Stereotypes and the Tourist Role - Coursework Example

Stereotypes and the Tourist Role  Stereotypes and the Tourist Role Introduction The contemporary tourism role has often been characterized by misleading assumptions based on cultural stereotypes. Quite often professionals and other players in the tourism sector such as tour operators, guides and travel agencies tend to view tourists as a homogenous lot whose roles can only be defined by their cultural or national backgrounds as opposed to understanding each of the tourists as an individual. Generally, the tourist role has increasingly been affected by prejudiced views and stereotypes (Selstad, 2012). Although stereotypes in tourism are often linked with conflicts, prejudiced practices that are usually directed against tourists tend to be overlooked (Robinson, 1999). This paper critically discusses some of the views in the course readings and other literature regarding the link between conflicts and stereotypes as well as the impact of stereotypes on the tourist role. Stereotypes and conflicts in tourism According to many authors, stereotypes in tourism are sometimes closely related with conflicts both in theory and in practice. For example, a significant number of tourisms have always been considered to be as unwelcome as the immigrants and this is particularly attributed to the belief that just like immigrants, tourists may upset the normal cultural equilibrium of a territorial entity or a society. Since most tourists tend to come outside the country or a society, their presence is no usually readily accepted. Consequently, the higher the number of tourists, the higher the conflict and disturbance they are likely to cause. On the other hand, other researchers argue that the level of tolerance of the tourists in the host society or region depends on the group sociology mechanisms such as the in group or outgroup mechanisms. Tourism may also result in conflicts when a large horde of tourists are viewed as a threat to the intrinsic social values of the host culture. Yiannakis and Gibson (1999) established that the tourist role’s preference is linked to the place where a person lives in his/her adult life. On the other hand, second school of thought is analysis of the impact of stereotyping of tourist role on the discriminatory practices that are created by the authorities in the destination places (Lee, Law andMurphy, 2011; Jacobsen et al., 2012). Hence, there is an enormous collection of work on the tourism industry, tourist role and the challenges faced by the players of the industry. The various authors have analysed the importance of tourism and the role of tourism according to their area of research. In order to study the tourist role in the tourism industry, the researchers have utilised the ‘anthropology study’ to generate an extensive body of theory that can provide assistance in defining and delimiting the object of study i.e. tourist. The impact of stereotypes on the tourist role The classical theorists such as Cohen (1979), Horne (1992), Kadt (2001), Pearce (1982) and Smith (1978), cited by Heimtun (2007), have ascertained the relationship that exists between guests and hosts which means that they are created by developing a series of dichotomies such as locals/foreigners, stability/transience, production/consumption and work/leisure. Furthermore, it has been found that majority of the tourists have received inappropriate treatments in various destination places as they are given treatment as being aliens (Caru & Cova, 2003; Frankin, 2003); this feeling of being an unwanted person in the area develops an ill feeling among the tourists. The visitors are looking forward to go those destinations that will help them in having a sensational experience that they can cherish for their lifetime. The primary purpose is to make some beneficial contributions in the field of research (Selstad, 2012). Since the tourists are the crucial parts of tourism industries, the key players have to ensure that they first understand their roles for their businesses, the expectations that they have from the places of visit and eradicate any negative thoughts that exist among local people. Also, on the other hand, it has been observed that for decades, the tourists have been portrayed as the second-class citizens (Bruner, 2001); this feeling of being considered as a dumb or unimportant person has been impacting the treatment of tourists worldwide. One of the roles of the tourist is also to go through the guide books of the destination point. Guide book needs to be carefully designed so that tourists can gain benefit from it (Bhattacharyya, 1997). According to Jack and Phipps (2005), the local residents at destination places used to believe that tourists’ activities are lazy, dumb and fatuous and they treated them in harsh manners i.e. ignoring their queries, staring at them when they are roaming around the places and not helping them out in any problem (Dann, 2000). Such attributes, when associated with tourists may demoralise them immensely. The author Dann (1996) also sheds light upon the fact that cultural ambiguities create conflicts that may not be in the control of either the tourist or the host. Language barrier may one of these problems. The symbols and gestures in one culture may mean a different thing in another culture. Therefore, reviewing the cultural requirement of a specific tourism country is important for the tourists. Failure in this may result in negative stereotypes about tourists from a specific country. These are one of the challenges that tourists all around the world have to deal with and work upon it to have a successful tourism experience. Tourists are also planning their tourism packages due to their interest and fascination of viewing natural landscapes of the country. The history and details about the sublime landscapes interest many