Conclusion
Tourism at its best promotes communication and understanding between cultures. At its worst, it is simple voyeurism. Unfortunately, it seems that the latter is most common in Tibet at present.
People have been attracted to Tibet's mystique for centuries. The difference today is that Tibet's ancient traditions are being commercially packaged up and sold by the occupying Chinese regime. The Tibetan people no longer have control of their own borders and are not consulted, at least not in any meaningful way, about the 'development' of their towns and cities or the transformation of their sacred pilgrimage sites into tourist attractions.
Consequently, many of China's developments in Tibet impact negatively on the local people, the environment, the physical sites and on traditional religious and cultural practices. Pilgrims are finding themselves squeezed out, sometimes literally, as hundreds and thousands of visitors descend on what were once remote and peaceful sites. The developers build facilities to enhance the tourist experience – some of which actually prevent traditional pilgrimage practices - and the advertisers encourage yet more tourists to come, thereby fuelling the demand for even further development.
Much of the marketing focusses on those aspects of Tibetan culture which have always intrigued outsiders. So, rather than being evenly spread across the country and/or the calendar, tourists converge in huge numbers on certain festivals and sites, most often pilgrimage sites. This places immense pressure on the environment and host communities. China's marketing of Tibet also presents a Disneyfied image of Tibetan culture which is designed to support China’s political position. While adverts extol the beauty of Tibet's landscape, the people are often presented as backwards, clinging to old-fashioned beliefs and practices, refusing to embrace the benefits of Chinese society. China may hope that the increasing number of Chinese people visiting Tibet, together with all the newly built roads, hotels, restaurants and shops, will eventually win over the Tibetan people and they will come to appreciate the 'advantages' of Chinese culture. However, if this is part of China's plan then it is proving counter-productive as the propaganda filled marketing of Tibet is encouraging tourism of a kind which generates cultural tension rather than cohesion. It can also be distressing for Tibetans to watch China encouraging Chinese tourists to travel to areas of Tibet that they are often hindered or even prohibited from visiting.
Although there are rare expressions of empathy from Chinese visitors to Tibet, the images in this report show that intrusive and disrespectful behaviour is widespread, from tour groups and “Tibet Drifters” alike. In their rush to maximise tourist income, the Chinese authorities have brushed aside the right to privacy for many Tibetans. As the photographs within this report illustrate, it seems that the Tibetan people are sometimes viewed by Chinese tourists as little more than exhibits, much like zoo animals, there to be photographed regardless of whether they want to be or not. They are sometimes photographed at very close range, even during religious activities. Their privacy and dignity are violated as they are left at the mercy of visitors’ camera lenses.
Many Tibetan people do not even benefit economically from the influx of tourists. As noted in this report, the majority of the jobs created by tourism development go to migrant workers from China. In addition, the numbers of tourists arriving each year require the development of infrastructure and facilities on a scale that normally only foreign or government-backed Chinese companies can finance. The views aired on Tibetan blog sites and social media also suggest that many Chinese tourists prefer Chinese service providers, including tour guides. This leaves Tibetans working in the tourism sector largely dependent on the custom of the much smaller pool of foreign visitors, while most of the income generated from the ever increasing number of Chinese tourists flows back to China.
The online activism of Tibetan netizens gives a voice to the frustration that many Tibetans feel. However, it also provides a channel for cultural resistance to the occupation and even a means for trying to bring about
Culture Clash: Tourism in Tibet | Tibet Watch 2014
-25-
change. As we can see from the example of the train tickets, it is a channel which can be effective and the success that the netizens have enjoyed so far is hopefully only the beginning.
There is also hope in the attitude of Chinese visitors like "December" who can learn to see past the government propaganda and appreciate the humanity of the Tibetan people around them as well as the true value of the culture.