Cultural Impacts Of Tourism In Mumbai

What is culture? Lederach (1995) defines culture as “the shared knowledge and schemes created by a set of people for perceiving, interpreting, expressing, and responding to the social realities around them.” When we think of culture, commonly we think traditions, food, language, clothes, religion and behavior. These traits can change over time if and when a particular place adapts or incorporates the culture of another. This can either have a positive or negative effect on the culture of that place.

Mumbai is located on the Salsette Island which lies at the mouth of Ulhas River off the western coast of Maharashtra India in the coastal region known as the Konkan. Mumbai is classified as a metropolis of India, under the jurisdiction of the Brihan Mumbai Municipal Corporation. It consists of two distinct regions, the Mumbai City District and Mumbai Suburban District. The city region is also commonly referred to as the Island City by most media publications.

There are many kinds of dishes that are native to the state of Maharashtra. Many of which are available in roadside fast food. Other popular cuisines include Lebanese, Korean, Thai, Italian, Mexican and Chinese. Mumbai is one of the most liberal cities in India, embracing concepts that would be considered taboo in other parts of the country. Mumbai’s culture has been heavily influenced by western culture which gives many tourists familiarity. Some could argue that Mumbai has already lost a lot of its culture to cosmopolitan culture.

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Climate in Mumbai is warm and humid. There are four seasons the city experiences. During the months of December to February, cool weather exists from December to February and hot weather from March to May. The monsoon season lasts from June to September and is followed by the post-monsoon season, which lasts through October and November, when the weather is again hot. Monthly temperatures vary from 91 degrees in May to 67 degrees Fahrenheit in January. Annual rainfall is about 70 inches with an average of 24 occurring in July alone.

Before tourism development, Mumbai (formerly Bombay) was originally a group of seven islands on the Konkan coastline, occupied by Koli fishermen. It wasn’t until Sultan Muhamed Begada took over the islands, where Mumbai was colonized by the Hindus. A Portuguese traveler named Vasco da Gama was the first person to explore the route to Mumbai which led to the discovery of the islands and the attack by the Portuguese to capture the islands in 1534.

The Portuguese built a parish, several forts and churches, but realized there was no value in them. In 1661, Catherine of Braganza, sister of the Portuguese King, offered these islands as a gift to Charles II of England. Having no use for the islands, Charles II leased them to the British East India Company in 1661. This was the beginning of British rule. This trading company built docks, trading posts, and forts because of its strategic location.

Mumbai developed into an important trading post. Governer Gerald Aungier persuaded businessmen from all over the country to come and settle in Mumbai. Mumbai developed into a major commercial center. In the 18th century, population increased significantly and by the 19th century there was construction of buildings, monuments, railway stations, offices, banks. With the introduction of the Great Indian Peninsular Railways, the city received an improved means of transportation.

After India’s independence from British rule in 1947, India was restructured into Bombay state. In 1960 when, Maharashtra state came to existence, Bombay, now Mumbai became the capital.

There are positive effects tourism can have on a destination. One example would be the host communities’ residents sharing their culture in addition to those visiting the communities. Other benefits may include the host may include community pride, tolerance and a stronger sense of ethnic identity (Velachis, 2010). The other positive effects of tourism are the cultural exchange, the resurgence of local traditions, and an enhanced image for the community.

The perception of India to westerners is of an exotic destination. Then there negative images still associated with it such as poverty, poor health, sanitation, and inferior infrastructure (Jafari, 2000). Tourism in Mumbai would have a positive effect on the community as it would break the stereotypical perception of India. Mumbai is the definition of urban India. It can be said that Mumbai the New York of India, as it is the city that never sleeps with its residents leading a fast-paced life and high rise structures.

The involvement of the local communities is an important factor for visitor satisfaction. The hosts for tourism are the local community and they participate directly in the tourism experience, helping to define the sense of place and atmosphere of regions (Arzeni, 2009). The support of the local community is essential in developing cultural experiences for tourists. Ever since the success of the film, Slumdog Millionaire, slum tourism has been a growing attraction in India. The Dharavi slum, located in Mumbai, is the largest slum in Asia. This Slumdog setting is what grew people’s curiosity. Slum tourism can have a positive impact by introducing the positive side of the slums and dispelling the negative. Besides the obvious economic benefits it brings, it can give tourists some insight to their lives and create awareness of the situation. Despite the poverty and its bleak appearance, the people living in these slums are hard working with a strong spirit and sense of community (Ward, 2010). It can change the preconceived notion they may have had about these slums.

It can be seen as a positive that there is a combination of Mumbai culture as well as Western culture. Many locals in Mumbai celebrate both these culture. Many festivals held in Mumbai allow tourists to have a look into the Mumbai culture because they are able to celebrate along with the locals while at the same time interacting with them. This mutual relation encourages a cross-cultural communication that can support understanding between the host and guests (Valachis, 2009). Residents alike are educated about the world outside without leaving their homes, while visitors learn considerably about a unique culture.