tourists and they take photographs of such scenery with high interest (Bell and Lyall, 2002). Uriely (2005) gave a review on the conceptual development of an excellent tourist experience that has received huge appreciation by the concerned authorities in the tourism industry. Such reviews helps in analysing the fact that tourist do enjoy their tours and look forward to their visit again. The tourist roles have to be defined so that they can be offered the most compatible service packages; the foremost thing required is to remove any prejudiced view held about any group belonging to ethnic background, race, culture, religion, sex or nationality. Cohen (1979) classified the tourist roles into four categories i.e. the explorer, the individual mass tourist, the drifter and the organised mass tourist. Jafari (2003) emphasised that the better classification of tourist roles can be stereotyped by adding behavioural characteristics such as takes photos, visits well-known places, pleasantly purchases souvenirs, tries local food, stays for some time in one location and explores numerous destinations privately. One thing that is evident is that the tourists should be treated on an individual level rather as a group of people sharing some common interests, passion or feelings. Cohen (1979) classified tourists into four broad groups such as recreational type, experimental type, existential type and experiential type. In each mode of tourism, the tourist wants to have some time off from everyday routine so that the energy can be revitalised and the tourist can get time to explore the culture and aesthetic offerings of the other countries that have distinctive norms, values and societies (Chok, Mcbeth & Warren, 2007). Hence, every tourist has to be treated in an entirely different form so that the memories can be cherished forever. Even the tourist roles have to be studied from the negotiated and subjective characteristics rather than rigid and reductionist perspectives that were done by contemporary researchers; the main areas of focus are on the tourist roles, meanings, attitudes and experiences. The recent terminology coined by Jacobsen and Munar (2012) is ‘anti-tourist’ attitude which shows that the tourists want to be viewed in the role of tourist but want to keep a power distance when in this role. The conception of anti-tourist role seems to challenge the tourist’s sense of individuality and identity; the role distance becomes of utmost importance to them as they want to maintain a feeling that each individual has a different experience that can be entirely distinctive from all other players and occupants of the role (Litvin, Goldsmith & Pam, 2008). It can be suggested that each tourist will have a different sense of feeling in varying situations as each one of them has distinctive values, beliefs, preferences, attitudes and behaviours (Yang & Wall, 2009). It is vital to challenge the concept of stereotyping the tourist role on the basis of cultural differences or nationality because sometimes they often lead to misconceptions about tourist groups. For instance, it is believed that Japanese people cannot speak English and the tourist guide has to provide them assistance when communicating among the local residents; it is untrue in many situations as there are many Japanese people who can easily communicate in English. Likewise, there is a belief that Asian people like to eat their food items and don’t prefer to try out the local food items of the destination place; it is a myth as well because there are many people who are looking forward to try out the new food items of the destination place (Selstad, 2012). Hence, the tourist roles should not be confined to the limited set of observations as every tourist has distinctive features and prefers to be treated in accordance to the individual personality possessed by the person. Rethinking the tourist role With the robust growth and development in the field of Internet, the tourist roles have changed to a great extent as the tourists have become information seekers and proficient in developing their own travelling packages. As they have easy access to the extensive range of details about various destination places, they ensure that they select the places in accordance to their own choices so that they have a marvellous time during their tenure of their tourism experience. The concerned authorities have to ensure that they even make proper use of the advertising mediums so that the right message is communicated to the tourists. One key point that has to be given adequate attention is that the tourists should be treated as individual beings and they should be presented many alternatives so that they can have a sensational travelling experience. These tourists are confined to particular areas and they are made to visit them by the guides. These social establishments stage the role of tourists to visit only particular areas such as schools, church, museums and other such places (MacCannell, 1976). The tourism industries have to ensure that they offer the most astonishing experience to the visitors and offer them unlimited opportunities for carrying out their activities within the ethical boundaries of the country in accordance to the Law. Conclusion In conclusion, the stereotypes have a significant impact on the tourist role and should be discouraged to allow tourists to be understood as individuals rather than as a homogenous lot whose roles can only be defined by their cultural or national backgrounds. From the studies of a wide array of theorists and researchers, it is evident that the tourist roles cannot be stereotyped as the tourists prefer to be treated as distinguished individuals and they avoid being viewed as aliens or strangers in the destination places. References Bell, Claudia , Lyall, J. (2002). 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