Indigenous Tourism and the Social Exchange Theory

Nomoskar! I hope you all are doing great and staying safe. The Pandemic and the lockdown has been harsh on us in many ways. But you know, life goes on. We have pretty much adjusted to the new normal of working from home. The lockdown has brought out the creative side in most of us. The social media platforms are flooded with different genres of videos, write-ups, etc. It is great to see that all of us are doing pretty well. The other day when I was talking to my PhD Guide, we were discussing how we worked so much more in the past two months. This is the perfect example of, ‘When life gives you lemons, make lemonade’. Have you guys read about the Social Exchange Theory? I think we can pretty much relate it to the situation we are in right now. The Social Exchange Theory studies the social behaviour which is a result of the interaction between two parties. The behaviour is often the result of the cost-benefit analysis to determine the risk and benefits of social relationships. I can give you an example of this, the number of webinars and workshops being conducted online in the past two months have been unbelievable. Each workshop and webinar has two parties, the organizers and the attendees. There is an exchange of knowledge and some appreciation (may not be always money) involved in it. Thus the virtual social relationship depends on the cost-benefit analysis by both the parties. Anyways, so coming to today’s blog, I have written about the Social Exchange Theory in context to Indigenous Tourism. Hope, you have a great read!

What is ‘Indigenous tourism’?

Indigenous tourism is “tourism activity in which indigenous people are directly involved either through control and/or by having their culture serve as the essence of the attraction”. An Indigenous-focus tourist, whether domestic or international participates in activities like visiting the cultural community sites, learning to dance like them, dress like them, and travelling to the remote indigenous areas apart from indulging in the art and craft.

Indigenous tourism in some cases used interchangeably with aboriginal tourism. Aboriginal tourism is cultural tourism. In Canada, the term aboriginal people refer to the three indigenous groups namely, First Nations, Metis and Inuk (or Inuit). Aboriginal (cultural) tourism describes all tourism businesses that are owned or operated by First Nations people, Métis, and Inuit people that incorporates an Aboriginal cultural experience in a manner that is appropriate, respectful, and true to the Aboriginal culture being presented (ATC, 2000). Indigenous tourism is showcasing the culture of the indigenous people of the world. There are around 400 million indigenous people in the world spread over 90 countries according to The United Nations Economic and Social Council.

Tourism, as we all know is one of the most thriving economic activities. Apart from allowing the indigenous people to bring forth their culture, art and tradition in front of the world, it contributes to the livelihood of them. If it is placed correctly and managed responsibly without raising ethical and human rights challenges, it can do wonders in terms of alleviation of poverty, empowerment, curbing urban migration, cultural interactions, tourism products and instilling a sense of pride and self-respect.

Picture Courtesy: Himangshu Baruah, Finderbridge Tourism

Social Exchange Theory- Why is it important?

From a tourism perspective, social exchange theory proposes that individual’s attitudes towards tourism and their subsequent level of support for its development will be influenced by their evaluations of the outcomes of tourism for themselves and their communities (Andereck, Valentine, Knopf, & Vogt, 2005)

There are studies where this theory has been used explicitly for research related to the attitudes of the local communities towards Tourism Development. Like I said before it is based on the cost-benefit analysis of a particular transaction. The indigenous people weigh the returns not only in terms of money but also in community development. There are many indigenous tribes in India. The acceptance and rejection of tourism development in the areas inhabited by them depend on the approach and the type of tourism product. For example, the Jarawa tribes in the Andaman are not happy with them being treated as Human zoos in the name of tourism development. But in Northeast India, the indigenous tribes are quite welcoming and happy with the development of tourism activities in their area. This is because they run the show.

So, we can say that if we want tourism products to succeed, we need to understand the concept of the Social Exchange Theory. Community engagement in tourism activities is the key to success and when communities have involved, the give and take have to be appropriate. India is known for its cultural diversity. There are several indigenous tribes in the country. Today, when we are worried about the collapsing tourism sector and its revival, indigenous tourism can be a winning tourism product. There is an anthrotourist hiding inside all of us. Especially, GenY and GenZ are into exploring the unexplored. Destination building and branding of indigenous places can be the hand we need right now.

Hope and Positivity,

Ambalika