Cultural tourism (or culture tourism) is the subset of tourism concerned with a country or region's culture, especially its arts. It generally focuses on traditional communities who has diverse customs, unique form of art and distinct social practices, which basically distinguishes it from other types/forms of tourism. Cultural tourism includes tourism in urban areas, particularly historic or large cities and their cultural facilities such as museums and theatres. It can also include tourism in rural areas showcasing the traditions of indigenous cultural communities (i.e. festivals, rituals), and their values and lifestyle. It is generally agreed that cultural tourists spend substantially more than standard tourists do. This form of tourism is also becoming generally more popular throughout Europe.

By definition, the term destination refers broadly to any given area where tourism is a relatively important activity, like for instance having an economy significantly influenced by tourism revenues. However, it is complicated by the fact that a single, recognizable destination may include several cities, towns or municipalities, provinces, or other government entities - in island archipelago it may be the entire country.

Due to globalization, technology and the onset of cultural tourism and ecotourism, the number of living cultural areas is continually droping off. For an indigenous culture that has stayed largely separated from the surrounding majority culture, tourism can present both advantages and problems on to it. On the positive side are the unique cultural practices and arts that attract the curiosity of tourists and provide opportunities for tourism and economic development. On the negative side is the issue of how to control tourism so that those same cultural amenities are not destroyed and the people do not feel violated.

Cultural and Ecotourism in the Mountainous Regions of Central Asia and in the Himalayas

Tourism is coming to the previously isolated but spectacular mountainous regions of Central Asia, the Hindu Kush and the Himalayas. Closed for so many years to visitors from abroad, it now attracts a growing number of foreign tourists by its unique culture and splendid natural beauty. However, while this influx of tourists is bringing economic opportunities and employment to local populations, helping to promote these little-known regions of the world, it has also brought challenges along with it: to ensure that it is well-managed and that its benefits are shared by all.

As a response to this concern, the Norwegian Government, as well as the UNESCO, organized an interdisciplinary project called the Development of Cultural and Eco-tourism in the Mountainous Regions of Central Asia and the Himalayas project. It aims to establish links and promote cooperation between local communities, national and international NGOs, and tour agencies in order to heighten the role of the local community and involve them fully in the employment opportunities and income-generating activities that tourism can bring. Project activities include training local tour guides, producing high-quality craft items and promoting home-stays and bed-and-breakfast type accommodation.

As of now, the project is drawing on the expertise of international NGOs and tourism professionals in the seven participating countries, making a practical and positive contribution to alleviating poverty by helping local communities to draw the maximum benefit from their region’s tourism potential, while protecting the environmental and cultural heritage of the region concerned.

Buddhist Religion in India

Buddhism is a path of practice and spiritual development leading to ones insight into the true nature of life. Buddhist practices such as meditation are means of changing oneself in order to develop the qualities of awareness, kindness, and wisdom. Buddhism is not about teaching or learning but its all about experiencing.

Buddhist ideology does not advocate the practice of worshipping a creator God. Hence, quite often it is not really seen as a religion in the normal sense. The basic tenets of Buddhist teaching are straight forward and practical: nothing is fixed or permanent; actions have consequences; change is possible. It teaches practical methods (such as meditation) which enable people to realise and utilise its teachings in order to transform their experience, to be fully responsible for their lives and to develop the qualities of Wisdom and Compassion.

There are over 360 million buddhists followers from all parts of the world. They follow many different forms of Buddhism, but all traditions are characterised by non-violence, lack of dogma, tolerance of differences, and, usually, by the practice of meditation. MEDITATION Meditation is at the heart of the Buddhist way of life. It is basically a method for understanding and working on our own mind. We first learn to identify our different negative mental states known as 'delusions', and learn how to develop peaceful and positive mental states or 'virtuous minds'.

Then in meditation we overcome our delusions by becoming familiar with virtuous minds. Out of meditation we try to maintain the virtuous minds we have developed and use our wisdom to solve the problems of daily life. As our mind becomes more positive our actions become more constructive, and our experience of life becomes more satisfying and beneficial to others.

Anyone can learn basic meditation techniques and experience great benefits, but to progress beyond basic meditation requires faith in the Three Jewels - Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. Usually people find this develops naturally as they experience the benefits of their meditation practice.

