Simply Tourism

 This brief text is based on readings for the course “Cultures of Travelling” within a graduate programme at the Zagreb Faculty of Philosophy and some thirty years of living in Dubrovnik, one of the most throbbing tourist centres in the Adriatic. It could also be said to be based on the inundation of regular reports on success of the Croatian tourist industry in national media.

Jumping to a certain conclusion, one could paraphrase the familiar motto of “the worst thing that can possibly befall a nation is that others write its history” into a saying that is is equally unfavourable that others write your theory.

Cultures of Travelling in a Local Context

“The anthropology of the familiar” of Marc Auge represents certain difficulties in our context as well. If your average citizen is somewhat acquainted with a serious study of tourism theory and of the way of living in Croatia, the fact is that the most valuable lesson of humanities, the one of the transparency of today and its customs, will very soon be confirmed to be accessible but with a lot of student's effort. Probable answers would point to the number of stays, the national sale of course, or institutions such as the Croatian Tourist Board. Seen through this prism, it seems the sole “legitimate” academic subject is history, other and different and far away – not what we are living or experiencing. “Are the facts, institutions, manners of gathering (work, leisure and living) and forms of traffic, typical for the temporal world, a valid subject of anthropological observation?”

The academic community undoubtedly shares its part of guilt. It could be claimed in the case that the mountain shall not come to Mohammed and that a step forward from theory into practice is required. However, it is also true humanities in all fields, by nature of things, lag behind the state of things: they describe what they find, post festum, while they are rarely current. “Anthropology has not surfeited on the exotic... but the very contemporary world attracts the anthropological gaze with its fast metamorphoses, i.e. a new methodical analysis of the category of the other.”

So, having established that our life, of today, contemporary, is worth thinking about, it is with sadness I must further suggest it is, seen as such, insufficiently given thought in Croatian circumstances. Our problem, a problem of our life in postmodernism, partly hinges on abundance, but this abundance is modelled by already tried (and unsuccessful) methods. How can one otherwise explain that The Tourist Gaze, some ten, or already twenty years ago, claimed Dubrovnik had physical limits to the extension of the “collective” gaze, while national TV reports on jams and regulation of pedestrian traffic at Pile with exultation? The same paradox is equally visible in the latest fad present in Croatia: this must be rural tourism.

The Sale of the Coast: Non-Places

Non-places are created as neuralgic points of “super-modernity”; locations such as intersections and highways or airports need not create a sense of alienation or speed: fascination with them is visible too, so the airport also became a scene for a recent theatre show in Zagreb.

Be that as it is, one of characteristics of non-places is that people do not dwell in them, not in the meaning of permanent residence. In the context of tourism, apart from the customary scale of traveller-tourist-excursionist (and post-tourist), the category of settler is visible as well (for example, the English in France or Spain, where they were all but granted the status of minority), or – in Croatian circumstances – owners of holiday homes. It is undoubtedly the chaotic social context that is the cause behind lesser numbers of permanent “guests”.

The point where non-places and tourism join are numerous Istrian and Dalmatian towns and villages where many of real estate are sold out, while the clamour of the street is replaced by eerie quiet, especially during winter. Examples include Vrsar or Dubrovnik. Not even casual strollers by have many reasons to be in coastal non-places – if they are not actively discouraged too (e.g. beaches). Dubrovnik, on the other hand, is a place of a certain paradox of intensive gaze during July and August, or during the visits of cruisers, only to fall back to the emptiness full of supply because of which locals now have no reason to go to Old Town, only worsened by the fact that the administrative hub migrated to the intersection of Lapad and Gruž.

World architecture trends feature a noticeable movement against postmodern architecture, spearheaded by Prince Charles in the UK. I would like to avoid discussion of style here, and focus on one of the principles of the “New Urbansim” - a move away from/against zoning. And it is zoning that is exactly achieved by exclusive tourist purpose of constructions. The “Sunny Gardens” of Dubrovnik are far from locals (and too expensive for them). This is exactly why the advice of those architects that champion the community should be heeded, i.e. mixing of zones. One should also bear in mind the end of the investment cycle (cf. below), i.e. possible end of the tourist facilities and likewise their reconstruction into town blocks.

Changes in the Structure of Work and Living

Workforce is nowadays “managed”. The keyword is flexibility, while T. Atkinson has determined four types of flexibility of labour: numerical, functional, distancing (in the sense of outsourcing) and pay flexibility. It was also established such flexibility entails gender structuring. Moreover, service delivery belongs to the non-measurable area, the product being but a fraction of what is purchased, while the larger share is worker's personality. “The consequence of this is that, in certain circumstances, employee's speech, appearance and personality may be regarded as rightful areas of intervention and control by the management.”

