Comodificarea turistică a comunităţilor "neatinse", prin lentila antropologică The rural community seen from the perspective of its residents and local administration Section Empirical Studies

Abstract

Through this article I try to offer an insight into the changes of the rural communities in Romania, under the influence of tourism. In order to sustain my point of view, I will bring into discussion a case study - Măgura village in Braşov County. In the theoretical framework of tourism anthropology, commodification is often brought about - the transformation of a culture, or a place, in a commercial product. Tourism entrepreneurs often search for authenthic culture, unspoiled nature, and rather isolated communities, to offer a concept of a "eco life" to their clients. This "eco life" is commodified, and when tourists buy a holiday package, they actually buy the illusion of a lifestyle. However, the implication of tourism in communities is not without consequences: positive as well as negative. The entrepreneurs and the locals often perceive differently the situation created by the impact of tourism. The main questions. I address in this paper are: What is the impact of tourism on the receiver communities? Or otherwise said: Is there arising a "colonisation" of the locals phenomenon by the urban entrepreneurs or we should rather see impact as the alteration of the local culture and economy? I will also address the problem of local identity change through commodification of nature and local specific, exemplifing etnographically the way a rural community changes - Măgura.