Studies of anthropology of tourism about mass-tourism situation in which the "nature" is establishes as cultural resources.

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K12551
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 80020:Tourism studies-related
• Research Institution: Komatsu University
• Principal Investigator: Shakuya Shigeki 公立小松大学, 国際文化交流学部, 教授 (90410654)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 観光 / 文化資源化 / “自然” / マスツーリズム的状況 / マヤ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study focuses on the mass-tourism situation in which the "nature" is establishes as cultural resources, in the northern region of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. In the investigations on tourism in indigenous pueblos and archaeological sites and so called Eco-tourism, there in Yucatan, we understood that the "nature" exhibited in those touristic areas was objectified intentionally and arranged so as to be lined up as one of the cultural resources in the menu book of the regional touristic attractions. And through comparison with the results of investigation in Belize CA and Okinawa main island held in the research period, we could understand that the the establishment of "nature" as cultural resources was highly related with the degree of autonomy of the regional society and the economic scale of the region as mass-tourism area.

Free Research Field

文化人類学、観光人類学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究では、地域の自然ですら文化資源化して、内部に取り込んでしまうマスツーリズムの特質を追求し、理解することを目指してきた。マスツーリズムの特質に文化の側面から批判的に取り組んだ本研究は、観光研究に新しい方向性を示すことができたと考える。
現在メキシコのユカタン半島地域４州では、政府主導でマヤ鉄道計画が進められており、当地は本研究開始時点では想定できなかったような開発状況下におかれている。自然環境破壊、先住民社会への悪影響など様々な批判を受けつつ進展するこの計画に対しても有効な見方を本研究は提供できるものと考えられ、さらに進む当地のマスツーリズム的状況への批判的まなざしを提示できるものと考える。