Commodification of ethnic culture in the context of the tourism industry

Abstract

The article examines the phenomenon of commodification of ethnic culture in the context of the development of the tourism industry. Commodification is interpreted as the transformation of cultural elements into a commercial product, which simultaneously opens up new opportunities for economic growth, but also carries the risks of loss of authenticity, symbolic devaluation and exploitation of culture. The main forms of manifestation of this phenomenon are analyzed - folklorization, museification, commercialization, branding, festivalization and cultural staging. It is noted that commodification is an ambivalent process that has both positive (economic development, popularization of traditions, incentive to preserve heritage) and negative consequences (simplification, loss of meaning, exclusion of the community from the process). The author emphasizes the need to find a balance between tourism and the preservation of cultural identity.