That “traditional” ceremony might have been invented last year for tourists.
One of the great joys of travel is the opportunity to experience a culture different from our own. We seek out “authentic” experiences that promise a real connection to a place and its people. The tourism industry, however, is very good at manufacturing and packaging this authenticity for mass consumption. Many of the most popular cultural experiences are actually carefully staged performances.
These are not organic traditions but commercial products designed to look the way tourists expect them to look, often having little to do with the real, modern lives of the local people.
1. Most commercial luaus in Hawaii.
The luau is a quintessential part of any Hawaiian vacation, promising an evening of traditional food, music, and hula dancing under the stars. While the traditions are rooted in real Hawaiian culture, the large-scale commercial luaus that cater to hundreds of tourists at a time are a highly stylized and somewhat sanitized version of the real thing.
A traditional luau is a family and community event, more like a backyard barbecue than a dinner theater show. The commercial versions are a performance for an audience, often mixing elements from different Polynesian cultures for entertainment value, as per World Nomads. While fun, it’s not the authentic family gathering you might be imagining.
2. The “long neck” Karen villages in Thailand.
In northern Thailand, tourists can visit villages of the Karen people, where some women wear a series of brass rings that appear to elongate their necks. These visits are marketed as a way to see a unique and ancient tribal tradition, according to Sam Woolfe. The reality is much more complicated and ethically fraught. These villages are essentially human zoos.
The inhabitants are often refugees from Myanmar, and their ability to stay in Thailand is dependent on their participation in this tourist economy. The tradition itself is dying out among the younger generations, and its continuation in these specific villages is largely a performance for the benefit of paying tourists.
3. Venetian gondola rides are a tourist-only affair.
A romantic gondola ride through the canals of Venice is a bucket-list item for many travelers. The image of the striped-shirted gondolier singing as he poles you through the water is an iconic symbol of Italy. The reality is that no Venetian uses a gondola for actual transportation anymore; they use the “vaporetto” (water bus).
The gondola ride is a purely touristic enterprise, a floating taxi ride that follows a set route for a very high price. It is a lovely and unique way to see the city, but it is not an authentic slice of modern Venetian life, Medium.com reports. It is a historical tradition that has been preserved solely for the entertainment of visitors.
4. The Maasai village tours in Kenya and Tanzania.
On a safari in East Africa, a common add-on is a visit to a Maasai village to learn about their “traditional” way of life. While the Maasai are a real and fascinating people, many of the villages located near major national parks are now primarily for-profit tourist attractions. The villagers will perform a welcoming song and dance, demonstrate how to make a fire, and then aggressively try to sell you souvenirs.
The experience can feel less like a genuine cultural exchange and more like a carefully rehearsed performance. The daily life in these villages often revolves around the tourist schedule, a far cry from the authentic, nomadic pastoralist lifestyle they are meant to represent.
5. Most “Bedouin” desert dinners in Dubai.
The desert safari and Bedouin dinner is a hugely popular excursion for tourists visiting Dubai. It promises a magical evening of dune bashing in a 4×4, followed by a traditional dinner in a desert camp with belly dancing and camel rides. While the desert is real, the “authentic” Bedouin experience is almost entirely manufactured for tourists.
The camps are permanent tourist facilities, and the performers are professional entertainers. The Bedouin people of the region historically led a nomadic life that bears little resemblance to this dinner show. It is a fun and entertaining evening, but it should be understood as a theme park experience, not a genuine cultural immersion.
6. Snake charmers and their dancing cobras.
The image of a snake charmer in a turban playing a flute to a swaying cobra is a classic, exotic stereotype of places like India and Morocco. Tourists are often fascinated by this and will pay to take a photo. The reality of this practice is much darker. The snakes are often captured from the wild, have their fangs removed, and their mouths sewn shut.
The “dancing” is actually the snake’s fearful reaction to the movement of the flute, which it perceives as a threat. The practice is cruel to the animals and has been outlawed in some countries, though it continues illegally in major tourist areas. It is a completely staged and abusive practice, not a mystical art form.
