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Essay / Introducing cultural tourism as a means of authenticity in the Bahamas
When it comes to advertising to promote this archipelago comprising 700 islands and cays, the Bahamas is arguably the leading country in the Caribbean in this regard. In these marketing videos, the locations of the different islands are grouped in such a way that they complement each other and give viewers or readers plenty of reasons why they should stop everything and come to the Bahamas. Everything contained in these video ads or articles is strategically placed and written. It is truly a feast for the eyes to watch a Bahamas tourism advertising video. In these advertisements, the most valuable Bahamian assets are exposed to consumers. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay “Sun, Sand and Sea,” This phrase is not just an alliteration, but it names the most remarkable resources that the Bahamas has when it comes to tourism, and our marketing team spares no stone spend to ensure that the phrase "It's better in the Bahamas" has more truth than it actually does. Although all of these expenses are being incurred to promote the Bahamas as the number one tourist vacation spot globally, what we are putting out there in our advertisements is truly not the authentic experience that tourists can have. This can be very problematic because, on the one hand, the tourist does not experience the real Bahamas, but also learns little about who we are as a people and where we come from. One might ask, “Who are the Bahamians?” Or “What does it mean to be Bahamian?” There can be so many different views and answers to these simple questions, but there is no denying that Bahamians are an ethnic group of people who share the same cultural values, passed down for generations. These cultural values are the product of our African ancestors freed from slavery in the early 19th century. So what makes Bahamians so unique? What sets us apart from the rest of the Caribbean islands? Well, the answers to their questions could only be found through personal experiences and encounters with Bahamian natives. Every tourist encounter with a Bahamian is a different experience. Some tourists may choose not to interact as much with the natives unless it is a necessity, while others may want to know everything about who we are and the history of our country. For this reason, modern Bahamian tourism advertisements should incorporate aspects of Bahamian history and place greater emphasis on Bahamian culture. The Bahamas should seek to preserve its cultural heritage, as it can boost tourism in the economy and set us apart from the rest of the Caribbean islands. Every Caribbean island has “sun, sand and sea,” but as marketing administrators, there is still work to be done to sell authentic Bahamas. According to Strachan's insert, Michael Craton writes: "Thousands of miles of sparkling sands, peacock blue seas and a wintry climate have always been potentially the Bahamas' most valuable assets." To the outside world and tourists this may be true due to ignorance and lack of information about the Bahamas. However, as Bahamians, we know that there is much more than sun, sand and sea to us. If that's all the Bahamas has to offer, what will become of the country if other Caribbean islands decide they would like to make tourism their dominant industry and start mass-producing advertisements depicting that same "Sun,Sand and Sea” who we represent can only be found in the Bahamas? What about the phrase or where is the evidence supporting the phrase “It's better in the Bahamas” that tourists can really rely on? To solve this problem, The Bahamas should introduce and focus on cultural tourism as a means for tourists. experience what it means to be a true Bahamian and discover the wonders and historical aspects of Bahamian history. Cultural tourism is a self-explanatory term. It is a type of tourism based on the cultural and historical heritage of a country, attracting tourism as an industry. According to the World Tourism Organization (2008), tourism is a giant internally growing segment that is experiencing such a growth rate that the UNWTO Vision projects international arrivals to reach over 1.56 billion by 2020, while international arrivals were 842 million in 2008. 2006. This equates to an 85% increase in the global tourism sector. In September 2002, Luigi Cabrini, director of the World Tourism Organization, also stated at a meeting in Belgium that "cultural tourism is growing faster than most other tourism segments and at a higher rate than tourism global ". The increasing rate in this area of tourism shows that it is becoming more and more popular and travelers are more and more interested in experiencing different cultures. This aspect of tourism can be integrated into the tourism industry here in the Bahamas. From the rich history of the Lucayans to Christopher Columbus' supposed discovery of the New World, the Bahamas has many historic moments and monuments to share with the world. Cultural tourists, cited by Hughes, are considered "generally well-educated, wealthy, and