Matkailu ja alkuperäiskulttuurien esittäminen

Esimerkkinä ovahimbat Namibian matkailumainonnassa

Abstrakti

Since 1990s alternative modes of tourism have
become important and visible in Western tourism
markets, and nowadays there is a growing interest
in ethnic and indigenous tourism. The utilization of
indigenous people and other cultural minorities
raises questions of how they are used in tourism
products, practices and how they are depicted in
place promotion. This article focuses on the latter
issue by analysing the representations of indigenous
people in tourism promotion in Namibia. Article
reviews the problematic connections between
place promotion, representations and indigenous
tourism and discusses historical representations of
Africa and its people in tourism promotion. The case
study analyses the representations of Ovahimbas,
indigenous group living in northwestern Namibia.
The article argues that the current touristic images
of Ovahimbas and their living environment are
historically linked to colonial depictions and the
colonial era of discovering Africa. Further the article
aims to manifest that the current representations
of Ovahimbas produce and reproduce the colonial
discourses by creating fantasies of modern
explorations and discoveries.