Another positive outcome that tourism brings is to Mumbai’s economy. The entire country of India is dependent on tourism, as tourism is its largest service industry. Tourism in Mumbai has served as a tool for income and employment generation, lessoning poverty and sustainable human development. It contributes 6.23% to the national GDP and 8.78% of the total employment in India (Tourism Statistics, 2008). Business tourism is quickly growing and according to the World Travel and Tourism Council, an international tourism trade organization, Indian business tourism will contribute over $14.2 billion to the economy in 2011. Not only does this benefit the economy, it will allow business traveler a glimpse of Mumbai’s culture and give the opportunity to explore diverse activities in juxtaposition to their business agendas.

The common impacts in the destination occur from the tourist activities. These impacts include the revitalization or commoditization, the commercialization of traditional cultures, the loss of cultural authenticity, the destruction of the heritage and historical sites by the swarming of tourists.

It can be argued that one of the strongest signs of such impacts is the loss of native language as a result of an invasion of tourist languages (Velachis, 2009). The official language of the city of Mumbai is Marathi with only 42% of the population who are fluent. Other than Hindi being one of the major languages in Mumbai, English in prevalent. As business tourism in India increases, English is widely spoken in commercial communication and the professional workforce (Fulton, 2009). With the major languages of Hindi and English, Bombay Hindi was developed, a pidgin that is widely spoken in Mumbai incorporating Marathi, Hindi and English. The changes in language, has been associated in addition to changes in attitudes and behavior.

Other harmful impacts tourism can create are to its attractions. The central aspect as to why people travel. The Girgaum Chowpatty is one of the most famous public beaches and one of the oldest beaches in Mumbai. With the many hotels nearby, Chowpatty draws a great number of tourists. Residents of Babulnath which faces Chowpatty, fear that the heritage, sanctity and aesthetics of the area will be flawed (Thanawala, 2006). Another attraction that is in danger is the Elephanta Caves, which was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Elephanta’s close proximity to Mumbai and international reputation as a masterpiece has come at an unsustainable level of tourism (Mink, 2009). There has been little effort at preserving the statues and poor crowd control conducted by the authorities. As a result, the already damaged sculptures are in danger of further degradation.

According to Mathieson and Wall (1982), one of the major impacts on culture destination is the conversion of the material and non-material structures of local culture, which are called revitalization or commoditization. The Mumbai Tourism Development Corporation has created numerous amounts of festivals specifically to promote tourism in the city. A number of cultural activities including, dance and music recitals are held during these festivities in order for tourists to be able to observe the culture of Mumbai. Tourism can turn local cultures into commodities when religious rituals, traditional ethnic rites and festivals are reduced and to match to tourist expectations.

When tourists acquire a vacation as a package, they also purchase culture as a package. Despite how ancient or composite the destination culture is, it is lessoned to a few recognizable distinctiveness. Examples such as arts and crafts, dance, music, buildings and festivals or ceremonies are promoted as a commodity (Mathieson and Wall, 1982). The Elephanta Festival in Mumbai is a cultural festival created to honor and commemorate Indian dance, sculpture and art. It is a major attraction for locals as well as the neighboring city. What is suppose to a be tribute to classical performers and an initiative to popularize Indian classical dance and heritage art form found its main purpose in trying to promote tourism in the state, as it was organized by the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation.

Another negative impact that tourism creates in the culture of a destination is that the put the desires and interest of the tourist without regard to the locals who may have had families and friends that were killed. This was another way for the city to make profit. A tragic event occurred on November 26, 2008 when the terrorist attacks destroyed monuments and injured and killed hundreds of people. This event struck a new found “terror tourism.” (Shatterjee, 2008). Travelers congregate to the monuments of the Taj hotel, Gateway of India, Cama hospital and Nariman house, which were under terror attacks. Visible bullet marks on walls, windows and roofs, damaged regions and reinstated structures. There has been an increase of local tourists and foreign travelers to Mumbai because of this terror tourism. There are even tour guides and agencies that will give detailed descriptions on the events and show the various places that were under the siege.

Although this terror tourism brought the in a set of tourist, it can’t be denied the impact it had on India’s tourism industry. Not only did the attack affect leisure travel to Mumbai, it rippled through the entire country with cancellations of hotel bookings. Business travel has also affected the business tourism as many companies have asked employees to restrict travel to India. The wake of this attack has undoubtedly impacted this destination negatively.

