Galleries / The People

The good, the bad, and the beautiful of cultural tourism

One might remember as a child the inspirational yellow volumes of National Geographic dropping onto your doormat every month; a catalogue of dreams. The articles and photojournalism in the magazine documented tribal cultures from the mountains of Afghanistan to the alleyways of Zanzibar. For millions of children growing up in suburbia, those magazines were an introduction to the diversity of human life and culture on the planet, and remain so today.

Being able to witness the exoticism and beauty of other cultures will always be a privilege. Encounters with the Hadza in Tanzania, the Kara of the Omo Valley or the pastoralist Himba on the rugged borderlands between Namibia and Angola are among the most profound experiences one can have.

But will cultural tourism one day end up killing the thing it loves?

In some remote Himba areas, the way of life continues much as it has done for centuries, with the community wearing skins and beautifying themselves with cosmetics made of Commiphora sap, animal fat and ochre. Sadly however, in many places, the adults now only change into their traditional outfits at the sound of a tourist car approaching. A stall of wares is set out to guilt-trip visitors into buying something. Encounters like these do not foster cultural understanding.

Some communities, like the Maasai, have done extremely well out of tourism, establishing themselves as a recognizable brand. But much of what is passed off to tourists as traditional Maasai ceremonies are often tacky and inauthentic. Will our appetite for authentic experiences end up endangering the last unspoiled corners, as visitors buy their way into the places where the cultural practices still perpetuate the identity of the community.

The truth is that visitors, however curious they are, have no ‘entitlement’ to witness other cultures. It must always be seen as a privilege. Perhaps that’s where those old National Geographics were a little misleading. Not everyone’s grateful for the attention. Sometimes, where a culture remains intact, it will discomfort the visitor. In the Omo valley, some taboos and superstitions surrounding babies born out wedlock, twins, and children unlucky enough to have their teeth appear in the wrong order, will strike any visitor as unbelievable and cruel.

It’s not over yet. Where it’s possible to do it properly, we still believe we can facilitate authentic encounters between our guests and those living more traditional ways of life in Africa. But these days, there’s not much that’s left that’s real.

We certainly wouldn’t advise anyone NOT to do cultural tourism; we just advise them to do it intelligently, sensitively, respectfully and with a team who understand the challenges. Sometimes a gift or token is appropriate, sometimes destructive. Sometimes it is the right moment to snap one of those marvellous National Geographic covers and sometimes it is the right moment to put the camera away…

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