.
In the Middle Ages
Travel became difficult and dangerous as people travelled for business or
for a sense of obligation and duty.
Adventurers sought fame and fortune through travel. The Europeans
tried to discover a sea route to India for trade purposes and in this fashion
discovered America and explored parts of Africa. Strolling players and
minstrels made their living by performing as they travelled. Missionaries,
saints, etc. travelled to spread the sacred word.
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Leisure travel in India was introduced by the Mughals. The Mughal
kings built luxurious palaces and enchanting gardens at places of natural
and scenic beauty (for example Jehangir travelled to Kashmir drawn by
its beauty.
Travel for empire building and pilgrimage was a regular feature.
The Grand Tour
From the early seventeenth century, a new form of tourism was
developed as a direct outcome of the Renaissance. Under the reign of
Elizabeth 1, young men seeking positions at court were encouraged to
travel to continent to finish their education. Later, it became customary
for education of gentleman to be completed by a ‘Grand Tour’
accompanied by a tutor and lasting for three or more years. While
ostensibly educational, the pleasure seeking men travelled to enjoy life
and culture of Paris, Venice or Florence. By the end of eighteenth
century, the custom had become institutionalised in the gentry.
Gradually pleasure travel displaced educational travel. The advent of
Napoleonic wars inhibited travel for around 30 years and led to the
decline of the custom of the Grand Tour.
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The development of the spas
The spas grew in popularity in the seventeenth century in Britain and a
little later in the European Continent as awareness about the therapeutic
qualities of mineral water increased. Taking the cure in the spa rapidly
acquired the nature of a status symbol. The resorts changed in character
as pleasure became the motivation of visits. They became an important
centre of social life for the high society.
In the nineteenth century they were gradually replaced by the seaside
resort.
The sun, sand and sea resorts
The sea water became associated with health benefits. The earliest
visitors therefore drank it and did not bathe in it. By the early eighteenth
century, small fishing resorts sprung up in England for visitors who
drank and immersed themselves in sea water. With the overcrowding of
inland spas, the new sea side resorts grew in popularity. The introduction
of steamboat services in 19th century introduced more resorts in the
circuit. The seaside resort gradually became a social meeting point
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Role of the industrial revolution in promoting travel in the west
The rapid urbanisation due to industrialisation led to mass immigration
in cities. These people were lured into travel to escape their environment
to places of natural beauty, often to the countryside they had come from
change of routine from a physically and psychologically stressful jobs to a
leisurely pace in countryside.
Highlights of travel in the nineteenth century
• Advent of railway initially catalysed business travel and later leisure
travel. Gradually special trains were chartered to only take leisure
travel to their destinations.
• Package tours organised by entrepreneurs such as Thomas Cook.
• The European countries indulged in a lot of business travel often to
their colonies to buy raw material and sell finished goods.
• The invention of photography acted as a status-enhancing tool and
promoted overseas travel.
• The formation of first hotel chains; pioneered by the railway
companies who established great railway terminus hotels.
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• Seaside resorts began to develop different images as for day-trippers,
elite, for gambling.
• Other types of destinations-ski resorts, hill stations, mountaineering
spots etc.
• The technological development in steamships promoted travel
between North America and Europe.
• The Suez Canal opened direct sea routes to India and the Far East.
• The cult of the guidebook followed the development of photography.
Tourism in the Twentieth Century
The First World War gave first hand experience of countries and aroused
a sense of curiosity about international travel among less well off sector
for the first time. The large scale of migration to the US meant a lot of
travel across the Atlantic. Private motoring began to encourage domestic
travel in Europe and the west. The sea side resort became annual family
holiday destination in Britain and increased in popularity in other
countries of the west. Hotels proliferated in these destinations.
The birth of air travel and after
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The wars increased interest in international travel. This interest was
given the shape of mass tourism by the aviation industry. The surplus of
aircrafts and growth of private airlines aided the expansion of air travel.
The aircraft had become comfortable, faster and steadily cheaper for
overseas travel. With the introduction of Boeing 707 jet in 1958, the age of
air travel for the masses had arrived. The beginning of chartered flights
boosted the package tour market and led to the establishment of organised
mass tourism. The Boeing 747, a 400 seat craft, brought the cost of travel
down sharply. The seaside resorts in the Mediterranean, North Africa
and the Caribbean were the initial hot spots of mass tourism.
A corresponding growth in hotel industry led to the establishment of
world-wide chains. Tourism also began to diversify as people began to
flock alternative destinations in the 70s. Nepal and India received a
throng of tourists lured by Hare Krishna movement and transcendental
meditation. The beginning of individual travel in a significant volume
only occurred in the 80s. Air travel also led to a continuous growth in
business travel especially with the emergence of the MNCs.
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CHAPTER 3
THE BUSINESS OF LEISURE.
Leisure is the time available to the individual when work, sleep and other
needs have been met. Leisure as a construct involves a number of
dimensions
• Absorption and concentration of ongoing experience
• Lessening of focus on self
• Feelings of freedom and lack of restraint
• Enriched perception of objects and events
• Increased intensity of emotions
• Increased sensitivity to feelings
• Decreased sensitivity to passage of time
The Components of Leisure Motivation
Beard and Ragheb identified four motivational needs derived from
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. These needs form the components of leisure
motivation. They are –
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• Intellectual component
• Social component
• Competence mastery
• Stimulus avoidance
Intellectual component is the extent to which individuals are motivated by
mental activities such as learning, exploring, discovering, thought,
imaging. This can be a primary high need (a visit to Madurai to study
temple architecture) or a low need triggered by a specific event or
environment.
Social component is the need for friendship, self-esteem and interpersonal
relationship. The holidays are not only status- or ego- enhancing
experiences. There is also a sense of belonging with the place visited.
People tend to identify with a place visited. This is higher for people who
are more satisfied with their holidays and for those with three or more
visits. The relationship not only involves social identification but also a
relationship with the geographical place.
Competence mastery component is in order to achieve, challenge, master and
compete. This is often physical (i.e. sports) but also includes fine arts and
other intellectual pursuits. Competence mastery is coupled with other
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components of leisure motivation. A course in wind surfing (competence
mastery) can also mean meeting like –minded individuals (social need).
