É o turismo o culpado em mercantilizar culturas e tradições no Brasil??

É o turismo o culpado em mercantilizar culturas e tradições no Brasil? - Is tourism the culprit in commodifying cultures & traditions in Brazil?

Culprit or not? Before we make a stand, we must understand what is “commodifying cultures & traditions”. Based on my understanding, the phrase refers to the commercializing of cultures & traditions. Thus, is tourism responsible for the commercializing of Brazilian cultures & traditions?

I agree to a certain extent that tourism is the culprit in commodifying cultures & traditions. Because of tourism, tourists from all over the world is visiting Brazil to immerse in the tropical weather and participate in all the activites and events on offer. Some of these tourists travel to Brazil for the sole purpose of immersing in Brazil’s cultures and traditions. In addition, cultural & heritage tourists tend to stay longer and spend more than other form of travelers (Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, 2002), thus making them a more revenue-generating market segment for tourism. This gives the Brazilian government more reasons to promote tourism, in particularly, culture and heritage tourism. The local Brazilian communities would also commercialize their own cultures and traditions in an attempt to earn additional income. Certain sacred cultures and traditions, that were once considered taboo, are also being commodified today as a mean to earn income. As such, tourism is the culprit in commodifying cultures & traditions.

However, to say fully that tourism is the culprit in commodifying cultures & traditions is an over statement. Relevant tourism authorities today are doing their best efforts in preserving the culture & tradition and to prevent the commodification of valuable cultures & traditions. Brazil is no exception. However, despite their efforts, the situation still occurs. In my opinion, I feel that the Brazilians themselves may be at fault as well. When the issue of money is taken into consideration, people tend to venture into any avenue possible, even if it involves commodifying their own culture and traditions for a price.

In conclusion, tourism is just one of the culprits in commodifying cultures and traditions. The government’s policy of promoting tourism heavily and the people’s willingness to commodify them for income may be to blame for the overall commodification of Brazil’s cultures and traditions as well.