THE SPIRITUAL PATH The teachings of Buddha reveal a step by step path to lasting happiness. By following this path anyone can gradually transform his or her mind from its present confused and self-centered state into the blissful mind of a Buddha.

It is said that: "Every living being has the potential to become a Buddha, someone who has completely purified his or her mind of all faults and limitations and has brought all good qualities to perfection. Our mind is like a cloudy sky, in essence clear and pure but overcast by the clouds of delusions. "

Just as the thickest clouds eventually disperse, so too even the heaviest delusions can be removed from our mind. Delusions such as hatred, greed, and ignorance are not an intrinsic part of the mind. If we apply the appropriate methods they can be completely eliminated, and we shall experience the supreme happiness of full enlightenment.

Having attained enlightenment we shall have all the necessary qualities - universal love and compassion, omniscient wisdom and boundless spiritual power - to lead all living beings to the same exalted state. This is the ultimate aim of Mahayana Buddhism.

India being the country of birth for Gautam Buddha, figures as one of the most important place in buddhism.

Buddhist Pilgrimage in India Sometime during the sixth century BC a solitary, wandering ascetic sat to meditate beneath a shady tree, resolving not to rise until he had attained the ultimate knowledge of spiritual enlightenment. Thus began Buddhism, one of the world's great religions and pilgrimage traditions.

There are between four and sixteen principal Buddhist pilgrimage sites, with the most important located primarily in the Ganges Valley of India.

The most important place of Buddhist pilgrimage is Lumbini, located near the Nepal-India border. This is where Gautam Buddha was born to a royal family in 556 B.C.E. Many auspicious signs accompanied the Buddha's birth, including the sprouting of the bodhi tree. The great Buddhist ruler Ashoka visited the site two centuries later, constructing a stupa (mound, usually of earth) and pillar in recognition. Although largely destroyed now, these remain important marks of the Buddha's birthplace.

The Buddha attained enlightenment at the age of 29 in the city of Bodhgaya in India. After settling under a tree, the Buddha made the resolve not to move until he had achieved enlightenment. After three days and nights of profound meditation this goal was realised. The bodhi tree under which the Buddha sat has been destroyed both intentionally and naturall,y many times since this time of enlightenment. It has continued to resprout and is visible today.

The Mahabodhi Temple marks Bodhgaya. The origins of the Temple are unclear. Some claim the Temple could have been built as early as the third century by Ashoka, others claim the Temple was built between the fifth and seventh centuries. A thriving Monastic Order continues in the area today, with three monasteries catering for locals and foreigners alike.

At Sarnath in the Ganges Valley of India, the Buddha proclaimed the law of faith. It was here that he taught the keys aspects of Buddhism: the four noble truths, the eightfold path and the middle way philosophy. The Buddha encouraged followers to avoid extremes of austerity or pleasure. The remains of monasteries dating from the third century B.C.E. to the first century C.E. indicate a thriving monastic community.

Another of the most commonly visited places of Buddhist pilgrimage is Shravasti. It is here that the Buddha is said to have performed great miracles. One story tells of how on throwing down the seed of a mango, a great mango tree instantly arose. Another story tells of how the Buddha stood in the air, the lower part of his body engulfed in flames, with five hundred jets of water streaming from the top of his body. In Sankashaya the Buddha descended from the Tushita Heaven. It is said that during the forty-first year of the Buddha's life, he went to the Tushita Heaven to teach Dharma to his mother, who had died shortly after the Buddha's death. Ashoka later built a Temple on the site. Today, little of the site's glory remains. This is the only important place of Buddhist pilgrimage where no temples, or monasteries exist today.

Nalanda is important both because it was blessed with the presence of the Buddha, and because of the famous monastic university developed there. This university also named Nalanda (meaning 'insatiable in giving') played a central role in the development of Buddhism in India.

Rajgir is another place in the Ganges Valley where the Buddha walked and preached. Perhaps the most important event of the Buddha's visits to Rajgir was the conversion of two future disciples, Sariputra and Maudgalyayana. While Sariputra was credited with greater intelligence, Maudgalyayana wielded a greater power for miracles.