Stimulus avoidance is drive to escape and get away from over-simulating
life experiences. The most obvious component of leisure motivation, a
chance to rest and unwind.
The components of leisure motivation vary within holidays and between
holidays. On a holiday, a tourist may rest for few days (stimulus
avoidance); thereafter explore the place (intellectual component). The
holidaymaker may assign different purposes to holidays. One holiday
might be family centred (social need), the other for playing golf
(competence mastery) etc.
Changing Nature of Leisure in Western Society: From
ordered recreation to the beginning of individual travel
In the 12th century monarchy there was an ordered recreation regulated
by the state. Sports like archery was promote by the monarchy for
recuperation of physical efficiency.
The concept of leisure travel in the seventeenth century was restricted to
the rich. Even then, travel was undertaken as a means of recuperation as
witnessed in the growth of spas and later the seaside resorts. These
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became meeting points of the high society. Young aristocrats on Britain
took the Grand Tour to educate themselves before they took on
aristocratic responsibility .The concept of recreation was promoted by the
western society as something to be managed for the ethical good of the
individual.
In the 19th century the middle class organisations promoted recreational
opportunities to combat the evils of gambling and drinking. The leisure
time of the youth was provided for through organisations such as Boy
Scouts and Girl Guides which built an ethos of self sufficiency.
With growing individualism, wealth, democratisation and advancements
in technology which reduced modes of social control, individual travel, as
we know today came into being.
Kama and Leisure in Indian Society
The concept of Kama as one of the four principles - Dharma, Artha,
Kama and Moksha - gives a very different perspective to Indian concept
of leisure, as rooted in desire. This is different from ordered recreation in
western societies, where leisure was clothed in acceptable garb of re-
creation for the ethical good of the individual. This continuous tension
was visible in the development of spas and beach resorts, originally
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meant for health and well being; which gradually developed as pleasure
resorts.
The ancient India on the other hand accepted activities of leisure in a
forthright manner and developed it as an art. Institutionalisation of the
concept of ‘ganika’ was one example in which the role of leisure in the
life of the individual was recognised and provided for. However, leisure
travel was not an important activity. This concept of Kama was to fade in
the oblivion with the beginning of Muslim rule.
Leisure Today: An Indian Alternative
Since the past few years leisure has re- emerged as a thriving business
with an Indian face. In the leisure sector, there is a whole new set of
Indian icons gaining popularity and respect. There is a pride and
confidence in all things Indian. Indians are also adapting western notions
to the requirements of changing times. This is different from merely
aping the west.
This has led to growth in domestic travel which far outstrips outbound
leisure travel. More Indians are gradually travelling for recreation or to
escape boredom and not just meet friends and relatives.
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CHAPTER 4
TOURISTHOOD
The process by which a person decides to leave his ordinary, familiar life
and decides to tour and thereafter his reintegration into his daily life-the
process of Touristhood-can be divided in a few stages
The Pre-Trip Stage of Tourism Travel
Corporation
The tourist wishes a break from the ordinary life. He wishes to escape or
seek something. He readies himself mentally and physically for
tourism .The tourist prepares for Touristhood.
The On-Trip Stage of Tourism Travel
Emancipation
It means a journey from ordinary bounds of his daily life into unbound
realm of the non-ordinary .It combines
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a. Spatial travel
b. Cross beyond home’s socio-cultural threshold
The cross beyond home’s threshold is aided by several touristic items,
mainly symbolic- suitcase, camera, travellers’ cheque. The tourist wears a
mask as his real identity is disguised. This mask and the symbolic
signifiers induce an emancipative magic. The new lifestyle is understood
by the tourist and recognised and understood by others.
Animation
This stage arrives when the tourist is ‘away from it all’. The tourist
enters an illusive state of detachment, disengagement and spontaneity.
The tourist peels away the home-bound cultural layers and enters a new
time-space. The tourist may break the cultural layers. Breaking rules
becomes one of the rules of Touristhood. The tourist assumes or knows
in this non-ordinary playground animated behaviour is acceptable. The
society which hosts the tourist also understands this behaviour. Many
closed doors of the ordinary open in the land of the non-ordinary; a long
list of tourist S’s (snow, sand, sea, surf, sex etc.) is expanded to include
sin.
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Repatriation
In this the tourist experiences a resurrection of former self as he travels
back to his ordinary world. This implies reaffirmation and yielding to the
ordinary world.
The Post -Trip Stage of Tourism Travel
Incorporation
Tourist becomes a part of mainstream and Touristhood is over.
Touristhood and Holiday Making Behaviour
The tourist in the process of touristhood exhibits a special ‘holiday
making behaviour’. Some characteristics of holiday making behaviour are
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• Mindlessness: This is part of optimisation of experience- we retain
that memory which is sufficient to meet a need. Why is there a need,
for example to recall every detail while we are driving on a holiday
trip?
• Adaptation: As tourists are holiday-makers and not only holiday
takers they adapt to failed expectations. They pursue things that give
them satisfaction and avoid things that do not.
• Likes and dislikes: Most satisfactory activities during holidays
relates to Maslow’s higher hierarchy of needs, while the dislikes stems
from perceived threats to basic needs.
• Multi-motivation: The same holiday may be used to satisfy various
needs.
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CHAPTER 5
THE LANGUAGE OF TOURISM
The language of tourism is the language of modernity, promotion and
consumerism. The semiotics of the language of tourism is important in
the analysis of tourism advertising with its cultural coded connotations,
in the study of tourism imagery and in the treatment of tourism
communication as a discourse in myth.
Some of the significant theoretical perspectives that have significantly
contributed to understanding of contemporary tourism are those based on
perspectives of authenticity, stranger-hood and play.
The Authenticity Perspective
According to MacCanell tourists sought out ‘authentic experiences’ in
other times and places. This search for meaning was a contemporary
version for pre-modern quest for the sacred. The tourist of today is the
pilgrim of the modern world. This religion was not as much as the
collective and organised notion of ‘civil religion’ but the concept of
implicit or individual religion of and increasingly individualistic society.