well-traveled, [and] they generally represent a highly sought-after, high-end type of visitor." Think of the cultural tourist as a business person who has traveled across the world to attend a business meeting. These people know exactly why they came and where they want to go. The likelihood that these people have already researched the background, cultural facts and heritage of the country they will be visiting is more than likely high. According to John Heenan, cultural tourists spend much more than standard tourists. In his studies it was revealed that the tourist who travels with the intention of participating in cultural activities and knowing the heritage of the country spends on average 38% more per day and stays at least 22% longer than the traveler AVERAGE. It was also noted that according to Heenan (2018), cultural travelers take one more trip than the average traveler and are more likely to share their experience with friends and on social media. As the popular saying goes, “Numbers never lie.” Due to this high number of tourists participating in cultural activities, it can be said that cultural tourism can be very successful in the Bahamas because the majority of our tourists come from our neighbors, the United States of America. The American cultural traveler spends 60% more, or about $1,319 per trip, compared to $820 for domestic leisure travelers. Cultural tourism generates increased revenue for heritage sites and, more broadly, for the community and country that host them. This can be an engine of economic growth. According to a 2013 report from Mandala Research, LLC, 76% of all U.S. leisure travelers participate in cultural activities. Take for example Trinidad and Tobago and its carnival. During the carnival season,Hundreds of tourists travel to their islands to experience and participate in their culture, generating millions of dollars for the country. Many celebrities are also posting photos of themselves in their carnival costumes participating in the world's most anticipated carnival event on their social media. This is effective enough marketing because many celebrities are social media influencers and would want thousands of people to follow their advice or try to imitate what they do and post on their social media content. Trinidad and Tobago has shown for many years how culture, seen as a resource, becomes a marketing force in the wake of increasingly difficult economic conditions in the Caribbean region. The marketing and sale of “culture” is increasingly an important part of national and regional tourism strategies. Today, tourism advertising videos fail to authentically show the Bahamas in a way that is authentic to the Bahamian people. He fails to sell Bahamian crude. Take Cindy Taylor's Sandals Royal video for example. The video ad was only aimed at the white masses and showed Bahamian blacks as nothing but servants of white people. This presentation may be partly true, in the hotel tourism sector however, in the advertising there was nothing authentically Bahamian apart from the few short extracts from Junkanoo which Cindy had not even mentioned. Even when it came to the historian telling him a few short sentences of Bahamian history, he noted famous people who were affiliated with or have been to the Bahamas. Many Bahamas tourism videos will feature some aspect of the culture, as they will show a few clips of people parading in Junkanoo costumes. It is very likely that when the world watches these advertising videos and sees clips of Junkanoo, the culture of the Bahamas, they will want to know what it is and how it came about or how it is different from the Trinidad Carnival and -Tobago. Many tourists who come Today, people can be seen traveling to the Bahamas by taxi to get from one place to another. Normally, tourists ask to go to the nearest mall or shopping center so that they can buy some souvenirs to take home as souvenirs. In some cases, the taxi drivers who take these tourists may mention a few brief sentences about certain popular places such as the Atlantis or Bahamar hotels. They can also mention the history of certain places that they may have passed on the way to their destination. This may affect the authenticity of experiences, as the Bahamian dialect is unique to the Bahamas. It is in itself a language, a Creole version of European English. It is important to offer tourists when they come to visit the Bahamas an authentic Bahamian experience because this will only be the experience they remember about the country. After all, tourism alone provides approximately 60% of gross domestic product (GDP) and employs 50% of the Bahamas' workforce. It is therefore important to distinguish the Bahamas from the rest of the Caribbean. Therefore, cultural tourism should introduce the world to what is authentically Bahamian. In this way, tourism advertising videos will begin to incorporate more cultural values and history to attract an even wider audience by introducing cultural tourism. In doing so, the notion of authenticity in advertisements would not pose a problem in describing tourist experiences. Keep in mind: this is just a sample./40655198