Commodification of Culture and Religious Festivals in Malta
- Chloe
- Apr 25, 2019
- 4 min read
Throughout the globe, the commodification of culture has become ever-present in the lives of locals and tourists. It creates an inauthentic image of the culture being explored and impacts the local community more than one would think.
Cultural traditions, townscapes, and religious and secular festivals have been set at the forefront of every travel brochure and agency listing. Before examining the topic any further I decided to dive into some research regarding the commodification of culture and its effect of various communities throughout the world. A book I came across was The Tourist Image: Myths and Myth Making in Tourism edited by Tom Selwyn and written by John Wiley. This book highlights various cases of commodification and image creation in the tourism and travel industry. The authenticity of tourism in most cases is covered by innovative and manipulative marketing campaigns.
One chapter within this book really explores the damaging effects of inauthentic tourism. The chapter I will be referencing the is “Ritual, Tourism, and Cultural Commodification in Malta: Culture by the Pound?”
The country of Malta, located between Sicily and the North African coastline in the Mediterranean, has experienced a tremendous boom in tourism and non-native residents. Malta is known for being a densely populated European country with close to 120 square miles and over 350,000 residents.
“Between May and October every town and village… celebrates the feast day or ‘festa’ of its patron saint… no holidaymaker to Malta should leave the Island without experiencing one.” - 1992 NTO Brochure
Before the 1980s Malta’s tourism was based largely on its sea-side views, pleasure activities, and its history and culture. The main provider of Malta’s tourism network is the Malta National Tourist Organization (NTO). They formulate the image Malta showcases to the world and they’ve adjusted the market in order to acquire a myriad of tourists from all walks of life.
In the eighties, Malta’s NTO rarely discussed religious activities and events through their travel brochures. Malta’s population is predominantly Roman Catholic. Celebrations of the saints and religious festivals around holy times were pushed under the rug, unknown to tourist; however, beginning in the 1990s the NTO began to press for more intelligent tourists that would spread the news of Malta’s exquisite culture to the world.
The National Tourist Organization began to use local religious affairs in its tourism campaigns and Malta has yet to be the same as it was before the commodification of its religious festivities.
Wiley uses the prime example of festival commodification through the town of Naxxar. Naxxar celebrates its saints and other religious holidays annually. Tourism within the town of Naxxar has increased and so has its "outsider real estate".
Throughout the progression of Naxxar's social atmosphere, the housing and real estate politics are what define the effects of commodification in Malta. Malta's new found desire to entertain those of high intellect with religious festivals and activities drew a new crowd to Naxxar.
New buildings mimicking the old or being completely modernized have become the norm. Non-natives have collectively gathered along the ancient streets of the inner city and have made their home in Naxxar. This new pool of diverse cultures has been eating away at Malta's true identity. Outsiders are drawn by the promise of either a happy retirement or a gorgeous vacation home.
The growth of housing development has also led Naxaarins to become less involved in social affairs and each other's lives.
As time goes on, Naxxar loses its unique displays of religious festivities and a decline in tourism is seen as well as the disinterest of outsiders to Naxxar's true culture. The insider and outsider culture presented leads to a protected aspect of Malta culture.
"The front (mostly seen by outsiders) is the meeting place of hosts and guests or customers and service persons, and the back (more common to the insiders or natives) is the place where members of the home team retire between performances to relax and to prepare." -MacCannell (via Wiley)
Wiley states it best, "The front (mostly seen by outsiders) is the meeting place of hosts and guests or customers and service persons, and the back (more common to the insiders or natives) is the place where members of the home team retire between performances to relax and to prepare." Tourist see the picture Malta wants them to see.
Malta hides its true identity in order to excel as a business venture. Behind the doors of bars and the weekly religious parish events, Malta has a rich, diverse, and historical culture that is waiting to be explored. Getting past the glitz and glamour needs of the modern tourist, one can truly see the beauty within the 120 square miles of Maltese culture. You just have to look a little bit harder and shield yourself from the practiced tourist-centered performances.
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