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This authenticity is not simply the quality of the object; it is a struggle, a
social process in which competing interests argue for their own
interpretations of history.
The tourist attempts to penetrate deeper and deeper into the hidden and
real (backstage) regions of these other times and representations. The
tourist industry thwarts such a quest by covertly staging reality and
authenticity. What the tourist believes is the real thing -the backstage of
the life of others - was the front stage, set up in advance; manipulated by
the tourist establishment. In perpetuating and creating such a sense of
falsehood, the tourism industry had actually imbued the tourist with a
false sense of consciousness.
Tourism as a language of authentication
A tourist attraction is a sign, that it represents (marker) something
(sight) to someone (the tourist). The marker provides information
(name, picture, etc.) to the sight (signified). The marker is the first
contact the sight seer has with the sight.
Markers are either off sight (e.g. travel books, travel stories) or on sight
(notices). Since off sight markers anticipate the sight, they are often
superior to sight.
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Off sight markers play an important role in stereotyping the sight .An
example of this is the must see features. Therefore sightseers do not ‘see’
Delhi. They see -the red fort, the Baha’i temple, the Rashtrapati Bhavan,
the old Delhi bazaars. As elements in the symbolic set called Delhi, each
of these items is a symbolic marker. Most of the off-sight and some on
sight markers are formulated by the outsiders. The ‘Exotic East’ and ‘the
city of Joy’ are expressions used by the non-indigenous. Local voices
rarely constitute markers in contemporary tourism.
The Stranger-Hood Perspective
Cohen believed that the dichotomy of familiarity and stranger-hood
constituted the essential elements of tourist experience. This led to a
classification of tourism into institutionalised and non-institutionalised
tourism.
Institutionalized tourism
Dealt with by the tourism industry- tour operators, travel agents,
hoteliers etc.
The organised mass tourist: Values familiarity, low on adventurousness.
Anxious to maintain his/ her ‘environment bubble’ on the trip. Purchase
ready-made, often cheap, packages of the shelf. Guided through
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destination having little contact with the local culture or people. Most
tourists of the developing countries like India and first time tourist fall in
this category.
The individual mass tourist: Similar to the organised one except that there
is more flexibility and scope for personal choice. The ‘environment
bubble’ is very much there.
Non- institutionalised travel
Consists of independent individual travel shunning contact with the
tourism industry except wherever necessary.
The explorer: Trip organised independently; gets off the beaten track.
Comfortable accommodation and reliable transport. Environmental
bubble abandoned on occasions. The bubble is there to step into if things
get tough.
The drifter: Values novelty, high on adventurousness. All connections
with the tourism industry are spurned and drifter attempts to get as far
from home and familiarity as is possible. With no fixed itinerary, the
drifter lives with the local people, immersing himself in the local culture.
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Tourism as a language of differentiation
The language of tourism promotes familiarity-stranger-hood dichotomy
by trying to fill the gap between the tourist and the native. It strikes a
balance between offering novelty and protecting from the dangers of
strangeness. Most of the advertising that speaks of strangeness speaks of
stranger-hood also speaks about the warm echelons of familiarity with
hotel chains , continental cuisine for the tourist from the west .In the
study of travelogues, for instance, travel writers ‘manage’ unfamiliarity
with their readers ( e.g. through denigration of locals and establishing
expatriate connections.)
The Play Perspective
Advocated by the sociologist John Urry, this view advocates the coming
of the age of image-a post modern era- the age in which representation is
more important than reality; where hyper-reality is claimed to be superior
to reality. The nostalgic construction of heritage, emphasis on spectacle,
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concept of theme park is important elements in the perspective of the
play with reality.
The Disneyland, for example, is an out-of-time, out-of - place
deliberately contrived and artificially staged concept which authentically
represents the condition of playing with reality.
Tourism as a language of recreation.
The tourist gaze is anticipated and directed by media which constructs
and reinforces the gaze. The gaze is moulded by professional opinion
former (writer, guides etc. which tell people where to gaze). Tourism
turns culture into consumer items and markets them. The language of
tourism tells them to come out and play and engage in pleasures.
The Characteristics of Language of Tourism
1. Structure of the language
The meaning system of the language is located in the culture of the
receiver rather than face value meaning of the message. The strategy of
‘indexical transference’ of objects transferred to people and people
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converted into objects is very common to the language of tourism; a
discourse which speaks of the mythical structures in the tourists’ mind.
Thus in promoting nature, for example, what is supplied is the version of
nature worked over by culture and science to yield the ‘natural’.
2. Tense of language
This accentuation of time is also manifested in the hyper reverential
towards all that is old. Further, there are the accompanying notions that
the new spoils the old and the anxious feeling that the tourist may have
arrived too late.
This disenchantment with the present may be converted into an almost
utopian desire for future transformed by technology. Thus in the scenario
where the present disappear a binary opposition is established between
the past and the future.
One strategy applied in the language of tourism is the ‘denial of time’. It
implies emancipation from routine organised time to an animated state of
non-ordinary time; a symbolic inversion of everyday life where the
weekday becomes a weekend.
The language of tourism avoids the present by pointing to the future. The
past is often sold to the future. We are told to go where action was.
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3. Monologue
Most of the tourism literature is a monologue with rhetoric of moral
superiority by the addresser with more knowledge and experiences.
4. Euphoria
The discourse focuses only on the present and speaks of it in glowing
terms.
5. Tautology
The tourist merely confirms the discourse which persuaded them to take
the trip. They assert as true, what was shown before they departed. The
language of brochure becomes a self fulfilling prophesy.
The Techniques of Language of Tourism
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The language of tourism uses many verbal and visual techniques for
effective expression of the language.
The various verbal techniques are: simile, metaphor, languaging,
humour, use of keywords, testimony and ego-targeting.
1. Simile and metaphor
Simile and metaphor are often used to manage the unfamiliarity of the
destination for the tourist. The strangeness of the exotic is minimised by
the use of familiar themes like the ‘Manchester of the east’ for the city of
Ahmedabad, etc. This usage tends to increase in direct relationship with
the strangeness of destination being promoted.