7. The Dutch wearing traditional costumes in Volendam.
The charming fishing village of Volendam, just outside of Amsterdam, is famous for its residents who wear traditional Dutch costumes, complete with pointy hats and wooden clogs. Tourists flock here to take photos and experience “old Holland.” The secret is that virtually no one in the Netherlands dresses this way anymore, including the people of Volendam.
The costumes are worn almost exclusively by people who work in the tourism industry—in the souvenir shops, cheese factories, and photo studios—for the benefit of visitors. It is a town that has turned its own history into a full-time, commercialized performance for tourists.
8. Attending a “voodoo ceremony” in New Orleans.
The city of New Orleans has a rich and complex history with the spiritual practice of Voodoo. The tourist shops in the French Quarter are filled with voodoo dolls and other paraphernalia, and some tours offer the chance to witness a “real” voodoo ceremony. These are almost always theatrical performances designed for tourists.
Real Louisiana Voodoo is a legitimate, and very private, religious practice. Its authentic rituals are not open to the public or performed on a nightly schedule for paying customers. The experiences sold to tourists are a commercialized and often inaccurate caricature of a real, living faith.
9. Paying to take photos with traditionally dressed locals.
In many popular tourist destinations, from the Mayan women with their llamas in Cusco, Peru, to the geishas in Kyoto, Japan, you will find people in beautiful, traditional attire who seem to be just going about their day. When you raise your camera, however, they will often ask for a payment.
These people are not simply residents in their daily clothes; they are professional models whose job is to pose for tourist photos. Their presence in the most crowded tourist squares is a purely commercial enterprise. A real geisha would be hurrying to an appointment and would be unlikely to stop and pose for a photo with a tourist.
10. The “authentic Irish pub experience” in Dublin’s Temple Bar.
The Temple Bar district in Dublin, with its cobblestone streets and brightly painted pubs, is marketed as the heart of the city’s authentic pub culture. It is packed every night with tourists enjoying live music and pints of Guinness. The problem is that you will find almost no actual Dubliners there.
Locals avoid Temple Bar at all costs, viewing it as an overpriced and inauthentic tourist trap. The prices for a pint are significantly higher than in the thousands of other, more authentic pubs just a few blocks away. It is a fun party, but it is a party for tourists, not a genuine slice of Dublin life.
11. Most “traditional” tea ceremonies in tourist areas.
The Japanese tea ceremony, or “chanoyu,” is a highly complex and spiritual art form that takes years to master. Many tourist areas in cities like Kyoto offer short, group tea ceremony experiences that promise a taste of this ancient tradition. While they can be a pleasant and informative introduction, they are a heavily abbreviated and simplified version of the real thing.
A true, formal tea ceremony is a long, contemplative, and deeply ritualized event, not a 30-minute demonstration. The tourist versions are a performance designed to provide a taste of the culture in a way that is accessible and doesn’t take up too much time from a busy sightseeing schedule.
12. Taking an “Amish experience” buggy ride.
The Amish communities of Pennsylvania and Ohio are a source of great fascination for outsiders. A huge tourist industry has sprung up around them, offering buggy rides, “Amish-style” meals, and tours of “traditional” farms. While these businesses are often run by people from the community, they are designed to present a specific, curated version of their life for public consumption.
The experience is often a simplified and romanticized caricature of a complex and private culture. You are seeing a performance of Amish life, not the real, unvarnished thing. Many Amish people are not involved in the tourism industry at all and resent the intrusion it represents.
13. The running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain.
The San Fermín festival in Pamplona is a real, historic, and deeply ingrained cultural event for the people of the region. The tourist experience of the festival, however, is often completely disconnected from this. Thousands of foreigners, often fueled by alcohol, descend on the city to participate in the “running of the bulls,” an event they’ve seen in movies.
They are often unaware of the festival’s other, more important cultural and religious aspects. For many locals, the tourist contingent is seen as a rowdy and disrespectful sideshow that has detracted from the true spirit of their beloved festival.