The Immanence of Interculturalism in Tourism

U članku se analiziraju neke teze o odnosu i povezanosti turizma i kulture, odnosno interkulturalna obilježja turizma. Turizam poprima takve razmjere u svijetu, da ga kao fenomen modernoga društva valja proučavati, ne samo s ekonomskoga, već i sa socijalnoga, političkoga, kulturnoga, ekološkog i pedagoškog stajališta. Međutim, u središtu interesa ipak su ekonomski utjecaji i doprinosi turizma razvoju nacionalnih gospodarstava. Turizam u cjelini, a posebice međunarodni turizam, ostavlja upečatljive tragove u svim prostorima i na svim pravcima kojima se turisti kreću. Neekonomska, kulturna, interkulturalna i pedagoška funkcija turizma pojavljuje se u dvoznačnom obliku, tj. neposrednim i posrednim utjecajima. Neposredan utjecaj dolazi od samog fenomena turizma i odnosi se na prikupljanje ili usvajanje vrijednosti drugih kultura ili čak kulture naroda kome turist pripada. Posredan utjecaj jest sve ono što prethodi putovanju i tiče se turističkoga, tj. kulturnog i interkulturalnog obrazovanja turista, kako bi mogao na efikasan način provesti putovanja i imao koristi od njih. Prvi oblik ima značajke procesa akulturacije, a drugi procesa inkulturacije. Turizam je suptilan suproizvod susreta dviju ili više kultura, a kulturna dinamika je posebna vrijednost koja oplemenjuje ljude i društvenu sredinu. Osnovne pretpostavke za sagledavanje i definiranje interkulturalne dimenzije turizma sadržane su u njegovim sastavnicama. To su, prije svega, susret, dijalog, razmjena, uzajamno informiranje, razumijevanje i prihvaćanje. U temeljnom odnosu turizma, domaćin gost, ostvaruje se svojevrstan dijalog kulturnih i nacionalnih identiteta. Svaki sudionik u kontaktu i razmjeni, predstavlja, zastupa i nudi svoju kulturu, što predstavlja interkulturalnu komunikaciju prvoga reda. Susret čovjeka sa čovjekom najdragocjenija je značajka turizma. Turizam je, zapravo, dijalog identiteta.The paper analyses some assumptions regarding the relationship and connection between tourism and culture, or rather the intercultural features of tourism. Today, tourism has developed to such proportions that it is to be studied nor only from an economic point of view but also from a social, political, cultural, ecological and educational standpoint. Nonetheless, the centre of interest in tourism is still its economic influence and contribution to the national economy. Tourism in general, particularly international tourism, leaves impressive traces of its presence wherever it takes place and to whatever destinations holiday makers travel. The non-economic, cultural, intercultural and educational function of tourism is twofold, i.e. it exerts a direct and an indirect influence. The direct influence comes from the very phenomenon of tourism and refers to collecting and acquiring the values of other cultures, or even one\u27s own culture. The direct influence includes the events preceding the travel, and it concerns the tourist, i.e. cultural and intercultural education of the tourist so that he may make a successful trip and benefit from it. The former has the characteristics of acculturation and the latter those of interculturation. Tourism is a subtle spin-off from the encounter between two or more cultures, where cultural dynamism features as a value which enables people and society. The basic assumptions for considering and defining the intercultural dimensions of tourism are to be found in its components. These components are first of all those of encounter, dialogue, exchange, reciprocal information, and acceptance. Through the basic host-visitor relationship, a specific dialogue of cultural and national identity is achieved. Each participant in the contact and exchange represents and displays his culture, which is intercultural communication of the first order. A face-to-face encounter is the most precious feature of tourism. Tourism, in effect, is an identity dialogue