While retaining the traditional image of cultural tourism in India, diversification of the tourism product would continue, mainly in the fields of leisure, adventure and convention, thus responding to the changing consumer needs (Menon, 1993). Mumbai blends old traditions with new and modern culture. Mumbai is known as the business and entertainment capital and known for the exciting nightlife one can experience, but not for the historic monuments. Little effort was made in preserving the few monuments they already had. If tourists were looking for the old India, it would deter tourists to visit other parts of India, which could hurt the image of Mumbai for being too commercialized. Mumbai is at the point of standardization. This means the process of fulfilling tourists desires (Arzeni, 2009). The landscape, accommodation, food and drinks, etc., must meet the tourists’ desire for the new and unfamiliar, they must at the same time not be too new or odd because very little tourists actually want to see completely new things.

Aurangabad, another city in the state of Maharashtra was named the Tourism capital of Maharashtra. Like many other cities in Maharashtra, it is part of the urban sprawl that includes, Mumbai, Pune, Nashik and Nagpur. Unlike Mumbai which has few historic sites, Aurangabad has is tourist hub surrounded by many historical monuments and caves some of which are UNESCO heritage sites. This could create competition for Mumbai who is constantly finding ways to boost tourism in the city. Recently, Mumbai has introduced ‘fort tourism’ (Buch, 2011). These forts will be able to attract more tourists, but have been poorly preserved and rather than being restored have been tampered with. Tourists want to be introduced to new culture. The culture of Aurangabad is still very much intact, contrast Mumbai who culture is deeply blended with western culture.

The city of Mumbai has done a poor job at trying to preserve the few monuments they already have. These monuments are a part of their heritage, but they make it seem they no longer have any pride in their own culture. This could also be said about the food in Mumbai. As mentioned earlier, Mumbai offers cuisines from all over the world, with Chinese being most prevalent. According to the Travel Industry Association of America and the National Restaurant Association (2008), food is central to deciding vacation destinations for at least 25% of leisure travelers. Mumbai has not made any effort to promote their food, which is an aspect of their culture.

The state of Kerala, located in southwestern India could also create competition. Tourist looking for sun, sea, and sand can find it in this state. Kerala was named by National Geographic Traveler as one of the Ten Paradises of the World. Mumbai does offer sun, sea and sand from its famous Juhu Beach and Chowpatty. Unfortunately, because of the severely polluted water, it is advised not to swim. Other than being a paradise, what makes Kerala unique is its ecotourism incentives, which it is well known for. Eco-friendly places can be a deciding factor as to why people would choose one place over another. Mumbai has become the new pollution capital with the rapid population growth and increase in number of automobiles. What may make Kerala more desirable is its unique culture, as it managed to remain organic and rich in its heritage.

In many destinations, the ‘cultural industries’ have been recognized as having an important relationship with tourism. As tourism gradually shifts away from its prior attraction of landscapes and natural resources, tourists are becoming more interested with the symbolic and sensory consumption of images and ideas associated with particular destinations (Arzeni, 2009). An example would be Bollywood, or the Hindi cinema. It has become a major part of Mumbai culture. Like Hollywood is associated with L.A., Bollywood is associated with Mumbai. Mumbai is the largest film producer of Hindi film. Tour companies now offer Bollywood tour packages, which offer tours around Film City and in the studios, as well as the residents of Bollywood actors. It is not a historic site, nor is it monumental, but it is one of the most popular attractions in Mumbai.

People want to go to destinations that are linked with particular famous people, events, and they want to experience the sights and sounds. (Arzeni, 2009). Though not traditionally part of Indian culture and not found in other parts of India, Mumbai is known for its vibrant nightlife. A typical night out would be exploring one of the many bars and clubs the city has to offer. This is just another example of how a host community fulfilled the tourist desire of familiar facilities. The fact that tourists just want a quick glance of the local atmosphere, a brief look at local life, and no awareness or even interest creates a loss in authenticity which means adapting to the taste to the tourists needs and not taking the time to truly understand the locals and their culture.

Culture has been defined in a number of ways, but to simply put it, it is the learned and shared behavior of a community of interacting human beings. When tourists arrive to a destination, they bring their culture which is then learned and shared by the host communities. Though there is no doubt that culture and tourism are related, it can strengthen the attractiveness and competitiveness of a place and the same time hurt it. Mumbai is continually finding ways to promote tourism to their city although they have already established themselves as a popular tourist destination for both leisure and business travelers. What started out as seven islands occupied by Koli fisherman, has developed into the one of the largest and richest metropolitans in the world. Tourism is one of the largest and fastest growing global tourism markets and countries that are dependent upon it will find ways to attract tourists, even if it means altering their culture to fit the needs of the tourist. We see how negatively tourism can affect the culture of one’s community, but it also has its positive aspect. Interaction with the local community can change their perception about the place they had before, dispel any negative stereotypes and are able to learn something about another culture.