Translated into the everyday, this would mean locals along the coast work, say, in two shifts during summer, while they are unemployed in winter, and yet they have to stage a performative satisfaction and happiness, even though “it is often as little as 20-60 per cent of the price that stays in the host country... One should also ask the following: development for whom? Many objects that are the result of tourism (airports, golf courses, luxury hotels etc.) will be of little benefit to the locals... Finally, many workplaces connected to tourism-related services create low-qualified jobs and can reproduce the servile character...”

In this context, and the context of non-existent public debates, we should also view, e.g., the proposed development of Dubrovnik and Croatia. The data from the Croatian Labour Institute point to the seasonal character of the larger share of employment already being a structural part of our economy.

One must also emphasize the issue of the methodology for measuring tourist consumption. The state-run news regularly feature exact numerical information on guests' consumption, while theory teaches the methodology to be questionable (it is unclear how the funds are further channelled), as well as that most studies point out about half the money stays in the community. Of course, it is not equally distributed – one of the factors that exacerbate the situation.

The Clash of Cultures

"Many features of postmodernism are largely visible in present tourist practices.” According to this explanation, tourism, and everybody is a tourist today, like it or not, represents our fast age well. This is the times of de-differentiation, in which both horizontal and vertical differentiation collapse. In other words, structure of the work sphere established by modernism (differentiation), its separation from the leisure sphere, collapsed. As I already described in the chapter dealing with labour, the employees of today “must have fun at work too.”

One of key spheres where differences collapsed (de-differentiation) is mixing between cultures. We have always been exposed to this in the Adriatic, but especially after mass tourism developed. “But, as all tourist know, the inescapable fact of tourism is that you always bring yourself along... Few of us opt for local characteristics and exchange the attributes of own culture and domain for the native. Instead, we retreat into own routines and habitual laws of life.”

(Maria Todorova in "Imagining the Balkans" convincingly exposes the Orient, and equally the Balkans, to be the Other for the West, its alter ego. The West have also stubbornly, historically, interpreted the Other pursuant to own categories, the Irish in case of Macedonia or the poor classes for example, speaking thus equally of itself as well as of others. This is one of rare books that features a “defence” of the Balkans: “But your brigands have often been to university and rob in order to obtain luxuries, using lies and false promises. You had all the advantages of education and civilisation for a number of years, and you do this. But you call us savages for shooting people.”

Croatians have the West as their Utopia, and the East as its inversion. However, I am more interested here in seeing one's own country as the Other. During the 20^th century, Croatians have, on several occasions, repudiated own history. This happened as recently as the 90s war, by obliterating all, even positive, aspects of socialism. Indeed, Todorova aptly uses the English word "graft" when describing the layers present in the Balkans, which is almost reserved for plant saplings. )

But, let's analyse a more concrete example – the contact between Swedish settlers and locals at Tenerife: "Locals were impressed by Swedish technology and education but thought the visitors morally depraved; Swedes talked of generosity and openness of locals but considered them backward and superstitious... Neither old nor new tourism do not increase contacts between locals and visitors.”

I would like to propose the above, especially when seen in light of tourism as a paradigm of wider reality, as one of laws of life. Croatia daily experiences the clash between different cultures and it is highly probable we are trying to copy the habits of dominant cultures in the political sphere. “Cultures travel” - right, while speaking as a translator, I may add we no longer try to interpret.

One can also add the comment as to the very shores: “In the Caribbean... and most of world tourist regions, beaches are public, but in reality local access is limited.” If so, and if the fact is in the books, going back to the introductory chapter, why are the locals in Dubrovnik surprised?

Possible Worst Case Development Scenario

Many places in the Mediterranean have already gone full investment cycle: following saturation, ecological pollution or simply opening of new “destinations” (not even mentioning that the political climate must be favourable), tourists, but investors as well, retreat. There are many examples for this throughout the Mediterranean.

"The whole industry is based on the permanent requirement of discovery... what is termed “reaching the maturity phase of product life cycle” in trade terminology... Along many Mediterranean costs we find a similar pattern of coastal exploitation. First, there is the beach, perhaps a small village, and a winding coastal road. The initial hotels, restaurants and stores spring up along the road with beach view. Step by step, the settlement becomes denser and the picturesque road turns into a traffic inferno; the old hotels may have sea view, but the perfect view to endless traffic and much noise as well. New hotels must go elsewhere.”

