Monthly Archives: April 2015

In this class and in my previous blogs, discussions have largely revolved around the dangers of heritage tourism and the negative impact it often has on local communities.  In an earlier blog about the tourism industry in Palm Springs, for example, I discussed the ways in which the history of the indigenous, local culture is exploited in order to promote the economic and political interests of those in power.  In this week’s readings, one common theme is that of identity and in particular how outside interests use tourism to shape the identity of local communities, oftentimes at their expense.  In “Novel Tourism: Nature, Industry, and Literature on Monterey’s Cannery Row”, Connie Chiang examines the process by which the restoration of Cannery Row was carried out, and how the local and economic interests transformed the identity of Monterrey from a small, sleepy fishing town into a tourist attraction in and of itself.   In “Stumbling toward the Millennium: Tourism, the Postindustrial World, and the Transformation of the American West”, Hal Rothman goes further, claiming that the struggle between the interests of local communities who wish to maintain their authentic cultures and the economic and political interests that wish to make money off of these communities is a battle over their soul.

These articles and assertions have forced me to ask the question: Are there examples of heritage tourism in which both local and economic/political interests align?  One such venue might be religious heritage tourism, or tourism that is united by a strong, local religion whose currency is less about money than it is about belief and community.  An example I would propose is that of the Wilshire Boulevard Temple, which serves as the third home of the Congregation B’nai B’rith, the oldest Jewish congregation in Los Angeles.  The congregation purchased the property in 1921 and the Temple itself was dedicated in 1929.  Some of the most distinctive and historical aspects of the Temple include its theater-type design, a Byzantine dome (which spans 100 feet and rises approximately 140 feet above street level), extensive use of stained glass windows and marble columns, and most amazingly murals commissioned by Warner Brothers murals depicting 3,000 years of Jewish history.

Despite the building’s designation as a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument in 1973 and listing in the National Register of Historic Places in 1981, by the early 1990’s the Temple was in disrepair.  The stunning murals, for example, were cracked and in need of conservation, while part of the dome had cracked and fallen due to water damage.  In 2004, the Temple’s Board of Trustees decided to restore the Temple.  Mostly due to the efforts of the local Jewish community, 47.5 million dollars were spent from 2011-2013 to restore the Temple which reopened its door in September 2013.

If Rothman is right, and if the struggle for authenticity and identity is a battle of the soul of the community, then one could argue that the community has won.  The restoration of the Temple is a restoration of the religious and cultural center of the Jewish community.  If the Temple had been destroyed and sold, the community would have most likely deteriorated rapidly; many would have had to move to a location close to another Jewish temple.  With the restoration of the Temple comes a sort of restoration of the larger community and consequently the preservation of its Jewish identity.   In addition, the purpose of the entire project was to restore the Temple to the state to which it was originally built.  What better way to restore the authenticity of the site than to restore the history to which it’s attached?

All of this would be great if the story ended here.  However, it has not.  Whatever the reason, whether it be ambition or a genuine desire to help others, Jewish leaders have decided to go beyond the restoration of the Temple and look now to raise additional funds to create an entire campus.  Now, the restoration is one part of a major 10-year, $150 million plan that includes a full renovation and expansion of the Temple campus to provide new educational and community services.  This includes two school buildings, a new structure providing social services such as a food pantry and health services, athletic facilities, and parking; and landscaped areas throughout the campus. It is at this point that the local Jewish community is in danger of losing its soul, because in order to raise the $150 million outside funding is required.  In fact, one could argue that this has started to happen already.  Suddenly, the messages coming from the Temple have changed.  Where before the focus was on the Temple and preservation of its history for the Jewish community, now the focus is on how great the Temple will be for everyone involved.  According to one source, the Temple “is not only a symbol of religious vitality for Jews, but it will serve as an important resource for the immediate neighborhood, which is predominantly Korean and Latino” (Los Angeles Conservancy). While this might sound great to Jewish leaders and the business and political backers who are now necessary to help fund the project, what does it mean to the Korean and Latino communities that it might displace?  Won’t this move by Jewish leaders lead to a new struggle, this time over identities other than the Jewish one?

Clearly, there are situations in which community, business and political interests in local tourism align.  In the example of the Wilshire Temple, funding was internally organized and focused on preserving Jewish heritage and culture.  However, once additional outside funding was required, a kind of ideological and spatial battle over the soul of the Temple and surrounding community commenced.  Perhaps what they’re saying is true.  Perhaps the additional construction will prove to be of huge benefit to the people in the community.  However, the repression of local Hispanic and Korean identities into one that is primarily Jewish for me causes concern that the battle for authenticity and identity have just begun.