Other commemorative monuments to the spread in Buddhism in India include Sanchi, Bharhut, Amaravati, and Nagarjunakonda where great Buddhist stupas and Buddhist university sites remain. India also boosts the famous Buddhist Cave Temples, Ajanta, Ellora, Kanheri and Karli located in western India.

The places of birth and enlightenment are perhaps the two most important sites of pilgrimage for Buddhists in the world today. These are accompanied by a number of other sites marking the spread of Buddhism throughout the Indian sub-continent.

There are four principal Buddhist pilgrimage sitesItalic text where most of the buddhist temples and shrines are located. The most important of these are located primarily in the Ganges Valley of India.

LUMBINI In the Himalayan kingdom of Nepal lies Lumbini, the birthplace of Prince Siddhartha Gautama, who was later to become the Buddha. Queen Maya Devi of the Sakya clan was on her way to her parental home when she gave birth to the prince under a tree. More on Lumbini..

BODH GAYA RajgirBodh Gaya is where Siddhartha Gautama became the Buddha as he sat in meditation on the diamond seat under the Bodhi (Ficus Religiosa) tree. More on Bodhgaya...

SARNATH It was in the Deer Park at Sarnath that the Buddha gave his first significant sermons on the Middle Way, the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path to his five fellow seekers who became the first monks of the order. More on Sarnath..

KUSHINAGAR The Buddha died in a Saal forest in Kushinagar and attained mahaparinirvana at the age of 80. More on Kushinagar..

http://www.buddhist-temples.com/

Calakmul region of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

The Calakmul region of the Yucatan peninsula is located in the south-east corner of the state of Campeche, just north of the junction between the Belize/Guatemala/Mexico borders. The area was very sparsely inhabited (save for a sawmill town) until the 1960's, when the Mexican government opened up the region to provide settlements for displaced and landless campesinos from many different parts of Mexico. Today, the Calakmul region has a heterogeneous population of about 16,000 people living in over 60 scattered and isolated villages, including immigrants from several different indigenous groups, including the Yucatec Maya. The region is extremely rich in archaeological heritage - several well-restored sites are easily accessible by road. Given its ethnic diversity, the area is also rich in living cultural heritage. Chicle tapping is an important source of income for local campesinos, as well as beekeeping (and to a lesser extent, harvesting honey from the native stingless bees, a centuries old Maya tradition). Several communities have their own homegrown campesino musicians and dancers, performing their arts during local events.

Tourism in the Calakmul region is growing quickly. A new airstrip is being built, the main road is being improved, a luxury hotel was recently opened and smaller locally owned hotels have been built. Between 1994 and 1997, visits to the archaeological site of Becan (the most accessible) increased tenfold, from 30 to over 300 visitors per month. Though these numbers are encouraging to the local communities, they do not translate into economic benefits for them, as tourists to the area have little else to turn to in their search for tourism opportunities. As a result, an area very rich in living cultural heritage is missing out on a potentially lucrative market.

Over the past few years, conservation organizations working in Calakmul have alerted the residents to the potential economic benefits associated with becoming involved in tourism. However, efforts to tap into tourism have frequently met with frustration. It became clear that the very wide divergence between the culture of land based campesino/indigenous communities and the business culture of tour operators made business partnerships difficult. Concepts of time, money, management, maintenance were interpreted very differently. Tour operators looking for a complete "package" were not willing to invest time and money to work out all the organizational details.

In Calakmul, a local NGO, the Calakmul Model Forest (CMF) quickly stepped in as a local intermediary. With its business skills, good knowledge of business culture and strong local presence, the CMF was able to bridge the gap between the suppliers of living cultural heritage products and the tour operators. Ensuring proper preparation and communication between both sides of the cultural divide, the CMF was able to open lines of communication and help communities develop basic cultural heritage tourism products. Using this approach, the CMF, in cooperation with the Eastern Ontario Model Forest, ran the first organized cultural and natural heritage tour to the Calakmul region. For the first time, tourists were able to have a traditional meal in a Maya village, see how the ancient art of Maya beekeeping was done, hear the music of campesinos who had never played for a foreign audience before and walk in a campesino's agroforestry plot and ask him questions about his practices. This first positive experience has sparked the interest of other tour operators - the Calakmul Model Forest region has since been featured as a tourist destination at a tour operator fair in Toronto, Canada.

