Tourism, Culture, and Economics

a.     A quote that I found interesting from A Fez of the Heart by Jeremy Seal was: ““No,” I replied. “I’ll take a fez, thank you.” “ I think you are not modern,” pronounced the shop-keeper, making my predicament sound like a will-making condition. Ashamed that he stocked such things, he wrapped my illicit headgear in a brown paper bag and saw me on my way.” (12). This passage indicates the acknowledgement of the past that was still existent within the mentalities of the modern shop-keepers. It shows how they are embarrassed in a way to sell the explicit merchandise that contradicts their past culture and it shows the impact that a touristic market can have on a society’s culture.

b.     The reading illustrated some examples that connected the economics and culture that was persistent in Pomegranate. Economics and culture are linked in Pomegranate and have a direct relationship with one another—as the economics changed, then so did the culture in order to keep up. Two prime examples of this would be the shops selling baseball caps with nudity on them and a man wearing a fez as a way to attract tourists. It can be seen from these examples that the culture morphed from a conservative, strict culture that was very into its beliefs to a more lenient, modern culture that was more in tune with Western Europe and aimed to accommodate tourists. Seal mentions: “In Pomegranate, sales were in the priority, with sex shaded into second—but a close second that meant buying ruinously expensive drinks for impressionable young foreign girls in Pomegranate’s discotheques.” (10). This quote shows the emphasis placed on the market and on tourists that was exhibited by the Pomegranate citizens.

c.      Tourist destinations can very all over the world, but they have some things in common. Generally, these touristic destinations tend to oversimplify the culture, play on some stereotypes, and accommodate parts of their culture to fit in better with the other tourists’ cultures.  Cancun, for example, is filled with resorts and is a huge tourist attraction. However, I see that a large majority of Cancun attempts to make tourists believe that the exotic atmosphere, “traditional” foods served, and the general lifestyle exhibited represents what the Mexican culture is about. This however is not the case because it plays onto what tourists want rather than how it actually is or used to be. Examples like this one can be seen all over the world in many forms especially in places that depend a lot on tourism. The tourists shape the culture in these places since they are the ones who contribute to the economic success of the location.