 

Sources:

Chiang, Connie Y. “Novel Tourism: Nature, Industry, and Literature on Monterey’s Cannery Row.” The Western Historical Quarterly (2004): 309-329.

Rothman, Hal K. “Stumbling toward the Millennium: Tourism, the Postindustrial World, and the Transformation of the American West.”California History (1998): 140-155.

Walser, Lauren. (March 30th, 2015).  PreservationNation Blog.  Retrieved April 6th, 2015 from http://blog.preservationnation.org/2015/03/30/photos-wilshire-boulevard-temple-restoring-a-1929-landmark/#.VRrsXE3wsh5

Wilshire Boulevard Temple. Los Angeles Conservancy. Retrieved April 6th, 2015 from https://www.laconservancy.org/locations/wilshire-boulevard-temple

 

 

Two of the most common analytical terms associated with heritage tourism are commodity and authenticity.  Oftentimes, the two are in opposition with each other.  Many heritage sites, for example, shy away from the authentic in order to hide portions of their history that they don’t want to share with tourists (see Charleston, SC) or to increase their appeal to tourists.  On rare occasions, however, interests align and the drive to make a heritage site authentic matches the authentic experience that tourists crave.  One such example is the Napa Valley Wine Train, located in Northern California.

San Francisco’s first millionaire Samuel Brannan built the tracks upon which the train ran back in 1864 so he could share the beautiful Napa countryside with his wealthy friends.  After the advent of the automobile, however, the use of the railroad declined rapidly, and in 1930 passenger services were suspended.  However, in 1987, several influential citizens expressed a desire to preserve the train, in the name of “their state’s cultural, food and wine heritage” (Napa Valley Wine Train). They found a benefactor in Vincent DeDomenico, co-creator of Rice-a-Roni, who restored the old Pullman cars that were still resting on the line. Two years and $20 million dollars later, The Napa Valley Wine Train was born.

The ‘rail to restoration’ has been fairly bumpy, however.  Initially, the plan was to run the train as many as nine roundtrips a day, with stops along the route. Many residents of the towns located on the rail line and some of the biggest vintners, including Robert Mondavi, however mounted protests against the rail line.  In a political showdown, Mondavi as well as some local businessmen and representatives forced additional regulations on DeDeoenico’s trains, and as a result 9 stops became 2 or 3 and stops were prohibited.  And that’s what’s fascinating about this story.  Usually, local business leaders are supportive of the tourism industry.  Theoretically, the wine train would bring in more tourists, the tourists would spend their money in these towns or at these vineyards, and, the argument goes, the local economies would prosper.  In this case, however, local leaders went to great lengths to protect not the authenticity of a heritage site or their own economic interests but, in their view, the best interests of their communities.  As former St. Helena mayor Lowell Smith put it,   “we have fought very hard in this community to not become a tourist mecca or tourist destination per se…we don’t want to be a Disneyland” (Doyle, 2002, pg. 1).

This isn’t to say that their motives were completely altruistic. Cities like St. Helena (which is located at the end of the line) also depend on tourism for some of their economic wealth, which means local leaders would do anything to protect those interests.  However it’s nice to see a battle of competing interests in support of the authentic experience for a change.  Perhaps fights like these should be more frequent, so that we’re clamoring over what’s more right or more accurate instead of what’s going to put money in everyone’s pockets.

 

Sources:

http://online.ceb.com/calcases/C3/50C3d370.htm

Napa Valley wine train: The tourist train through Napa Valley. http://www.winechictravel.com/californie/oenoloisir-napa-valley-wine-train

Doyle, J. (2002). Chugging along / After 13 years, Napa Valley Wine Train rolls to a profit Retrieved March 31st 2015 from http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Chugging-along-After-13-years-Napa-Valley-Wine-2715571.php

Charleston’s Heritage Tourism: The Shock That is Needed

 

 

 

Charleston is well known for its beauty.  Located on the coast, the city is a popular destination for tourists who are focused on seeing the sights, finding entertainment and/or who are attracted to the area’s rich history and heritage.  As part of a graduate class from UNC Charlotte, it was my pleasure to play the role of the tourist and experience a carriage ride in the city, as well as a tour of the Magnolia Plantation.  I was most interested in the history, in particular the role of the region as part of the history of our national and regional history.  However, it could be argued that this cannot be said of most.  Therefore, while many criticize the tourist industry for ‘whitewashing’ the history of the region -the premise of which I agree – it is also important to understand why this is so, so that perhaps we can figure out what can be done to stop it.