Chiloé, Chile

Chiloé is Chile's largest island, located at the midway point between the capital, Santiago, and the country's extreme south at Tierra del Fuego. Chiloé is the site of the Chiloé Model Forest, member of the same network as the Calakmul and Eastern Ontario Model Forests. Having evolved for centuries isolated from mainland Chile, the "Chilotes" developed a strong, self-reliant culture, rich in folklore, mythology and tradition. This very identity is what constitutes the island's major attraction for domestic tourists in Chile and increasingly, for international tourists. As in the Calakmul case above, tourism to Chiloé is very strongly based on the island's cultural heritage, predominantly consisting of crafts markets, appreciation of cultural landscapes, museum exhibitions, seafood cuisine and architectural heritage (Chiloé's old churches). However, the average tourist to the island will have little opportunity to see Chilotes involved in their living cultural activities, such as the elaborate preparation of the islands famous "curanto" meal, rich in shellfish, meat and potatoes, the management practices of their farm and forest lands, boat building and more.

In order to overcome the cultural and organizational barriers that keep suppliers of living cultural heritage and tour operators apart, the Chiloé diocese of Ancud established a private foundation called "Fundación con Todos" (One for All Foundation). Among other activities, the Foundation has played a key role in helping a number of Chilote households organize themselves into an "agrotourism" network. The Foundation helped Chilote households make the preparation required to accommodate tourists (including training in sanitation and maintenance of facilities, the provision of basic infrastructure) and complemented this effort with a professional marketing campaign. These works were undertaken with the financial support of other agencies.

Again, in cooperation with the EOMF and the Chiloé Model Forest, a cultural and natural heritage tour was organized to Argentina and Chile, including a three-day visit to Chiloé, permitting some of the Chilote households to host a group of cultural heritage tourists for the first time. The visits were very successful and should be the first of more to come, helping establish the credibility of Chiloé's agrotourism network among other tour operators.

http://www.chin.gc.ca/Resources/Icom/English/Collection/e_texte_mp.html

Kentucky’s Elk Country

The region’s early settlers carefully packed precious possessions and necessary provisions before leaving their homes in Virginia, North Carolina or Tennessee. The arduous trek into the mountainous region of Southeastern Kentucky would stretch their resources to the limit. Although every square inch of storage space was needed, the pioneers made room in their wagons for mandolins, guitars, dulcimers and other stringed instruments. Music was an important part of their European heritage. Much like their ancestors who carried instruments across the ocean, the Kentucky pioneers enjoyed the comfort of hearing a familiar song being strummed while on the long journey to unfamiliar territory. The musicians who migrated to Southeast Kentucky are credited with giving birth to bluegrass and country music. Some of our nation’s most talented musicians are descended from the early settlers of Elk Country Corridor. A portion of Country Music Highway (US Route 23) runs through the area and pays tribute to local legends Hylo Brown, Jeanne Ritchie and the Sexton Family. Music remains an important part of life in the region and receives national attention. A recent issue of National Geographic Magazine featured the unique music scene that has evolved in Whitesburg where seasoned musicians teach students to play traditional instruments in an after school program called “Passing the Pick and Bow.” Many of the students aspire to play in bluegrass or country bands. Others hope to incorporate the instruments in newer genres of music. Visitors to the area can enjoy offerings as diverse as traditional bluegrass and Christian punk rock. The article recognizes the contribution of Appalshop to the region’s musical scene. Along with a vast collection of recorded Appalachian music, Appalshop also houses a recording studio and radio station. Live concerts are staged at its facility in Whitesburg and other venues throughout the Appalachian region. Along with musical instruments, pioneers often transported spinning wheels and looms to the new region. The items were a vital necessity in the isolated region where households had to be self-sustaining. Along with clothing, the spinning wheels and looms were needed to create other items including quilts and rugs. The pioneers often made their own furniture, musical instruments, candles, pottery, baskets, dolls, wooden toys and other items. Generations later, area men and women continue the tradition of creating genuine mountain craft items. Their handiwork enjoys a worldwide reputation for quality, originality and beauty. Products made by Elk Country Corridor’s skilled craftspeople are displayed and sold in a variety of outlets throughout the region. Visitors will find an amazing range of quality Appalachian crafts offered including woven rugs, baskets, quilts, candles, dulcimers, pottery and furniture. Mountain craft heritage is also celebrated at a variety of festivals and events throughout the region. Visitors are invited to watch as skilled hands create a vibrant quilt, fine piece of furniture, braided rug, colorful birdhouse, wooden toy or other traditional craft items.

