Conceptualizing cultural sensitivity in tourism: a systematic literature review

ABSTRACT

This study contributes to the conceptualization of cultural sensitivity in tourism based on an analysis of tourism and social science literatures associated with Indigenous peoples in Canada. The study used a systematic literature review methodology, which consisted of thematically analysing 56 English language, tourism and social science journal articles. Findings indicate that while cultural sensitivity is rarely explicitly defined, several themes are consistently used to illustrate what cultural sensitivity entails or should entail in tourism and other social science encounters. Themes include: (i) respect, (ii) trust, (iii) ethics, (iv) cultural identity, (v) mutual understanding and cultural exchange, (vi) self-determination, governance, and capacity building, and (vii) unique healing, wellness, and spiritual needs. In addition to describing these interrelated themes, the study proposes a definition of cultural sensitivity in tourism tethered to the contexts of Indigenous peoples in Canada.

KEYWORDS:

• Cultural sensitivity
• Indigenous
• tourism
• systematic literature review
• Canada

Acknowledgements

We would like to acknowledge ARCTISEN project partners for their support and ongoing commitment to developing culturally sensitive Indigenous tourism in the Nordic and Canadian Arctic.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1 According to the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC) an authentic cultural experience: ‘ … incorporates a distinct Indigenous culture in a manner that is appropriate, respectful and true. Authenticity lies in the active involvement of Indigenous people in the development and delivery of the experience’ (ITAC, 2018,, p. 8).

2 In recent years, the term Aboriginal has fallen out of favour in public and government documents in Canada and has been replaced by Indigenous. We are using Indigenous here to reflect this shift, though the provisions of the Constitution Act (1982), retain the use of ‘Aboriginal’.

3 The inclusion of the search term ‘Aboriginal’ is to recognize that most studies published prior to 2015 and/or citing legal statutes use the term Aboriginal.

4 According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), reconciliation refers to

 … .an ongoing process through which Indigenous peoples and the Crown work cooperatively to establish and maintain a mutually respectful framework for living together, with a view to fostering strong, healthy, and sustainable Indigenous nations within a strong Canada … . reconciliation requires recognition of rights and that we all acknowledge the wrongs of the past, know our true history, and work together to implement Indigenous rights. (DOJ, 2020)

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Northern Periphery and Arctic Programme 2014–2020, under Project No. 274 – Culturally Sensitive Tourism in the Arctic (ARCTISEN).

Notes on contributors

Chris E. Hurst

Chris E. Hurst is a Settler Canadian and PhD Candidate in the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies at the University of Waterloo, Canada. Her research examines nature-culture-material configurations, sustainability and ethics within nature-based leisure and tourism contexts.

Bryan S. R. Grimwood

Bryan S. R. Grimwood is Settler Canadian and Associate Professor in the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies at the University of Waterloo, Canada. His research analyses human-nature relationships and advocates justice and sustainability in contexts of tourism, leisure, and livelihoods.

R. Harvey Lemelin

R. Harvey Lemelin is a Settler Canadian of French Canadian ancestry and Professor with the School of Outdoor Recreation, Parks and Tourism at Lakehead University. Lemelin’s research and publications have focused on the management of wildlife, national parks and marine protected areas, and tourism (i.e. last chance tourism, battlefield tourism, entomotourism).

Michela J. Stinson

Michela J. Stinson is Settler Canadian and a PhD student in the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies at the University of Waterloo, Canada. Her research focuses on the affective, narrative, and social-material relations that configure and constitute tourism places.