Sustainable cultural tourism: a strategic tool for generating income in local communities
Societies around the world have diverse cultures that give residents a sense of place and belonging. The colorful and splendid displays of cultural and artistic practices that are passed down from one generation to the next have been a unique binding material that unites members of society. Many residents take pride in the traditional practices passed down to them by their proud ancestors. Community elders, especially from local regions, strive to honor their ancestors by ensuring that these important practices and iconic events are observed and commemorated.
Some societies have extravagant cultural festivals that they celebrate annually or once every two years to remember the archetypal roles their great predecessors played in the development of their societies. Some of these cultural festivals are held to enlighten and teach the younger generation the courage and selflessness of their ancestors to ensure the progress of the society. For example, the ethnic Asante society of Ghana celebrates special festivals known as Akwasidae to remember the great achievements of their past Asantehenes (Kings of the Asante Kingdom). Similarly, the Kumawu people in the Ashanti region of Ghana celebrate the Papa Nantwi (Great Cow) festival to identify the brave and warlike people in society who can be trusted in times of war. These cultural festivals can be well planned to generate income for the local host communities.
Many tourists are fascinated by these festivals and cultural practices and as such patronize their commemoration. Also, many residents of a country who do not come from a particular area may want to know more about the culture of the ethnic societies in those parts of the country. Therefore, organizers can produce cultural celebration paraphernalia in the form of T-shirts, brochures, pens, hats, and other items that help attendees immerse themselves in the occasion while generating income for the host communities.
In addition, many societies have interesting cultural infrastructures that can also become tourist sites to generate income for communities. This includes sacred forests specially demarcated by the ancestors of particular societies as an area whose biodiversity resources are not to be exploited. It may be the land where your ancestors died and as such is declared sacred. Such is the case at the Bomfobiri Wildlife Sanctuary in Kumawu, in the Ashanti region of Ghana, which is believed to be the place where most of their early ancestors died from a plague attacked by the deity Dente. as a result of his lack of hospitality. Rites are held annually in the area to remember them and teach the younger generations the essence of hospitality. These sacred groves and forests are potential tourist sites for the communities. Recreational activities that serve as a secondary attraction could be combined with the celebration to make it worth remembering.
Of course, businesses in local communities increase their sales during the commemoration of cultural events and this bodes well for local economies. Food vendors, commercial vehicle drivers, restaurants and hotels, and other providers of goods and services maximize their profits by strengthening the economic capital of these communities. Palaces and birthplaces of great kings, battlefields of ancestors, and other significant cultural sites can become tourist sites to generate income.
In fact, many communities around the world have well-sustained cultural traditions and infrastructures that have not been fully explored but are strategic tools for raising their economies. The traditional council or government team of these communities should link up with development partners such as their government’s tourism ministry, non-governmental organizations and private companies to enhance these cultural heritage sites as income-generating tourism sites. This step can lead to poverty alleviation in the many local communities worldwide that, despite being culturally rich, are economically poor.
