290228 VO Ringvorlesung: Ethnotourismus - Interkulturelle Begegnung auf Augenhöhe? (2009W)

Ethnic tourism is a specific form of tourism that leads tourists to exotic and "authentic" cultures (be it the Himba in Namibia, the Akha in Thailand or the Rapa Nui of the Easter Islands) and spotlights the local inhabitants as objects of curious interest. In the process, the visited are represented as exotic as possible, to fulfill the expectations of the visitors. This phenomenon goes back to the age of journeys of explorations where rumours about "noble savages and barbarians" spread through travel accounts, pictures and later photography.
Today, ethnic tourism can be understood as a contradicting phenomenon: Ethnic tourism creates sources of income but also dependencies, it facilitates participation and self representation but also marginalization and blurred images. The lecture series is based on secondary literature as well as case studies from Latin America, Africa, Southeast Asia and Europe. It offers an analysis on the complex relationships between travellers, locals and the tourism industry. Points of discussion are the participation of the locals, marketing, the construction of secluded "tourist areas" and the socio-cultural and socio-economic impacts. Sometimes, even among scientists, the line between being an scientific explorer and being a tourist, is a thin one.