2. Keywords
The rhetoric of advertising employs images and symbols from the shared
language of the target audience and the advertiser. The rhetoric employs
‘keywords’ (escape, adventure, road less travelled etc.) which are derived
from the fancies of tourist generating societies. The keywords relate the
search for the authentic which stems from the condition of anomie in the
home society of the potential tourist. An advertisement for Kumaon and
Garhwal (U.P. Tourism) talks of these areas as “take the road less
travelled by”, “get there before the crowd” etc.
3. Testimony
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The projection of favourable destination images may not be carried out
by recognisable spokespersons who can lend support to the advertised
images. The use of Paul Hogan of Crocodile Dundee fame, who through
the film comes to stand for Australia. His rugged naturalness is ideal for
promoting great outdoors and his happy-go-lucky attitude, emblematic of
the attitude of the people, manages to give Australia an edge over its
more staid down-under rivals. The testimony may also take the form of a
satisfied customer as in the advertisement of Kathmandu’s Yak and Yeti
hotel where a satisfied tourist describes his experiences as - “ I almost got
lost in those huge, gorgeous grounds” , “ we went back to 18th century
for dinner” etc. Rounding off with “I guess that is what makes the Yak
and Yeti Nepal’s finest hotel”.
4. Humour
Humour can be successfully employed in tourism especially in tourism
employed in the use of pun like the use of Bermuda shorts for promoting
Bermuda for short-break vacations like “ Bermuda shorts as a far away
land close to home” or “ Bermuda shorts . Bermuda, a short trip to a
perfect holiday”.
Management of unfamiliarity can also be dealt with humorously by
preparing the would-be visitor for the strange customs of destinations
people as for example the Tibet yak milk “.....the smell of hot yak butter ,
which is a good way to smell , if you like it ..”
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5. Languaging
Languaging is the use of real or fictitious foreign words, of which the user
has scant knowledge to include a manipulation of the vernacular. This
use of particular expressions shared by the writer and the reader, with
their occasional poetic treatment can be both ego- enhancing and memory
sustaining. E.g. “Yunctan food is totally different from the rest of the
country- instead of tacos and burritos they eat cochinita pubil,
rellenonegro de para, pocchue etc.
6. Ego targeting
It targets the individual, with the dialogue assuming the form of intimate
conversation, often making the individual feel special, for personalised
service. The individuals buys into the product thinking that the purchase
will make him a bit more like himself, someone special
etc........perpetrating the myth of self actualisation An advertisement for
Garhwal and Kumaon by U. P. Tourism says “if you are dying for a
breath of rare oxygen- Pithoragarh, Kausani are where a deep breath will
make you come alive again!”
Visual techniques like the use of colour, format, visual cliché etc. also
contribute to the language of tourism.
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It has been seen that the use of colour in promotional images has sought
to convey specific images. The use of primitive colours, for example, for
promotion of third world destinations helps build up sensualist imagery
of a noble savage , living close to nature - pure, innocent and authentic.
The predominant colours of paradise are white and blue signifying
tranquillity and sterilisation of nature.
Visual cliché is also evident in pictures which accompany the discourse
on tourism. The tourists often see through these cliché, but it is a pleasant
feeling to be seduced by them again and again. . Visual clichés that can be
used are - deep blue ocean, white sand, palm trees, sunset, happy &
colourfully dressed locals, untouched landscapes, exciting nights etc.
The verbal and visual techniques are often employed by language of
tourism, often in combination, to interact with the tourist and lure him
towards staged authenticities, in his search for the authentic other.
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CHAPTER 6
INDIA - THE ‘OTHER’
An interesting area of study concerning tourist arrivals in India is the
myths that exist in the westerners’ mind when he intends to visit the
country. This has to do primarily with India being perceived as 'the
other’. This 'otherness' has been constructed over a long span of time, in
the numerous contacts the west has had with this country, over two
thousand years.
The first significant contact of India with the west was with Alexander,
who invaded India in 330 BC. He was the first in the long line of
westerners to become a disciple of an Indian guru. To him, India
represented a different school of thought; a fascinating source of wisdom.
However, the Greek scholars accompanying Alexander complained that
understanding Indian philosophy was like making mud flow through
water. The east was beginning to be perceived as different and/or
strange. The first seeds of 'otherness' were sown.
After the invasion of Alexander there was regular trade between India
and the Romans until 1-2 century AD. With the decline of the Roman
Empire direct contacts between India and the west ended as the trade
stopped. Thereafter, India entered into the realms of the myth… as rare
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Indian spices and beautifully crafted Indian articles came on the caravan
of Arabic traders to the west.
The search for a sea route to India (to promote direct trade with India
primarily for spices) made India the magnet of European explorers in the
Middle Ages. Explorations were followed by conquest as the English,
Dutch, Danes and the French colonised India.
In the 18th and the 19th, century India emerged as the exotic 'other' to the
European travellers. Travellers returned with tales of the fabulous and
the fantastic east. There was very little information on the history and
heritage of the country. It was assumed that like all other colonies India
needed a civilising influence. Tales of gilded domes, kings, sword
swallowing acrobats, peddlers of reincarnation, widows leaping into the
pyre caused gasps of amazement and wonder. India was a glorious and
glittering circus -spectacular, exciting but unreal.
The initial study of Indian history and cultural heritage was done by the
British. It is they, who pieced together its past and weaved the image of
modern India. From a glorious circus they converted it into a fascinating
museum- full of tombs, temples, sculptures, study of Hinduism etc.
The Heritage of India
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For a foreign tourist the heritage of India can be divided into the
following categories.
• Great places to stay- Palace cum hotels, houseboats, Clubs of the
British era... These places have become popular because of the
nostalgia, they evoke due to linkages with great kings, legends, British
history. This is one area where heritage has been constructed to suit
the needs of tourists .E.g. Lake Palace Hotel (Udaipur), Taj Mahal
Intercontinental (Mumbai), House boats (Srinagar) etc.
