Which of the following is a potential negative impact of cultural tourism?

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BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Question restatement: The prompt asks which option represents a potential negative impact of cultural tourism, with four choices labeled a–d.
Option a: 'Increased understanding among cultures' This is typically viewed as a positive outcome of cultural tourism, fostering cross-cultural empathy, learning, and dialogue rather than a negative impact.
Option b: 'Commodification of local traditions' This option highlights a negative consequence: when cultural practices, arts, or rituals are treated as commodities for tourist consumption, intrinsic meanings can be diluted, authenticity may be sacrificed, and communities can lose ownership over their own cultural expressions. It captures a key critique that tourism commercializes culture at the expense of its original context.
Option c: 'Preservation of heritage sites' Preservation tends to be a positive outcome of cultural tourism, as tourist interest can generate funds and political will to maintain and restore important sites, although it can have tensions if over-tourism arises. In general, this is framed as a beneficial effect rather than a negative one.
Option d: 'Economic development' Economic gains from tourism can improve livelihoods, infrastructure, and local services, which is typically considered a positive impact, though it can also have caveats like unequal benefit distribution; however, it's not inherently negative.
In sum, among the four, only option b centers on a potentially detrimental effect—commodification of local traditions—whereas the others describe more positive or mixed outcomes commonly discussed in debates about cultural tourism. The reasoning distinguishes between positive, potentially mixed, and negative dimensions of tourism impacts to clarify why b is the negative example.

Which of the following is a potential negative impact of cultural tourism?

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