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In this post, I will be touching on disneyization in New Zealand and also how the growth of tourism in New Zealand had brought about changes to the society, economy and environment.

Disneyization in NZ

What is "disneyization"?

Disneyization is a term to imply the homogenization of consumption, merchandising, and emotional labour. It can be used more broadly to describe the process of stripping a real place or event of its original character and repackaging it in a sanitized format. References to anything negative are removed, and the facts are watered down with the intent of making the subject more pleasant and easily grasped.

(Really Authentic? Erin, 2010)

The 4 dimensions of Disneyization include:

• theming
• hybrid consumption
• merchandising
• performative labour

Cultural Tourism in NZ

Cultural tourism today has become increasingly popular and it is also a tourism sector that can be benefiting to the country's economy. The Maori people have existed many years back and the uniqueness of the Maori culture today is the reason why tourists visit New Zealand. New Zealand being a country with little heritage for cultural tourism to exist, they are looking at another perspective which is to showcase the Maori people in their country. This is so as to strive to be a cultural destination that people would visit in the near future. Hence the tourism board of New Zealand is working closely with the Maori tribes to put up cultural shows for visitors. One of which is the Tamaki Maori Village which I will be discussing on below.

Tamaki Maori Village - Rotorua

Visiting the Tamaki Maori is one of the "must do things" when you are in Rotorua. The Tamaki Maori Village is a replica of a pre - European Maori village where visitors are introduced to Maori customs and traditions. Visitors get to watch and experience Maori cultural performances and try out the Hangi feasts and view traditional arts and crafts. Below is an extract from a travel website telling visitors what they can expect when at the village :

"We are led by the storyteller through this 3.5 hour evening encounter. Share in ancient ceremonies of welcome and of farewell and experience the lifestyles and warrior traditions of pre-European times. Journey of Ages tells the story of Uitara IV’s campaign for a place within a rebel warrior cult, destined to change Aotearoa forever. It culminates in a traditional farewell feast of earth-cooked hangi, as Uitara and other characters you have met prepare to leave with their new found leader. An amazing re-enactment – based on actual events from our history, with real characters, traditional arts & crafts, powerful song & dance and authentic Hangi Feast."

(Extracted from: http://www.info-rotorua.com/Tamaki-Maori-Village/)

"After dinner, we wandered around the souvenir shop, and bought a wood carving for a price that was in line with the prices we’d seen at the shops in Rotorua...The hangi feast itself was buffet style, served in a large hall with several lines which were all the same. It was well organized and there was lots of food for everyone. The food was good, and there were demonstrations of how the food was made outside the main hall."

(Extracted from: http://www.ianandwendy.com/travel/new-zealand/rotorua/disneyfied-maori-culture-at-tamaki-maori-village-hangi.htm)

It can be seen that the Tamaki Maori Village is being disneyfied as it fulfills the performative labour, theming and merchandising section go the Disney model. Performances are scripted to ensure the standard operating procedures (SOP) as these performances are performed daily for visitors. The Hangi Feast is originally a traditional method of cooking by the Maori people however mentioned in the extract "The hangi feast itself was buffet style, served in a large hall with several lines which were all the same"..  Also, it has a souvenir shop that sells merchandises with the village logo on the product. Not forgetting, it is a village that is themed under Maori culture before the arrival of the Europeans. Hence, the question of the authenticity of the heritage village.

Authentic? Not Authentic?

I would say that the need to suit the demand of visitors to the heritage village has caused it to loose its authenticity as everything is becoming standardized. These dance performances hold a significant meaning to the Maori people and by doing it every day has cause it to become a routine where people then forget it's significance to their culture. The Hangi Feast is originally a traditional method of cooking by the Maori people however mentioned in the extract "The hangi feast itself was buffet style, served in a large hall with several lines which were all the same" Hence, it is no longer authentic as the idea of the Hangi feast was for people to gather around the earthen cooking pit and feast together. 

Globalization in NZ

The growth of tourism in New Zealand is due to Globalization and this has led to the changes in the social cultural, economy as well as environmental aspects . 

Some positive changes in the context of social cultural would be that it helps to re- evaluate the culture and traditions that the people of New Zealand practice. The practices of the Maori culture and traditions were starting to disappear and when New Zealand realized that the Maori was an important contributing factor to tourism in New Zealand, it was decided that promoting the Maori people as a cultural experience would help to sustain the culture and traditions. Tourism also helps to encourage local involvement and boost the local community's pride in the country as New Zealand is now more aware of the value of their cultural traditions as well as their heritage sites. The growth of tourism would also mean more visitors to the country and this will allow more people to respect and understand  more on New Zealand's unique culture and traditions of the Maori; hence being a force for peace. However, with this increasing growth of tourism has also brought about negative impacts such as the loss of indigenous identity and values due to commofication, standardization of traditional practices, as well as loss of authenticity.

As for the Economy, the growth of tourism has led to an increase in 2009. However, the total expenditure fell by 5.4% in 2010 despite the increase in visitors. Hence tourism in New Zealand this year is bad.

Tourist expenditure	2008	2009	2010
Visitors	2,238,860	2,201,887	2,297309
Total Expenditure	6,027,894,110	6,102,382,429	5,772,575,082
% Change	+ 0.1%	+ 1.2%	- 5.4%

(An extract from:  IVS online Data )

Lastly, the growth of tourism in New Zealand may cause environmental degradation to occur if not taken care by both visitors and operators. Visitors are concern about the decline in natural resources in New Zealand and the garbage that are left behind after visiting an attraction. Tour operators of New Zealand can help to play a part by hiring eco friendly transportations and even book visitors into eco friendly hotels that recycles. Another concern on the environment would be the carbon emission produced by planes as the only way to get to New Zealand is by plane. This might affect the tourism of New Zealand in the near future as people of today are getting more concern about the environment.

Hence, the growth of tourism may bring about more negative impacts as compared to positive impacts to New Zealand.

Look out for the next post where I will be discussing on whether tourism is the culprit in commodifying cultures and traditions! See You!