• Places with Indo -European Flavour - Monuments from the colonial
past, primarily British. These places seem to belong to a far off time
and evoke nostalgia. E.g. Victoria Memorial (Calcutta), Fernhill
Palace (Ooty), Hotel Metropole (Mysore) etc.
• Nostalgia of the Hippie movements: towns with Tibetan influence,
Goa etc. This town were the key centres for the Hippie movement in
the 70s: symbolising escape from the western civilisation. E.g. Goa,
Dharmsala, countryside near Manali etc.
• Forts and Palaces: Primarily Rajput and Mughal forts. With legends,
personalities, architectural splendour, the success of such places
depend on how easily the tourist relates to the myths associated with
this place. The Taj Mahal would not have been so popular but for the
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love of the emperor for his wife. E.g. Red Fort, Forts at Jaiselmer,
Chittorgarh etc.
• Deserted cities: Fatehpur Sikri, Hampi. These places present a
haunting reminder of the past. As a centre of thriving empires, at one
time they evoke a nostalgia from the past; a relic of the progress of
human civilisation.
• Interesting trips: toy trains, backwater boat rides, Palace on wheels.
They are interesting rides as well as important representations of
heritage. The Palace On Wheels for example takes back the tourist in
maharaja's times where he indulges in the vicarious pleasure of living
like a maharaja
India Today
Today, there are broadly two images of India held by the westerners. One
of the image is grounded in a fascination for a rich heritage, a
profound civilisation; whereas the other looks at India as a place which is
poor , inward looking etc. The Indian reality probably lies in an
integration of these two images. But as far as the westerner is concerned,
he exists in one of these two mythical worlds - of India being perceived as
1. The authentic other
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2. The inauthentic other
India - The Inauthentic Other
Held by a signification section of westerners, this point of view holds
that though ancient, Indian civilisation has degenerated into a cultural
cull de sac; that India has made very little contribution to make to the
ongoing civilisation of humanity.
The Indian thought has been dominated by imagination, a mode of
knowing religion. This is inferior to the rational civilisation of the west.
It is this imagination which has led to generation of myths and
superstitions as opposed to science and rationality of the west. The west
is forceful and masculine while the east is passive and feminine.
The westerners harbouring this view refrain from visiting India when
one of the Indian cities Mumbai is attacked on 26/11. Most of them never
intend visiting India- a land ruled by Hindu fundamentalists, poverty etc.
India-The Authentic Other
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There is a segment in the west which has an idealistic perception of
India, once articulated most vehemently by Carl Gustav Jung -
'India represents the other way of civilising man, the way without
suppression, without violence, without rationalism'
This view believes that the intuitive, mystical and symbolic Indian
thinking may provide westerners with access to that part of themselves
that they have 'lost'. This view considers the internal spiritual factors as
decisive. It refuses to see the contradictions in Indian thinking. This
section of people often reacts against secular materialism of west and
seeks to escape into the authentic 'other' world of Indian spiritualism.
The Authentic ‘Other’ Country
The search for the authentic ‘other’ has, broadly speaking, attracted two
kinds of tourists to India.
One of them derives a vicarious pleasure in trying to identify the
‘authentic other’ from the staged authenticities set up by tourism
industry. He is merely content in living in a make-belief world of his
myths about the country and refuses to see indicators and realities which
run contrary to his perceptions.
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The other is a pilgrim in the real sense who explores the various
dimensions of the country in his bid to find the ‘authentic’ other. It is this
type of pilgrim which stays in ashrams, attends yoga weeks and pursues a
serious study of the Indian philosophy.
In the Indian context, the search for the authentic ‘other’ has manifested
itself
• in the lure of Indian mysticism (Tantrism)
• the drawing forces of Hinduism, Buddhism and New Age movement
• The myths that surround the Himalayas, the Great Indian Desert etc.
The Lure of Indian Mysticism
Tantrism, considered repugnant by mainstream Hindus, is a tradition
that ran parallel to mainstream Brahminism. It was probably derived
from the fertility cult of the indigenous people. The subject of Tantrism
introduces symbols, ideas and terms exotic to the western minds.
Labelled as pornography by some it has also engendered strange
fascination.
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Tantrism is concerned with practical methods and lays little stress on
religious theories, easily understood by the westerners. It focuses on
Shiva and Shakti; Shakti - the cosmic force which supports the universe.
The act of sexual intercourse is symbolic union of Shiva-Shakti. The act
of intercourse is considered a yogic exercise which creates a mystic sense
of oneness. The nude female form is the representation of the goddess.
Spiritual progress is achieved not by avoiding desires but by transforming
them.
The most influential exponent of Tantra among the western people has
been the Osho - Bhagwan Rajneesh. His view of sex and mysticism was a
deliberate combination of Tantrism and Jungism. His interpretation of
Tantrism along with a growing awareness of Kundalini Yoga made for a
formidable combination of sensuality and spiritualism. This contributed
to his immense popularity in the west.
The philosophy of Rajneesh is monistic, which allows for no evil. He
accused Christian ministers of preaching sin to make people feel guilty
and inferior. He was one of the most influential of the Indian Gurus. His
ashrams continue to be of great tourist interest and a place of pilgrimage
for the Oshoiites.
The Drawing Force of Hinduism
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Hinduism has been compared by western scholars to a jungle - whatever
can grow in it grows. It has a luxuriance of intellectual thought and
practical ritual that compares and contrasts at the same time. This evokes
exotic images in the eyes of the westerner.
The spread of Hinduism in the west
In 1893, Vivekananda was one of the first Hindu missionaries to the west.
He established a Vedanta society which had a lot of Christian converts.
However it was only in the 1960s that a widespread section of the western
society came in contact with Hinduism. Pop musicians invited Indian
gurus to preach their teaching. The ideas of Krishna as a divine lover and
Shiva as an erotic yogi created exotic images in the eyes of the
westerners. These two gods drew the largest following in the western
masses.
The great paradox of Shiva being both an ascetic and yogi epitomised the
very opposite of western ideas of god. Shiva is a synthesis of
contradictions. The two aspects of Shaiviite teaching i.e. Yoga and
Tantra spread widely in the west. Krishna, on the other hand, inspired
the Bhakti movement and society of Krishna consciousness.
