Section 2: What is the relationship between tourism and nationalism?

The critique of tourism as a leisure activity and part of consumer society has encouraged the search for alternative meanings.

One such example is the search for national belonging, perceived as something real and meaningful, as opposed to purely consumerist pleasures (Koshar 1998).

This can be linked to the search for authenticity – the ‘real’ that is assumed to lie beneath commodified experiences.

Tourism has served as a tool for building an imagined community through travel to places that evoke national consciousness.

2.1 What links tourism and nationalism?

With the rise of national movements in the 19th century, tourism became an important expression of national sentiment.

The historian of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Peter Judson, describes the transformation that took place at the end of the 19th century:

Universalist tourism, which sought to unite different parts of the empire, was replaced by particularist tourism, which strengthened national identities (Judson 2002).

The interwar period in Europe saw the politicization of various consumer practices, including tourism. This took several forms.

2.2 What role did ‘domestic tourism’ play?

And here are ways in which domestic tourism was used in the service of nationalism:

Domestic tourism was used to strengthen cultural ties.

Domestic tourism was prioritized over international travel.

Rural travel, though less convenient due to underdeveloped infrastructure, was promoted as a way for urban tourists to reconnect with their rural roots and develop a love for the land.

This was meant as a collective practice, uniting people around a single goal (Purs 2018). The campaign was modeled after the American ‘See America First’ movement.

2.3 How did nationalist tourism and economic nationalism intersect?

Nationalist tourism in the interwar period also intersected with economic nationalism, which was not necessarily regulated by state policy.

Boycotts of Jewish businesses, including tourist establishments, were a reality in many countries. In Weimar Germany, advertising a hotel as ‘Jew-free’ was a competitive market strategy. However, Jewish hotel owners responded by compiling blacklists of anti-Jewish establishments (Reuveni 2020).

Beyond such radical practices as boycotts, tourist narratives often exclude certain groups by focusing on a single national perspective.

This can happen in the case of memory tourism.

The question of the relationship between tourists and locals also raises broader questions regarding belonging.

National tourism assumes that cultures are inherently tied to specific places.

However, the feeling of belonging is not automatic and requires active engagement with the land. People who seek to strengthen their sense of belonging can do so through activities such as ‘roots tourism’ (Chen, Colin & Prayag 2021).

Review Exercises

Having now completed this section, here are some exercises to check your understanding.