Cultural preservation simply means the act of maintaining ancient culture whether it’s of large nations or small indigenous tribes. It can be done by researching and studying languages, restoring historic artifacts found that are significant to its culture or heritage and encouraging the preservation and use of languages or rituals symbolic to them.

Although it seems like the most obvious thing to do, this doesn’t happen enough due to the lack of awareness causing not only culture but also traditions and languages to eventually cease to exist.

What is the importance of preserving culture?

A country’s heritage and the history of it affirm their identity as people that can be introduced to the world becoming of extreme value. Preserving cultural heritage such as sites, buildings, shrines, landmarks and even monuments of historical and cultural significance. It reflects on the heritage which shape one's belief, aspirations and values keeping the integrity of people.

Another importance of preserving one's heritage and culture is the knowledge of it being passed down from one generation to the next. The value of this is extremely important for the minority groups but the bigger nations as well. If people continue to let heritage and culture die out, the future generations become less dynamic. We should instead learn from these perspectives and knowledge accumulated over generations - who knows, they might help us solve our current problems.

Every country has its own culture and national identity that sets it apart from other societies. It can be defined as the language, beliefs, values, and norms that combine to make up the way of life in any society. Every culture has their unique way of viewing the world, solving problems and different takes on religion. Culture also identifies who a person is or where they come from. That alone is worth preserving - don’t you think? Safeguarding all the various cultures from around the world will help to protect the native viewpoints. If we don’t stop to consider the importance of cultural preservation, all these age-old traditions and heritage will start to disappear and we will lose our identities.

How does travel affect cultural preservation?

Let’s start by talking about the positive impacts of travel and tourism. Travel has been made easier and more accessible over the years, now we are able to roam around the globe, meet new people and immerse ourselves in cultures completely different from our own. It provides an opportunity for cross-cultural exchange and it brings people together from different backgrounds, cultures, and traditions. Not only that, the tourism industry also drives economic growth and plays a major role in global economies.

However, as the tourism sector continues to grow, these developments may have a negative implications on the local community and culture.

While tourism can help preserve cultures, it can also water them down via commercialization and cookie-cutter approaches. Oftentimes travel experiences are altered and staged to conform to tourists’ demand and expectations - this results in loss of authenticity and commoditization of local cultures, which threatens local cultural identity.

Aside from the socio-cultural impacts, over-tourism can also cause prominent negative effects such as the exploitation of natural and cultural resources, the destruction of historical monuments and the degradation of our environment, just to name a few.

So, what can we do to help preserve heritage and culture?

It simply starts with awareness. A nation is able to preserve their culture and heritage through introducing it into education. Teaching the future generation the importance of their culture and heritage should be encouraged and guarded safely through knowledge.

In the modern world, media also plays an extremely important role in creating awareness and building an appreciation towards the local culture and traditions.

To manage tourists’ flow and avoid compromising the environment and cultural assets, each tourism destination should identify an acceptable level of visitation. This also helps to prevent overcrowding and creates a better visitor experience.

Ultimately, we need to balance the pros and cons of tourism. With travelers seeking local and authentic indigenous and community-based cultural experiences, we should definitely prioritize preserving our cultures and maintaining authenticity, while celebrating the positive economic outcomes.

We should all begin to take an active role in conserving our tangible and intangible cultural assets. This is so that future generations can appreciate the rich history of Malaysia.

Share with us what you’ve done to help preserve local culture and be sure to tag us whether it’s on Instagram or Facebook @buddyzmalaysia

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