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The growing popularity of yoga
The amazing feats of ascetics and yogic practises narrated by the
European travellers to India in the nineteenth century led to the rise of
Sanskrit scholarship and Indian philosophical studies in the universities
of Europe. In the 1960s young people in the west started looking up to
yoga for mind-expanding experiences.
The most influential of these movements was the Transcendental
meditation advocated by Mahesh Yogi. It became very popular with the
interest shown by the Beatles. The Maharishi started the spiritual
regeneration movement and positioned himself as a psychotherapist and
not a Guru.
Yoga has found increasing acceptance as an applied philosophy in the
west. In addition, the increased popularity of yoga has contributed to the
successful international yoga weeks and yoga spas in areas like Rishikesh.
These places have also become important centres for study of Hinduism
for western tourists/pilgrims.
Other Gurus
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The Sanskrit scholar Prabhupada was the founder of the movement of
Krishna consciousness abhorring tenets of western materialism. The
other movements of Sathya Sai Baba, Swaninarayans also contributed to
the popularity of Hinduism in the west.
This led to increasing number of pilgrimages to holy religious spots and
ashrams of Gurus by believers and tourists. The ashrams of gurus are
important places of tourist interest like Vrindavan (Hare Krishna
movement), Sai Baba Puttaparthi etc.
The lure of Hinduism has also led tourists to visit the holy cities like
Varanasi, Haridwar. The temple towns like Kanchipuram,
Mahabalipuram also witness significant tourist attention.
The new age movement
As early as 1873, translations of Upanishads influenced Madame Helena
Blavatsky to find the Theosophical society. This was the beginning of
the new age movement, a movement which tried to incorporate the best
from the East and the West. The monistic ideas of the Upanishads came
as an intellectual boost to the philosophers of the new age movement.
In 1893, Annie Besant travelled to India from Britain leaving behind 'the
husk of the outworn creed' for something more genuine. She provided the
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stimulus to the new age movement; as a reaction to the ideas of western
secular materialism. The new age movement is based on the quest for
spirituality as opposed to religion.
Today, ancient Indian and Chinese thought are being drawn into western
philosophy. In 1991, 1/4 of the westerners believed in reincarnation. 15% of
the population in Britain meditates which is more than the one that goes
to church regularly. All over the west spiritual retreat centres are
becoming important destination for tourism and pilgrimage. The various
new age symbols like Yoga acupuncture; new age authors like Deepak
Chopra are becoming increasingly popular.
On the west coast of America, new age institutions, radio stations are
being set up. This movement has led to a greater integration of the East
and the West and has contributed to renewed interest in the east in a
wide section of Westerners.
The Drawing Force of Buddhism
The life of Gautama has assumed a nature of a heroic myth. His birth is
likened to the rising of another sun. The truth that Buddha awoke to was
the law of life that has existed since time immemorial. He travelled the
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length and breadth of this country to preach his message; areas that form
the parts of the Buddhist trail today.
Buddhism in Asia
About hundred years after Buddha's death two main streams of
Buddhism developed and spread to South Asia and East Asia.
Mahayana Buddhism travelled northward through the Tibet, China,
Korea and Japan. This happened over two thousand years. The
Mahayana, the greater vehicle, stresses on the importance of leading all
people to enlightenment in daily life. It is Mahayana form which has
given Buddhism a world-wide appeal.
The Hinyana Buddhism holds strictly to original doctrine and ritual.
Buddha has been made a God to be worshipped and favours asked to. The
Hinyana School was influenced by the native religion of the lands it went
to. Therefore it took various forms in the various countries it went to.
This school of teachings spread south, through Sri Lanka, Burma and
Thailand.
After about thousand years Buddhism began to be dogged by ritual and
dogma and lost its freshness and vigour. In India, it was gradually
assimilated in Hinduism to be rediscovered by the British; in the
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nineteenth century, with the help of accounts of Chinese travellers - Fa
Hein and Huen Tsang.
The appeal of Buddhism in the west
Buddhism is an apt solution to the flaws of western secular materialism
and an attractive alternative to the metaphysical dogmas of Christianity.
The form of Buddhism that is popular in the west is the Mahayana form.
The Mahayana form is based on rationality that teaches man to free
himself from suffering if he believes in his own Buddhist nature.
The appeal of Buddhism lies in its attack against the religious systems
that inculcate fear and guilt.
• Emphasis on experience: Buddhism takes experience as the starting
point. There are no prerequisites of metaphysical beliefs. It
emphasises on suffering and the end of suffering, which can be known
from self-experience. This emphasis on self-experience makes it
appealing to the individual in the west.
• Rationality: The Mahayana school recognises no divinity or authority,
whether religious or political. . It asks for action only when something
makes sense. This is in strong contrast to the strong emphasis on
divinity, faith and belief in Christianity.
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• Practicality: the religion recommends a diagnosis to end suffering
which depends on the practitioner to follow or reject .There is no
concept of damnation or sin. This emphasis on choice as an alternative
to blind belief or faith in Christianity has made a modern religion.
An interesting aspect of tourism in India concerned with Buddhism is
that a majority of the international tourists it attracts come from Asia-
Pacific and Sri Lanka. The countries of Asia Pacific especially Japan are a
growing market for India. A substantial number of tourists from Sri
Lanka, which is the third most important market, are drawn by
Buddhism.
The tourist attractions which concern themselves with Buddhism are
divided into two categories:
• The Buddhist trail: concerning holy spots relating to Buddha's life and
important monuments. These spots attract pilgrims/tourists from
Asia-Pacific and Sri Lanka.
• The rub of Buddhism: these spots bank upon the lure of Buddhism
enmeshed with other myths. Buddhism forms a background for other
myths such as the story of Shangri La (covered in Himalayas and
Tourism). The emerging destinations in these areas are Ladakh and
Sikkim.
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Himalayas and Tourism
Himalayas have possessed a mythic status for people of India. Most
Indians except those who live in mountains do not have a strong
geographical conception of the mountains.
