Tourism and identity: Lessening the old certainties

There is a growing tendency towards the movement of a large section of the population from one part of the world to another. This is commonly called “globalization” which leads to the shifting of identities and national borders and the creation of multi-culturalism. However, there is a resistance to this trend, one that tries to consolidate the old certainties through a negative discourse.

Any change will bring with it uncertainties and confusion for a while until things get back to normal around some new equilibrium. The important point is the stand from which a position is formulated regarding these changes. Is it one of negative reactions or is it one of positive spirit and hope?

In the developing countries, the hold of religion and nationalism is so strong that they consider a lessening of their identities is a direct challenge to their existence and survival. However, this is not only true of them but also of the reactionary forces in the developed countries; ones that view immigration on the present scale as heralding the end of their identity and culture.

The world is getting smaller. Nations and cultures are getting mixed in an unprecedented fashion. The way forward is to lessen the old certainties and to consider concepts such as “identity” not as a given but something evolving. It will start confused and shaky but it will develop and grow with less rejection of ‘the other’ and more openness to different ways of looking at life.

Tourism could play a role in the lessening of such certainties. It has been said that Europe did not see that there are other religions and moral codes until the sixteenth century, when it expanded world wide. It then started to change its mind about lots of its ideas. In our time, the movement against Euro-Centralism after the colonial period can be seen as another turning point in the history of Europe. Multi-culturalism was the end result and it is now being enjoyed by millions across Europe and North America. However, despite the increase in tourism globally, there is a limited benefit for the idea of lessening identities. This is due to the reactive forces that try in vain to hold on to the old world and don’t want to recognise the new facts or the changes of ideas. You see this in the reluctance of tourists to engage with the host countries and their people or the scant attention they pay to local cultures and ways of life. Let us hope that the situation will change for the better.

Finally, since the last issue, we stopped distributing the magazine through the shops and limited it to subscribers and tourism exhibitions and events. You can always read the magazine, free of charge, on our website (www.islamictourism.com). The website is also rich in tourism news and reports. We hope that you will enjoy logging on to it.

Dr. Abdul-Rahim Hassan
Editor-in-Chief