Cultural heritage offerings in the Elk Country Corridor include, but are not limited to:

Appalshop Center, located in downtown Whitesburg, is a creative media center focusing on the history, culture and social issues of the Appalachian region. Operations include June Appal Recordings, Roadside Theater, Headwaters Television, WMMT-FM Radio, Appalshop Films, and an art gallery. Since its beginning in 1969, Appalshop has gained a reputation for making powerful documentaries about folk-culture figures and social activism in Appalachia. Visitors can watch many of the videos, enjoy live music by local musicians and tour the facility. Appalshop sponsors concerts and other live performances at its location in Whitesburg and at venues throughout Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.

The Greater Hazard Area Arts Council and Performing Arts Series (offers regional and national performances in music, drama and dance. Performances are held in the Forum at the Hal Rogers Center on Hwy 15, south of Hazard and in the First Federal Center at Hazard Community & Technical College. The series runs during the fall and spring semesters.

Seco Company Store & Winery is located on Hwy. 805 at Seco. The restored commissary serves as a gathering place for people to share the musical and artistic heritage of the Southeastern Kentucky coal town. Displays include dulcimers, carvings, quilts, and other regional crafts. The property also houses 12 bed & breakfast units and the Highlands Winery.

Country Music Highway National Scenic Byway begins in Whitesburg. A section of Highway 23 was renamed to honor the many entertainers who grew up in the area including Hylo Brown, Billy Ray Cyrus, Crystal Gayle, Tom T. Hall,the Judds, Patty Loveless, Loretta Lynn, Jeanne Ritcher, the Sexton Family, Ricky Skaggs and Dwight Yokum.

Kentucky School of Craft in downtown Hindman is a professional school affiliated with Hazard Community College. The facility offers training in a variety of high quality media including clay, wood, jewelry/metals, blacksmithing and fiber. Tours of the facility can be arranged. Kentucky

Appalachian Artisan Center, located in downtown Hindman, is a regional marketing and support system for local artists. The Center is dedicated to building an artisan-based economic sector in Southeastern Kentucky that will include musicians, storytellers, writers, craft makers and others who carry on the cultural traditions of the Appalachian region. The center is open to the public and offers a retail section, art exhibits and craft demonstrations.

Red Bird Mission Crafts, located on Rte. 66 in Beverly, provides economic opportunity for artisans in the area. Offerings include dulcimers, hickory bark furniture, baskets, birdhouses, handmade beeswax candles, hand-woven rugs, coal product figurines, dolls, wooden toys, Christmas ornaments, pottery, corn-shuck flowers and more. Morris Fork Crafts is located in rural Breathitt Co. off Hwy 28. Visitors will be impressed by the wide variety of traditional Appalachian items. Everything is handmade by the 80 members of this local craft co-op. Items available include quilts, wood crafts, baskets and a variety of other fine crafts.

Marie Stewart Crafts preserves the rich traditions of area craftsmanship. The co-op features only juried items to ensure the highest quality. Craft demonstrations are provided seasonally.

The Cozy Corner is located in downtown Whitesburg. Housed in an historic building, circa 1911, the store offers handmade local quilts, books on Appalachia, regional folk art, and local crafts.

Valley of the Wind showcases the paintings of Sharman, Jeff and Evan Chapman-Crane. Subject matter including mountain people, places and endangered animals are presented in styles ranging from classic to contemporary. The studio is housed in a 1920-era farmhouse located between Pine and Black Mountains on Highway 806 near Eolia.