The Himalayas tend to be mythical rather than actual mountains.
The concept of Himalayas is based on legends and myths of the Hindu
tradition. Himalayas are home to the holiest of shrines and the spots in
the Hindu mythology. A pilgrimage to the abode of Gods is a regular
feature of Hindu Bhakti tradition.
To the west, the same region is influenced to by the currency of the new
myth, articulated in recent times by the novel of James Hilton- the Lost
Horizon.
The novel is built around the fantasy of a paradise in the Tibetan plateau
beyond world's highest mountains - Shangri La, a valley of the blue
moon. The Shangri La relocated itself - to Tibet, Nepal, Ladakh and
Bhutan- as tourists came in droves, driven by the myth. As the sanctity
of each Forbidden City was violated by mass tourism, the fantasy moved
from a sacred place to utopia or from 'a symbolic concentration' to ' a
geographic abstraction'
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The tale at a profound level is the author's reaction to the shortcomings
of the western civilisation. It is a tale of liberation from the thrall of time
and western materialism. Life at Shangri La is extraordinarily long; none
of its inhabitants hurries or exerts pressure on fellow beings. Life
proceeds in the pursuit of aesthetic and intellectual pursuits with no
conflict and competition. By association, the popular western conception
of the countries in the Himalayan region is of romantic, mystic realms
and this image is perpetuated in literature and promotion of tourism.
To quote a young Frenchman -
“Ladakh is the last place where you can see what Tibet must have
been ..... If you felt anything in these hours we have been together; any
intensity, any trust, think that it was not just from me or from us, but
from Ladakh."
The extent to which a Himalayan region remains a reminiscent of
Shangri La depends on the retention of unchanged elements of the lost
Tibetan authenticity. This aspect was capitalised upon by the tourism
department of Nepal to promote itself since 70s. Today, the government
of Bhutan has gone to great extent to preserve the myth of the Shangri
La. It has done so by restricting development, making people wear
national costume on prescribed occasions, banning television and
restricting entry to the very rich.
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Trekking through the Himalayan region and walks are not only
important for their scenic beauty but also constitute small explorations in
search for the authentic other.
The Desert and The Sea
The desert and tourism
The magnetic fascination for the deserts in some segments of the western
society lies in great empty spaces - the ultimate in escape from the
western society .The lure of the desert also stems from the mythical
structures created in the western mind in their contact with Arabian
people and their literature. The gossip of the desert was magic, with tales
of blood and feuds. It was promoted by the spread of the tales of the
Arabian nights-of Ali Baba and forty thieves etc.-and works of Omar
Khayyam and others.
The tale of the Great Indian Desert
The myth of the Thar is linked intricately to Rajputs-their valour, battles
for honour, the majestic palaces and the impregnable forts. It is similar to
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the magic evoked by tales of the Arabian Desert - of kings dying for
honour, of wealthy maharajas with many wives, of women throwing
themselves to Johar, the legend of Padmavati. And the myth lives on;
consumed by the tourists in the form of travelling on the palace of
wheels, in consumption of heritage at increasingly popular heritage hotels
and palace-cum-hotels. The MacCanell's tourist finds in these an
authentic another- full of virtue, grandeur, and honour and heritage.
The camel safari, for example, in the desert with forts, ruins, deserted
villages, fertile oasis exercises a magical spell on the tourist- the ultimate
in space from the western civilisation. The desert festival at Jaiselmer
and the camel fair at Pushkar are events which add revelry, enthusiasm
and colour to an already romantic mythical structures -created by the
Rajput valour and the emptiness of the desert.
Heritage of the Rajputanas
The success of painted havelis in Shekawati, of heritage hotels and palace
on wheels indicates a very lucrative market for heritage tourism in
Rajasthan: the success of which in the future will depend upon the
interpretation of history to suit the needs of changing times and the tastes
of tourists. It is essential to build on the mythical structures in the
tourist’s mind and stage authenticities like fairs, heritage sites etc. Desert
will forever remain an ultimate in escape; and heritage, if constructed and
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staged in a relevant fashion will interweave with it to become a
formidable attraction. Heritage when weaved with desert gives a
meaning to the empty desert. This allows the tourist to escape into an
authentic ‘other’ world where time moves slowly, people die for honour,
and the culture is full of liveliness, simplicity and honesty.
The Sea and Tourism
For centuries, the sea has fascinated human beings. The coastlines have
represented the fringe between the known and the frighteningly
unknown.
The Romans were the first ones to build villas by the sea. However, the
seaside as a tourist destination is comparatively modern. In the
eighteenth century, the seaside was first promoted, in England, as a place
for recuperation. Today, it has become a place of relaxation, fun and
idleness.
The beach: Margins of experience
Beaches are marginal littoral strips; of neither land nor the sea. They are
margins of experience. This marginality is not only geographical but also
social and physiological. Therefore as society changes so does the
meaning and use of the beach...
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In the Victorian age, it was a place of flesh and bodily exposure, rarely
tolerated elsewhere. Today it has a different kind of marginality
associated with it. Some beaches offer a sanctioned ‘escape route’ and
regression into childhood for the adults; as adults play child games and
eat child foods. Other beaches provide opportunities for the young to pass
through passages of rites; without the presence of younger and older
generation.
The scenario in India
The conventional sun-sand -sea resort (primarily located in the
Mediterranean and tropical islands) has witnessed a decrease in tourist
traffic due to overcrowding and an increasing preference for other forms
of tourism by western tourists. There is an increasing section of western
tourists which is looking for a resort with sun-sand -sea and a flavour /
meaning attached to it .It is this category of tourists which is attracted to
seaside resorts in India .
In India, a few good beaches attract tourists who come for leisure travel.
The beaches in India are roughly divided into few categories:
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Beaches with Indo-European flavour: Found in Goa, Diu etc. these beaches
attract tourists looking for a good beach and those who wish to revisit
their past. They have an Indo – European flavour, which evokes nostalgia
in a European tourists’ mind.
A conventional sun- sand- sea resort: These beaches are typical resorts with a
local cultural flavour thrown in to add to the attraction like Kovalam,
Gopalpur-on-sea, Ahmedpur Mandvi etc. The primary attraction of these
centres is the relatively un-crowded beach woven with the excitement of
a different culture...
