Colonial heritage and tourism: ethnic landscape perspectives

Abstract

The revival of colonial heritage is a particular feature of former British and French colonies in Pacific and Asian settings. This is exemplified by the redevelopment and rejuvenation of what were exclusive ‘comfort zones’ for the ‘colonial classes’ and is central to the consumption of colonial nostalgia via tourism. The political and semiotic implications of renewing colonial era constructions for tourism are manifold. The key argument is that this can re-politicise what was hitherto benign colonial heritages. Furthermore, this can aggravate tensions within what are already fragile ethnic landscapes. This is especially so when the setting is one where the various publics have been steeped in economic, cultural and sociopolitical changes, and where political and civil upheavals are recent occurrences. If the restoration of colonial heritage for tourism (in this case for heritage hotels) in former colonies is conducted oblivious to the legacies and meanings instilled in such heritages, the exacerbation of social and political sensitivities is likely.

Keywords:

• colonial heritage
• heritage hotels
• ethnic landscapes
• tourism
• Fiji

Acknowledgements

The research for this project was partly funded through a Monash University, Faculty of Arts Ph.D. scholarship, as well as funding from the National Centre for Australian Studies (NCAS) research support program (main author) and Monash University Fellowship (second author). The authors acknowledge friends and acquaintances in Suva who participated in this study. Also, thanks are extended to the anonymous reviewers who were demanding but fair, resulting in what is an improved final product. Vinaka vaka levu.

Notes on contributors

Joseph M. Cheer is lecturer and associate director of the Australia and International Tourism Research Unit (AITRU) at Monash University, Australia. He has held teaching roles at Monash University and Swinburne University of Technology, was Specialist Trainer/Technical Adviser to the AusAID funded Australian Pacific Technical College (APTC) School of Tourism and Hospitality and has held management posts in the international hotel industry. His current research interests are sociocultural anthropology, cultural geography, postcolonial and development studies. His forthcoming book is on cultural tourism and sustainable livelihoods in the Pacific Islands.

Professor Keir J. Reeves holds a chair in regional engagement at Federation University Australia. He has held teaching and research posts at Monash University and the University of Melbourne. His current research is concentrated on regional development as well as Australian, Asian and Pacific cultural heritage. He has been a Visiting Fellow at Clare Hall, Cambridge and Visiting Researcher at the Macdonald Institute for Archaeological Research and also held visiting research positions at King's College London and Ghent University.