Pine Mountain/Letcher County Craft Co-op, located on Highway 119 near Whitesburg, features the works of 40 local craftspeople. Offerings include handmade birdhouses, cane-bottom chairs, soft sculpture dolls and hand-painted gourds. Craft demonstrations are presented.

http://www.tourseky.net/media/Elk_Country_Corridor_Cultural.pdf

Maasai

Maasai people

The Maasai have a long tradition of pastoralism, though today some are adopting a settled life. They speak a language of the Eastern Nilotic Maa grouping, which also includes the languages of the Arusha and Baraguyu, or Kwafi, peoples of Tanzania.

Traditional Maasai society is governed by a series of age-based groupings, especially among the males. Males between the approximate ages of 15 and 30 are junior Ilmurran, or warriors, whose responsibility it is to protect the herds. During this period, the Ilmurran live in a separate area called Emanyata and are prohibited from marrying. After age 30 they become senior warriors for approximately 15 years. During this time they live among the rest of the Maasai and serve as a sort of home guard, and have the option of marrying. Following this stage, men become junior elders. After another interval of approximately 15 years, they become senior elders, who make decisions for the group.

The Maasai have a long tradition of pastoralism, though today some are adopting a settled life. They speak a language of the Eastern Nilotic Maa grouping, which also includes the languages of the Arusha and Baraguyu, or Kwafi, peoples of Tanzania.

Traditional Maasai society is governed by a series of age-based groupings, especially among the males. Males between the approximate ages of 15 and 30 are junior Ilmurran, or warriors, whose responsibility it is to protect the herds. During this period, the Ilmurran live in a separate area called Emanyata and are prohibited from marrying. After age 30 they become senior warriors for approximately 15 years. During this time they live among the rest of the Maasai and serve as a sort of home guard, and have the option of marrying. Following this stage, men become junior elders. After another interval of approximately 15 years, they become senior elders, who make decisions for the group.

Land is traditionally considered communal; wealth is determined by the number of cattle owned, and families brand their cattle to differentiate them. Traditional Maasai live in temporary camps called enkangitie (enkang in the singular), composed of huts, called kralls or bomas, made of wooden poles and plastered with dung. Kralls include a corral for the cattle.

After Kenyan independence in 1963, significant portions of the most fertile and well-watered areas of Maasailand were taken by the government and distributed to other ethnic groups. The Maasai today face problems of overgrazing and soil erosion as they find themselves more and more constrained. The governments of both Kenya and Tanzania have encouraged them to abandon their communal land ownership practices and nomadic existence in favor of private property, either for ranching or for farming.

Unwritten languages such as Maa, destabilize quicker than languages that are disseminated through the printed word. As the traditional Maasai lifestyle is under pressure to change, the language is also facing the probability of change. Culture is transmitted from one generation to the next via language, and the lexicon, or unique words of a given language, express concepts central to the culture. When languages are lost, the unique history of tribal origins, tales of epic battles and events, and the rationale behind daily rituals, from birth to death, are also lost. Image:Http://www.maasaioralhistories.org/images/maasailand map.gif

Orrissa Tribes Nestling on the eastern coast of India, Orissa is one of the most exquisite regions dominated by exotic sandy beaches, plenteous wild life, and holy temples famous for their architectural splendor and primitive lifestyle. The charm of the city is still well- nigh chaste and unrevealed by the visitors, up to its full extent. The other lure of the city lies in its tribal population dotted with more than 62 tribal communities. The tribal communities of Orissa constitute about 23% of its total population. Orissa is inhabited by tribes like Saora or Sabar that had a respectable mentioning in the epic of Mahabharata.

Mostly the Orissa tribes are high land habitats with opulent ethnic trait, cultures and customs dominated by varying languages. The culture conscious tribes are able to preserve their social customs and dignified values. The most primitive tribes are Bondas, Gadabas, Koyas, Kondhas and Sauras.

The culture of tribal Orissa is affluent with their own folk songs and dances, their tattoos. Tribal culture of Orissa is well depicted in its modern city in form of poems, art and craft or music.

The tribes have adapted the Hindu traditions and culture from centuries, which is mixed with their own culture giving a distinct zest to the entire racial. Songs and dances are the essence of the tribal culture of Orissa. The traditions and the ceremonies for wedding, birth and death all are represented by singing songs, rural dances along with feasts.

