Abstract
Framed within contemporary debates about the implications of cultural heritage tourism for rural ethnic minority populations, this paper explores the case study of cultural heritage tourism in Bayan Ulgii Mongolia, juxtaposing arguments about place and identity with those of economic benefits. Preliminary results suggest that growing attention paid to the Kazakhs as aminority ethnic cultural group in Mongolia, and narratives of their lifeway persistence, increase international acknowledgement that mayfoster greater tourism. However, one of the key outcomes of the production of this heritage landscape is the consumption of ethnic cultural identity narratives by ethnic Kazakh out-migrants who desire to reinscribe “traditional cultural lifeways” in their children’s identities. This thus serves to promote a shared sense of identity amongst a rapidly dispersing population but also challenges the notion of production and consumption as competing, rather than complimentary processes, in emerging rural tourism locations of the Global South.
Highlights
INTRODUCTION & BACKGROUNDToday, cultural tourism seems to be omnipresent, and in the eyes of many it seems to have become omnipotent
Based on several periods of fieldwork in western Mongolia and Ulaanbaatar, I argue that cultural heritage tourism in Bayan Ulgii Mongolia has evolved to serve two audiences and that for these two audiences there are two distinct narratives of culture and consumption
In this article the question is posed as to what role tourism plays in sustaining cultural narratives for ethnic minority populations in Mongolia
Summary
Cultural tourism seems to be omnipresent, and in the eyes of many it seems to have become omnipotent. The commodification process may simplify the narrative of identity associated with a place, highlighting those aspects most highly valued by individuals or groups with the greatest local influence, while potentially overlooking other narratives or perspectives In another example, Worden [25], writing about the Malay people, describes the process by which Balinese music and art became known globally through the selective telling of cultural history. One dimension of tourism to Ireland or to Israel has long been associated with the diaspora of these places, commodifying aspects of identity and place for individuals interested in exploring their own heritage ([1, 10, 7]) Such diaspora tourism has the potential to increase development in Global South countries where tourism infrastructure may not be as developed and which, through the diaspora, more locally-owned businesses are likely to be utilized during the stay [14]. While culturally distinctive places will attract a range of cultural or heritage tourists, the emergence of a flow of tourists from the diaspora may create a different market and potentially influence the narrative of livelihoods portrayed at a particular location
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