Of the two – the carriage tour of the city and the personal tour of the Magnolia Plantation – the carriage ride was more entertaining.  On the surface, it was nice to be in the open air, to see a place up close and to have a tour guide who was steeped in the legends and public histories of the Charleston.   Where else could I hear stories of a brothel that didn’t allow anyone under the age of fourteen to enter or of metal pins that were installed in older buildings so they wouldn’t collapse (at least until the next earthquake comes by)?  The Magnolia Plantation also had its moments, but on more of a professional level: a movie about the ‘history’ of the area and personal stories of the plantation and the ’emancipation’ of the slaves that worked there.   Having said all of this, from a purely historical and anthropological point of view, it is an understatement to say that the tours were disappointing.  The fact that there was so little authentic historical knowledge presented, especially on the carriage ride, made me wonder why these tours should be labeled ‘historical’ at all; ‘sightseeing’  would be more appropriate.  Personally, I believe it’s more detrimental to whitewash the past than to omit a part of it.  The carriage ride committed a lot of omissions, especially in regards to the history of slavery and the contributions of slaves to the history we heard and the buildings we saw.  However, the transgressions of the plantations, of creating an inauthentic past that was as egregious as it was innocuous, were nearly unforgiveable.   The idea that slaves didn’t have it so bad, that we treated them right, that they were given the opportunity to be ‘wage earners’, that they were almost part of the plantation family completely omits the one piece of complete truth – they were slaves.  They were people who did not have the basic freedoms of doing what they wanted to do, living where they wanted to live and living how they wanted to.  Add to that the structural animosity towards black people at the time, and a narrative that even smells of equality is automatically inauthentic and false.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

So what can be done?  If the Magnolia Plantation and the carriage tours did not exist, the opportunity to catch a glimpse of a snapshot in time that can breathe life into history would be lost. At the other extreme, if tourists were constantly bombarded with the history of racism, oppression and subjugation that are an important part of our national heritage, the perception of the area’s historical significance and the tourism industry, such an important part of the area’s economic prosperity, would probably take a big hit.   How many tourists want to hear incessantly about how their ancestors subjugated and oppressed an entire race, when they’re looking forward to enjoying the attractions and night life that the history of slavery inadvertently helped produce?   I could imagine that these might have been the concerns of local politicians long ago, who were deciding upon the initial fate of any plan to encourage tourism to the area.  How does a heritage site provide entertainment and a (superfluous) education while at the same time keep up the pretense of being historical?

I would like offer an option, one that will never be tried because of its inherent risk to the image of the local area and the prosperity that tourism affords.  Stop whitewashing the past and shock them.  While there is much talk about the fear of making the inauthentic authentic, I would argue that it’s the length of time with which people are faced with the harsh truth that makes them squirm and feel uncomfortable.  So, shock them.  At the Magnolia Plantation, there is nothing wrong with taking them to the buildings where slaves lived and talk about the past.  However, one could add something – chains hanging from a post where slaves were beaten, for example – that symbolizes what really occurred, something that will make it so tourists never forget the truth about slavery.  Shock them. Sensationalize.  While some may see this as being hypocritical, there is a difference between erasing a chunk of our nation’s history and accentuating different aspects to bring tourists’ attention to it.  As for the carriage tour, it is highly probable that tourists do want a nice carriage ride where they can look at bolts and listen to funny stories about the past.  However there is nothing that says proprietors can’t stop the carriage, take the tourists out, and for a few minutes look at a monument or market and bring people’s attention to the dark side of the past.  There probably isn’t any place on earth that doesn’t have something in their past that they’d rather forget.  So shock them.  Address it.  Give tourists a few minutes to soak in the truth about the past, to reflect and to ask questions and then move on.  Perhaps this isn’t ideal, and there is definitely a need to organize different tours with different historical foci and tourists in mind.  However, if slavery can be brought to life just for a few moments, then maybe tourists would have something to think about on their way back to their hotel and their way back home.

In our Heritage Tourism class, we have talked about the commoditization of experience, and I would argue that a shocking one, even though it may be appalling to some, might be one that tourists are willing to pay for.  We’ve also discussed how these experiences can be brought back home as a type of souvenir that people can share with others.   Perhaps, then, the trinket tourists bring home is not a post card or Native American Pipe or woven basket, but rather a few experiences that made tourists think for a second.  In the end, both the Magnolia Plantation and the carriage rides were entertaining, but the way the respective histories were whitewashed reminded me of the importance of history. Whenever I hear of history being altered for the benefit of tourists, I think of literature like “1984” and the ways in which oppressive regimes use history as a tool of submission and control.   Although it would probably be risky – to the tourism industry and to the people of the Charleston area – I’ll say it again – shock them.  Leave them with a memory that they can’t shake.  Maybe then Charleston will have a tourism industry that is economically beneficially but educational as well.