In 'McDisneyization'and 'Post-Tourism', Ritzer & Liska (1997) discussed about the new trend of tourism, which focuses on the popularity of brands such as theme parks and fast food chains. In the modern tourism perspective, the goal is to create products and attractions that will keep people within the region. This anchors on the value of organized activities and tourism that people can bank on. This also creates a tourism attraction that is more predictable and manageable to ensure cost and time management for the person. On the other hand, post-modern tourism is a growing global trend wherein people visit offbeat locations that detach them from the public and puts in an unpredictable and unmanageable situations to make their vacations or visit more exciting (Modery, 2011).
According to the report of Yeh (2008), adventure tourism is a growing sector of the tourism industry. People are looking for locations and ways they can explore their vacations by going to places less traveled by. This creates in them a satisfaction that they truly are in the road of tourism. However, Yeh (2008) does not also eliminates the constraints of adventure tourism such as physical, financial, skill, and intrapersonal capability. Though not in general, but most people would like to get away from the hurls and noise of the city and just explore the world out there; however, finances do not allow them to travel to these offbeat places. As a result, they would often resort to vacations that would save them from high cost – and due to this constraint, more defined attractions such as shaped by theme parks such as Disneyland become the closest option.
By definition, a tourist is someone who travels away from home for several needs: leisure, business, or other purposes. This means that a person's needs can vary according to the purpose why he or she is traveling or visiting another place. On the other hand, the want of the tourist is another factor to consider in the tourism industry. This is what additional perks does a tourist want from the travel. For instance, the need of a person who travels to Dubai Gold Souk is to look for jewelries, but as an additional perk, a tourist wants to get the best accommodation and convenience. In essence, the core of the tourist visit is his or her need, but he or she is drawn to stay longer with the wants that can be offered by the tourist attraction.
The buying or behavioral pattern of a person depends on the stage of life cycle (Nagle, 1999). This means that a bachelor has a different view on tourism compared to a family man. This also presents that a person's definition of what tourism differs as with the stage of life cycle. Simply, the demand for authentic tourism may be appealing to younger members of the industry market, but for family tourists, theme parks will do better so kids will be able to enjoy the fantasy of Disney characters or the Ferrari World in Dubai. As I have mentioned earlier, the constraints of tourism are primary factors that dictate the demand for authentic tourism or not.
Yet, if we look closely at the patterns, people want both as a combination of tourism. While people would travel to the places across the United Arab Emirates for the Arabian Nights and culture of the region, they would also ride in the Formula Rossa of the Ferrari World. This means that it is impossible to just categorize the tourist as an authentic or reality-focused tourist who goes to high mountains, travels to different cultural landmarks, or treks at river flows, but a tourist also looks for the extreme rides of theme parks.
According to the report of the USA Today, there are more than 8.6 million visitors in 2010 that visited Dubai for its numerous shopping festivals, family parks, and cultural attractions. Yet, if we look closely at the combination of attractions that are available in Dubai, we will see that its modern tourism is more appealing that the post-modern attractions. According to the Dubai Visit Guide, the top reason why a person should visit Dubai is its excellent and top-of-the-world shopping experience. Add to that, people should also visit Dubai because it has upscale hotels and accommodations; plus the exciting nightlife of the metro. This speaks more of the way Dubai's tourism is shaped.
The high rise of theme park developments in Dubai is another statement to the direction being taken by Dubai's tourism. It starts to leave off the exciting and thrill of authentic and post-modern tourism in favor of the modernist view of the industry. And the problem goes to the support of the government, as well as from the private sector. While private sectors or companies are putting investments on various theme park developments, shopping centers, metro nightclubs, and other modernist tourist attractions, the Arabian Nights cultural attraction is left unattended. As a result, the cultural attraction becomes less and less traveled or sought by tourist.
But the hope of diversifying and making Dubai's tourism authentic is still alive. It is time for Dubai to become more pro-active in ensuring that tourism industry is not just focused on the modernist attractions, but also on the reality of life in the region. For the last 14 years, the Samaliya summer camp has been organizing camps that will cater Emirate children (Radan, 2007). Teenagers are being brought to the island wherein they can get in touch with their culture and heritage. This is an authentic experience where children can rise horses, explore nature, and get in touch with the real Emirati life. For the past years, the summer camp has opened a new avenue for people's vacations.
To ensure that the Dubai tourism becomes more authentic it is necessary for the government to support travels and visits to the environment. There had been several projects such as the Samaliya camp, the Desert Safari, and the Balloon Adventures in Dubai. These offbeat and post-modern attractions must be given attention and support by the government to cater to those tourists who are looking for real-life experiences in Dubai. On the other hand, the private sector must also do its share of investing on these attractions rather than just on modernist tourism. The combination of support between government and the private sector will mark a big difference on the value of tourism industry in Dubai. The best thing to do is to capitalize on these post-modern attractions and just make the modernist attractions additional perks to why people should visit Dubai. In essence, the offbeat adventure becomes the need of the tourist, while the theme parks, nightlife, and all metro activities are just wants that can add color to the adventure of the tourist.
Ritzer & Liska are concerned on the direction taken by the McDisneyization of the tourism sector. This is a direction that becomes so obvious because of the investments poured on this and the amount of finances that surround the section. However, with this direction, what is being left behind is the reality of tourism. People would want to travel to other regions for their purposes and to assimilate with the culture of that region. Yet, if post-modern tourism is sacrificed in favor of the modern tourism of financial gains, tourism becomes just a sector of finances and not a cultural definition after all.
References:
Dubai Visit Guide. 10 Reasons to Holiday in Dubai. Retrieved from http://www.dubaivisitguide.com/10-reasons-to-holiday-in-Dubai.html
Nagle, G. (1999). Focus on Geography. Nelson Thornes.
Radan, S. (2007). A camp where time stands still. Khaleej Times. Retrieved from http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle09.asp? xfile=data/theuae/2007/July/theuae_July426.xml§ion=theuae
Ritzer, G. & Liska, A. (1997). “McDisneyization and Post-tourism.” Rojek, C. & Urry, J. Touring Cultures: Transformations of Travel and Theory. Routledge.
USA Today. Dubai Tourist Spots. Retrieved from http://traveltips.usatoday.com/dubai-tourist-spots- 59426.html
Yeh, W. (2008). Snorkeling Holiday of Marine Leisure and Tourism at Kenting in Taiwan. ProQuest.