The consequence in many cases is pollution as well. It has been suggested that underdeveloped countries have little choice for an economic cycle but consenting to tourism investments. What we should differentiate by all means is lunging forward into investments that offer short-term economic development (Icelandic scenario) from wise weighing of advantages and drawbacks.

Despite the mantra that Croatia is rich in water, on account of poor infrastructure Dubrovnik regularly has the issue of fresh water supply, while we have recently almost seen the act on the privatisation of forests and water pass. The island of Mljet features a well-known graffiti saying “Goodbye, agriculture”. One of the preconditions to wise policy, in any sphere, is playing several cards. Again, in case of Dubrovnik, neither the past nor this state managed to escape uniformity, whether in terms of industry or traffic.

Perhaps we should heed the words of Professor MacCannell: "I am therefore suggesting industrial or plantation version of tourism is short-sighted. Sooner or later, capital created by natural growth tourism shall exceed the capital of promoted, plantation tourism... Full integration of tourism into the local community occurs when the locals discover the advantages and desirability of using the infrastructure first designed for tourists.”

The Tourist Product and the Contemporary

Nostalgia has a special place in tourism, and likewise in consumer society. A large part of the “product” refers to daydreaming, so it is sold using nostalgia as well. The Adriatic still contains Robinsonian venues, but it seems they are increasingly supported by the sphere of tourism so they belong the the “fake back area” as per Goffman. Equally valid are Benjamin's comments on the decrease of the aura of locations. Many tourists nowadays first see Dubrovnik before they arrive, while the quality of supply and the crowds further contribute to the anti-climactic experience.

The European Grand Tour switched from education purposes (with the emphasis on discourse) to the sphere of the visual. The discovery of photography and reproduction only cemented this emphasis. Today, most historical contents, which are exceptionally vigorous in Dubrovnik, are more and more offered through the visual. The Museums of Dubrovnik slowly but surely follow the numbers and the de-differentiation of world museums, while a 3D museum has recently opened. However, I should stress the visual offers a certain shallowness, i.e. “artefactual” history, devoid of the horror and relations that true history exposes.

Dubrovnik has still not become part of the “society of spectacle”. Naturally, the interaction with the world is unavoidable, so town walls are today guarded by costumed students. Occasionally, a Renaissance-Baroque couple stroll down Stradun or guards accompanied by drums. But the characteristics are still a far cry from England, where costumes are worn by everybody, throughout the year. This even caused caustic comments that the whole of England should be preserved, while this park would be accessed directly from Heathrow. However, as time goes by, we must ask ourselves how to avoid or how to compete with the “real fakes” of theme parks in the West.

In terms of the cultural, to be equally applied to the fate of the Dubrovnik Summer Festival, there are no simple solutions. That is, true cultural consumption equals about 5% of the market. The most frequent consumers are young, educated women. Most people will never travel for culture alone. It has even been established adverse weather will boost cultural spending. On the other hand, the need to develop new tourist products is increasingly being felt. Mental tear and wear, according to Löfgren, is also one of exceptionally important factors in tourism.

It is questionable whether this is possible, outside the so-called marketing niches. Large international companies have overtaken our tourism too, and one of salient features of Mediterranean tourism is its high standardization. Ranging from the village “fiesta” to the standard bar stool, the Mediterranean uses the same, identical elements.

It could also be said both the locals and the tourists are equally superficial – one of intellectuals' historical complaints: “A week in the Mediterranean should primarily be available at reasonable prices, which presupposes mass travel. Secondly, it must deliver certain basic elements: sun, sea, sand and possibly some local colour... When some tourists accuse other tourists of not being good enough tourists, of not being open enough, not interested in adventure and new challenges, they actually go back to the normative ideal developed during the Grand Tour and later.” The complaint of locals, that they would “rather the tourist mail the money and not show up,” is known. “The structure of the weekly invasion and exodus also produces bad service and indifference to visitors.”

Conclusion

One could argue this brief text opens more issues than answers them at all. This is precisely the task of thinking: the rest is policy planning.

But, there is a practical precondition. In the film “Sicko” by Michael Moore, there is the following utterance: “The true revolution is not socialism but democracy. The idea one should serve the community. If the poor ever get truly represented, this will be revolution.” For the time being, the awareness of collective interest is non-existent in Croatia. Among all the issues piled up, it is almost certain the destiny of tourism is uncertain.

But one thing is sure. Knowledge of theory is the unquestionable condition for reaching policy. Theory is equally valuable as the skill of bridge building. Of course, if we do not want it see go down one day.