Did Tourism Commodifyied The Culture?

To a certain extent, tourism has been commodifying the cultures and traditions in Yogya. The introduction of tourism and its benefits to the city have caused many to exploit and ‘gain’ from its rich culture and heritage. Being the Javanese cultural centre, the government and locals know how important their culture is to the world, hence they felt that by selling and promoting what they have to offer, they can actually taste the economic returns out of it.

However, authenticity and values are slowly losing as all these objects and performances that they showcase, have lost their cultural essence. Some are just doing it, knowing that they will get returns out of it.

The extent of this problem is not as bad compared to Bali. Yogyakarta still knows that they are the heart of Java, and their cultural richness is what that makes them special. They are trying to complement their lifestyle with tourism, hoping they can succeed from it. We should take note that tourism is a very fragile sector. It is easily influenced by many factors, such as economic fluctuations, political situations and environmental problems such as the eruption of Mount Merapi.

With careful planning and strategies, Yogya will be able to practice sustainable tourism – having tourism as an economic driver without compromising their cultural values.