It is imperative to notice that commodifying of cultures and traditions due to tourism is a gradual process and do not happen overnight. Tourism has resulted in commodifying cultures and traditions in New Zealand. Firstly, tourism has, in a way, commercialised and modified the various performances and displays that are offered to mass tourism. This leads to the issue of authenticity of these performances. As these performances are the “front” stage, the real authenticity is the “back” stage. This means that, the local village “performs” for the tourists, and only after the performance they resume their real cultural activities (real authenticity).
It is a fact that tourism has lead to the creation of cultural manifestations just to satisfy the tourists’ consumption. It has transformed culture and traditions into a cultural product where such product will provide “authenticity” to the tourists, and “prove” that tourists actually visited the country. As evidently as it is, New Zealand has many retail shops that sell various Maori products such as their different weapons used traditionally. This is part of commodifying the cultures and traditions.
Personally, I think that tourism has given rise to different cultural villages in New Zealand, which is part of commodifying culture and tradition too. Tourists are demanding instant culture experiences in a short period of time, which may be the main reason why staged performances are carried out in these different cultural villages. These performances may be carried out yearly and it is sacred. However due to tourism, these daily performances have been shortened or tampered to suit the tourists demand. As a result, these “authentic” performances have changed the whole connotation and meaning of such practices.
Furthermore, the Maoris that are performing such rituals are paid for their effort. In this way, the Maori are presenting their culture for the sake of presenting, and not because it represents something significant to them. As mentioned that there are different crafts and souvenirs that are on sale, these items are more often than not, trivialized, and it does not represent the culture. For example, the traditional Maori weapons are too dangerous to be reproduce, thus, suppliers may have modified it and causing it to misrepresent the culture. As many tourists are buying these souvenirs, commodification of cultures and traditions is worsening.
The emergence of retail shops and different cultural villages boil down to two contributing tourism factors – Tourists demand and the National Tourism Organisation (NTO) in New Zealand. Tourism New Zealand is the NTO and it plays a significant role in shaping what the tourists want to see. When there is tourists demand for the Maori culture, the NTO creates activities to meet such demand. For example, these cultural villages and retail shops selling souvenirs are set up under the NTO so as to meet the consumption of tourists. NTO is highly influential in determining the commodification of cultures and traditions. After all, they are the one who has the final decision in tourism development. They will package and develop various tourists products in order to meet the demand, regardless of the different opportunity costs forgone (lost of culture, commidifcation).
One example of such cases can be seen in Singapore too. Singapore Tourism Board, in order to meet the cultural tourists demand, has reconstructed shop houses along the Malay Street(right). It has, in a way, commodify the culture and traditions of the place because shop owners that use to reside there had moved away. Instead, souvenir shops now operate in the shop houses today. Another cultural place that has been commodified is the Peranankan Museum. Shops beside the museum can be seen selling souvenirs and different Peranankan crafts. From these cases, we can see that the NTO of Singapore has commodified the Malay traditions and culture, in order to meet the various cultural tourists coming to Singapore.
In a nutshell, these two factors are subsidiaries of tourism, and that tourism is the main culprit in commodifying the traditions and cultures of New Zealand.
Reference: Images from Google Image
Reference for the blog:
ABC News. (2010, October 20). Maori Language at crisis point. Retrieved December 7, 2010, from ABC News: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/10/20/3043796.htm
allshorts. (2010). Short Film & Music Video Festival. Retrieved November 24, 2010, from Allshorts Film Festival: http://www.allshorts.org.nz/index.html
Auckland Museum. (2008). Maori Culture Performances. Retrieved November 21, 2010, from http://www.aucklandmuseum.com/?t=80
Biuso, J. (2006). New Zealand. Lonely Planet.
Brown, R. (2004). Maori Culture. In R. Brown, Lonely Planet New Zealand (pp. 52-53).
Dragonboat.org. (n.d.). Why dragonboat. Retrieved November 23, 2010, from Dragonboat: http://www.dragonboat.org.nz/page/basics-why.aspx
Education New Zealand. (n.d.). Retrieved December 6, 2010, from Education New Zealand: http://www.educationnz.org.nz/
Elections New Zealand. (n.d.). Elections New Zealand. Retrieved November 17, 2010, from The Right to Vote: http://www.elections.org.nz/study/education-centre/history/right-to-vote.html
Epuro Hands International Limited. (2005). Maori Food of Aotearoa. Retrieved December 2, 2010, from Foodhistory: http://www.genuinemaoricuisine.com/Folders/foodhistory.html
Good Luck Bar. (20070). Retrieved November 25, 2010, from Good Luck Bar in Wellington: http://www.worldsbestbars.com/public/venue_listing.jsp?categoryId=56¤tVenueId=5562373
International Antarctic Centre. (n.d.). Retrieved December 1, 2010, from Christchurch Attractions International Antarctic Centre Christchurch New Zealand: http://www.iceberg.co.nz/
King, J. (2000). Government, Economy, and the People. In J. King, New Zealand Handbook (p. 23). California: Moon Publications, Inc.