Beaches and religion: These beaches become the epitome of escape from the
western secular materialism. This attracts the MacCannell’s tourist.
They combine the familiarity of beach experience with the lure of
religion. They are also good attractions for domestic tourist, who lured by
religion, also happen to visit the beach .These include locations like Puri,
Konark, Mahabalipuram etc.
The Island
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The islands are characterised by their smallness and insularity. The
islands are not only geographical identities, they are is-lands; locations of
the present freed from the concerns of the future. In doing so they
represent an escape in which time stands still and future looks far away.
Most islands have limited tourism resources. The island ,as a tourist
attraction, lacks diversity .It depends overwhelmingly on sun, sand and
the sea often with an additional attraction thrown in to differentiate it
from an another island .
The Indian scenario
The islands with an enormous tourist potential are the Andamans and
the Nicobar islands. These islands represent the epitome of escape- far
away from the mainland and civilisation. Besides, the beaches of
Andamans and Nicobar islands have an attractive Caribbean flavour:
white coral sand, gin clear water and multi-coloured fish and coral.
Indian Heritage & Events
Heritage and history
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Heritage and history are social constructs. Any age can reassemble and
rearrange the inheritance of people and places. They are truths that are
held to be known about the past. However, the past is subject to
interpretations and heritage is a three-way relationship between a site, its
presenter and audience. Heritage therefore needs to be realigned to the
needs of the times, to the taste of the present audience. A relevant
realignment of heritage to the trends of the recent times creates a
successful tourist attraction.
The telling of history involves a conveyance of untruths. The act of
interpretation changes it. The heritage of the Ram, for example,
manifested in the interpretation of the concept of Ram Rajya is a part of
reactionary revivalism, for a generation of Indians who feel
imaginatively deprived in the present
The development of Disneyland, which led to production of history and
manufacture of heritage, is an important lesson in understanding the
perception and marketing of heritage. The Disney spectacle is a themed
and montage display of simulations and hyper reality; to a point where
truth and fiction become indistinguishable.
In Britain, a new development in heritage called industrial heritage has
emerged. This concept celebrates the industrial sites, mining sites etc.
Ironbridge, the foundation of industrial revolution, has become an
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important heritage site. Other heritage sites like deserted soviet army
bases, Spanish castles cum hotels, secret armaments factory are becoming
popular. In India heritage is being staged through the development of
heritage hotels, heritage festivals, Palace on wheels, etc. India offers
tremendous opportunity for development and staging of heritage.
The success of Disneyland has an important lesson. It indicates that
plural interpretations of heritage will become commonplace. The scope
for multiple truths will continue to widen.
Special events
Special events (festivals, sport and cultural events) have deep cultural
meanings and involve unique behaviours. Licence and revelry are closely
associated with events. Attendance at events is a leisure experience that is
freely chosen for its intrinsic rewards.
Events have to compete with various attractions and activities; hence
events can be packaged and substituted. The strong competitive
advantage of events is the social benefit of attending ‘in groups’. Events
are participative in nature. Hence, their success to some extent depends
upon the participants. Thus what people bring to the events is as
important as what they find there. Special events are characterised by
their uniqueness, atmosphere and quality.
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All over the world various events –rooted in ancient and modern heritage
have been a big tourist draw. Some events like the Olympic Games,
Soccer world cup etc. provide excellent opportunity to the host state to
boost tourism and construct and stage heritage. Various events rooted in
the past still continue to be major draws for their uniqueness and
atmosphere like the Spanish bullfights.
Indian Events – an embarrassment of riches.
Indian events range from the modern to the ancient. They fulfil various
purposes from recreation to religion. Most of the heritage fairs are rooted
in the religious tradition or meant to be a market for business. Basically,
the Indian events can be classified in a few categories:
The modern festivals – the republic day parade, Independence Day etc.
These provide ample opportunities for staged authenticities. The various
Jhankis of states for example are representations of states and their
heritage.The religious festivals - the car festival (Puri), the festival of
gods (Kulu), Dusshera (Mysore), and the Kumbh melas provide
opportunities for domestic tourists to indulge in a religious activity
.These festivals attract the MacCanell’s tourists: the Heritage festivals –
snake boat race (Alappuzha), desert festival (Jaiselmer), camel fair
(Pushkar) etc. Many of these festivals are rooted in tradition and are a
69

tremendous draw for the foreign tourist. Many of these like the Jhansi
Mahotsav (Jhansi) or the festival of Lucknow are staged versions of
authenticities constructed by the tourism departments.
There is an enormous opportunity for staging authenticity and
interpreting heritage through events. Events are gradually becoming very
important in itineraries of the tourists. Due to their strong participative
nature and social exuberance they are a unique attraction.
70

BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. Chasing the Indian monsoon - Alexander Frater.
2. Critical issues in tourism - Gareth Shaw and Alan M. Williams.
3. Encyclopaedia of hospitality in tourism - Michael Olsen and
Mahmood Khan.
4. Hinduism in Great Britain - Edited by Richard Burghart.
5. Hospitality and travel marketing - Alastair Morrison
6. India file - Trevor Fishcock
7. Marketing tourism places- Edited by Gregory Ashworth and Brian
Goodall.
8. Northern India and Southern India - Nelles Verg
9. Portrait of India - Ved Mehta
10. The business of tourism - J. Christopher Holloway.
11. The desert and the sown-Gertrude Bell
12. The development and marketing of visitor attractions- John
Swarbrooke.
13. The spirit of Hinduism - David Burnett
14. The theory and practise of tourism- Keith Waterhouse.
15. The tourist business- Donald E. Lundberg
16. The tourist experience- Edited by Chris Ryan
17. The tourist image - Edited by Tom Selwyn
18. Travel industry yearbook- Somerset R. Waters
19. Tourism, principles and practise- Chris Cooper, J. Fletcher, D. Gilbert
and S. Wanhill.
20. Tourism today : A geographical analysis- Douglas Pearce
71

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