Chapter 3

TOURISM AND CULTURE

LESSON OBJECTIVES:
1. Describe the effects of cultures in travel
2. Clarify how cultural patterns are changed by
internal and external forces
3. Discuss the importance of cultural tourism
4. Analyze the cultural factors which appeal to tourists
5. Explain how each of these cultural factors
contribute to cultural tourism
THE EFFECTS OF CULTURE ON TRAVEL
• Culture can be defined as a “set of beliefs, values, attitudes,
habits, and form of behavior that are shared by a society and
are transmitted from generation to generation.”
• Culture patterns are changed by internal forces.
• “Mass follow class” suggests that a destination first attracts a
small number of high-status individuals whose actions are
eventually copied by a large number of persons with lower
social status.
• Culture patterns are also changed by external forces. Contact
with other environments may change previous attitudes and
behavior. A visit to a foreign country may result in a change in
attitude toward the people of that country.
THE IMPORTANCE OF CULTURAL TOURISM
• Cultural tourism includes all aspects of travel in which people
learn about each other’s way of life. Thus, tourism is an
important means of promoting cultural relations and
international cooperation.

CULTURAL FACTORS WITH TOURIST APPEAL

• In tourism, there are cultural factors that appeal greatly to
tourists. These are art, music and dance, handicraft, industry
and business, agriculture, education, literature and language,
science, government, religion, food and drink, and history.
Art
•The Performing Arts refers to live theater, music, and dance such as the
Pangkat Kawayan (bamboo orchestra) and the rondalla group. The Fine Arts
includes painting, sculpture, graphic arts, and architecture. Amorsolo’s and
Francisco’s paintings and the sculptural works of Michelangelo are examples
of fine arts.
Music and Dance
•Music is a source of enjoyment and satisfaction to tourists. Resort hotels give
enjoyable treats of the best local music. Others offer evening entertainment
programs, concerts, recordings, and sound reproduction systems. Records
and tape recordings also show the culture of a country.
•Dancing, native or ethnic, is one of the most appealing aspects of a country’s
culture and can be presented as a tourist attraction.
•Ethnic music and dancing are a part of the culture of most countries and are
used to entertain tourists. The best place for such entertainment are resort
hotels with added local shows, nightclubs, and community programs.
Handicraft
• Gifts and souvenirs for sale are manufactured in the country where the
purchase is made. The locally-produced articles are useful and attractive
which are then sold in conveniently located shops. A visit to handicraft
shops to avail of the goods made by these craftsmen is an effective form
of tourist entertainment.
Industry and Business
• Industry tours are an effective way of developing an interest in one's
culture and in providing a potential market for the products being made.
• Business or industrial groups conduct tours to become familiar with the
markets and processors in other countries to develop more interest in
their products and to increase sales in their areas.
• Shopping is one of the most important elements in tourism. The success
of a shopping area depends on its cleanliness, attractiveness, variety of
products, as well as the courtesy and efficiency of the personnel.
Agriculture
•Dairy undertakings, fresh fruits and vegetables, crops, and poultry and
livestock are types of farming important to culture. This includes local tours of
agricultural developments and services.
Education
•School campuses are appealing to tourists. Some will conduct adult
education programs within the university’s continuing education service.
These opportunities attract students from all over the world.
Literature and Language
•Books, magazines, newspapers, booklets, pamphlets, and other printed
literary works are significant expressions of the culture of a country. Libraries
are favorite cultural institutions for the tourists.
Science
•Tourist organizations provide facilities for the exchange of scientific
information, scientific installations, and other activities which provide
scientific information to visitors.
Government
•Visits to centers of government, such as capitals, are very motivating to
individuals interested in political science and government.
Religion
•Many people go to the different headquarters of their church organizations
and to places that are well-known in their religious literature.
Food and Drink
•Tourists enjoy native food especially those local or ethnic in nature. The type
of restaurants with conducive atmosphere is particularly appealing to visitors.
History
•The resources of a country reveal its cultural heritage. The preservation of
history, the quality and management of museums are important. Tourists
should be provided with the points of interest, admission fees, hours of
operation, special events, and other information they need to visit historical
attractions.
LESSON SUMMARY:
•Culture is a set of beliefs, values, attitudes, habits, and forms of behavior
that are shared by a society and are transmitted from generation to
generation.
•A knowledge of a country’s culture is important in order to understand how
individuals in that country will behave.
•An understanding of the host culture is also necessary to avoid culture shock
for the tourist.
•Cultural patterns are changed by both internal and external forces.
•Cultural tourism covers all aspects of travel in which people learn about each
other’s way of life. Hence, tourism is a significant means of promoting cultural
relations and international cooperation.
•Within a country, there are cultural factors with tourist appeal. These are art,
music and dance, handicraft, industry and business, agriculture, education,
literature and language, science, government, religion, food and drink, and
history.