The Tribal Folk Orissan tribes are strong, assiduous and simple hospitable tribes, normally like to be reserved and maintain distance from the people of other communities, as they are too shy. The major occupation of these tribes is agriculture and fishing and hunting. Men usually wear loin attire and women rap long stretch of cloth around them. Women are adorned with ornaments like bangles, armlets, bracelets, necklaces, rings, hairpins etc usually made of silvers, aluminum, and brass. The practice of tattooing is prevalent among women folk. Girls above 5 years are found with tattoo mark on their faces and hands.

Festival Celebration Numbers of deities are worshiped by the tribes for their happy life. Many festivals are also celebrated with much of enthusiasm and excitement. The ceremony rituals are observed through out the year in order to appease their deities and ascendant.

The most significant festival of the year are the chaita parab and push parab- this day all able men of the village go on a hunting expedition. The tribes with their cultural dance, song and music all distinguish custom of their artistic life, which demarcate them from the other non tribal groups.

Orissa acquire every thing Orissa is a state, embellished with hilly terrain of the Eastern Ghats, where primitive tribes dwell and a beautiful stretch of the Indo-Aryans coast where modern life persists. A blend of 2 discrete civilization with contrast cultures, beautiful landscapes, beaches, rich wildlife, offers the best of India to its visitors.

Vanuatu

With a population of approximately 217,746 (from the Vanuatu Statistics Bureau 2005), Vanuatu boasts 113 distinct languages and innumerable dialects. This makes it one of the most culturally diverse countries on earth.

This amazing diversity is a result of 3,000 years of sporadic immigration from many Pacific countries. Although most settlers arrive from Melanesia, the larger built, lighter skinned Polynesians also settled in the islands. As with all nations and peoples, over millennia these different groups came into both peaceful and violent contact, sometimes intermarrying and sometimes having losing their cultural identity to a more dominant group.

As the issue of globalization takes place to this modern time, the challenge of preserving the few remaining cultural community around the world is becoming hard. In a tribal based community, reaching economic advancement with minimal negative impacts is an essential objective to any destination planner. Since they are using the culture of the region as the main attraction, sustainable destination development of the area is vital for them to prevent the negative impacts (i.e. destroying the authentic identity of the tribal community) due to tourism.

Certainly, the principle of "one size fits all” doesn’t apply to destination planning. The needs, expectations, and anticipated benefits from tourism vary greatly from one destination to another. This is clearly exemplified as local communities living in regions with tourism potential (destinations) develop a vision for what kind of tourism they want to facilitate, depending on issues and concerns they want to be settled or satisfied.

Culture: the heart of development policy.

It is important that the destination planner takes into account the diverse definition of culture as the term is subjective. Satisfying tourists' interests such as landscapes, seascapes, art, nature, traditions, ways of life and other products associated to them -which may be categorized cultural in the broadest sense of the word, is a prime consideration as it marks the initial phase of the development of a cultural destination.

The quality of service and destination, which doesn't solely depend on the cultural heritage but more importantly to the cultural environment, can further be developed by setting controls and policies which shall govern the the community and its stakeholders. It is therefore safe to say that the planner should be on the ball with the varying meaning of culture itself as this fuels the formulation of development policies that shall entail efficient planning and monitored growth (e.g. strict policy on the protection and preservation of the community).

Local Community, Tourists,the Destination and Sustainable Tourism

While satisfying tourists' interests and demands may be a top priority, it is also imperative to ruminate the subsystems of the destinatons (residents).

The core of a planner’s job is to design an appropriate planning process and facilitate community decision. Ample information which is a crucial requirement is contributed through various technical researches and analyses. Here are some of the helpful tools commonly used by planners to aid them:

1. Key Informant Interviews
2. Libraries, Internet, and Survey Research
3. Census and Statistical Analysis
4. Spatial Analysis with Geographical Information System (GIS) and Global Positioning System (GPS) technologies

Participating structures are primarily led by the government’s local authorities and the official tourism board or council, with the involvement of various NGOs, community and indigenous representatives, development organizations, and the academe.

• Heritage tourism
• Cultural Area
• Indigenous Peoples
• Tourism geography