Kiwi Web. (2007). The Kiwi Bird New Zealand's Indigenous Flightless Bird. Retrieved November 14, 2010, from Kiwi Bird of New Zealand: http://www.chemistry.co.nz/kiwibird.htm
Ministry of Education. (2009, July 17). Our education system. Retrieved November 4, 2010, from Ministry of Education: http://www.minedu.govt.nz/NZEducation/EducationPolicies.aspx
National Geographic Kids. (n.d.). New Zealand Facts and Photos. Retrieved December 2, 2010, from New Zealand: Country Facts: http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/places/find/new-zealand/
National Summary. (2002, April). Census Snapshot; Maori. Retrieved December 1, 2010, from http://search.stats.govt.nz/search?af=&w=ethnicity&date=&button2.x=0&button2.y=0&button2=Search
New Zealand Book Council. (n.d.). New Zealand Book Council, Bringing books and people together. Retrieved December 2, 2010, from New Zealand Book Council: http://www.bookcouncil.org.nz/Book_Council/About_Us/Information.htm
New Zealand Tourism Guide. (n.d.). New Zealand Cuisine. Retrieved December 1, 2010, from New Zealand Food, New Zealand Cuisine: http://www.tourism.net.nz/new-zealand/nz/cuisine-and-dining/
Newzealand.com. (2010). 7in7 Challenge. Retrieved December 2, 2010, from Newzealand.com: http://www.newzealand.com/travel/about-nz/features/events/7-in-7-challenge/7-in-7-challenge_home.cfm
Newzealand.com. (n.d.). Maori Culture. Retrieved November 5, 2010, from Celebrating New Zealand's Waitangi Day: http://www.newzealand.com/travel/media/features/maori-culture/maori-culture_celebrating-waitangi-day_feature.cfm
Newzealand.com. (2007, September 17). Maori Culture. Retrieved December 3, 2010, from Maori Culture: http://www.newzealand.com/travel/about-nz/culture/culture-maori-culture.cfm
Newzealand.com. (n.d.). Recreation & Sport. Retrieved November 29, 2010, from Story of New Zealand Rugby: http://www.newzealand.com/travel/media/features/recreation-&-sport/sport_story-of-new-zealand-rugby_features.cfm
Newzealand.com. (n.d.). Treat your taste buds. Retrieved November 12, 2010, from Newzealand.com: http://www.newzealand.com/travel/about-nz/features/events/wine-and-food-festival/wine-and-food-festival_home.cfm
NZ History.net. (2007, October). Traditional Maori Food. Retrieved November 25, 2010, from Maori: http://christchurchcitylibraries.com/Maori/Kai/
Puzzling World. (n.d.). Online Shop > Apparel & Merchandise. Retrieved November 30, 2010, from T-Shirts, Magnets, Backwards Clock, Badges and Glassware: http://puzzlingworld.co.nz/shop/apparel.html
Queenstown Airport. (2007, August). Prime Minister to open Airport. Retrieved December 1, 2010, from http://qtairport.com/corporate/media-releases/prime-minister-to-open-airport
R.J.Batty. (2008). Fantasia NZ? Retrieved December 1, 2010, from http://researcharchive.lincoln.ac.nz/dspace/bitstream/10182/584/1/batty_mprtm.pdf
Rainbow's End. (2009). Welcome to Rainbow's End. Retrieved November 20, 2010, from RAINBOW'S END - AUCKLAND ON NEW ZEALAND TOURISM GUIDE: http://www.tourism.net.nz/listings/nztg/attractions-and-activities/24870?from=http://www.tourism.net.nz/attractions-and-activities/theme-and-leisure-parks/index.html
Smitz, P., Robinson, M., Rousseau, N., Watkins, R., Belich, J., Biuso, J., et al. (2004). New Zealand. Australia: Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd.
Spainexchange. (n.d.). Language Spoken. Retrieved December 4, 2010, from The Language Spoken in New Zealand: http://www.spainexchange.com/guide/NZ-language.htm
Spookers Haunted House. (2010). New Zealand's only haunted attraction scream park. Retrieved November 29, 2010, from Spookers Haunted Attraction: http://www.spookers.co.nz/
Statistics New Zealand. (2006). Quickstats about Culture and Identity.
The Antarctic Shop. (2003). Customer Service. Retrieved December 4, 2010, from Antarctica The Antarctic Shop Christchurch New Zealand Antarctic Clothing Books: http://www.antarcticshop.com/service.asp
No comments:
Post a Comment