Events and Tourism: Review of Cultural Heritage Management Article

This report is a critical review of an article by Audax Mabulla, focusing on cultural heritage management in Tanzania and its potential for tourism development. The review examines the abstract's relevance, the article's structure, and the scope of the research, highlighting the importance ...Read More

Running Head: EVENTS AND TOURISM – ARTICLE REVIEW
Events and Tourism – Article Review
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1EVENTS AND TOURISM – ARTICLE REVIEW
Tanzania in Africa is one of the most beautiful destinations of the country, and is known
to attract tourists from each and every part of the globe. The country of Tanzania lies to the
extreme south of a country and is characterized by wild, vivid and exotic flora and fauna. The
wildlife in Tanzania as well as its local culture captures the attention of tourists easily (Schmidt
and Pikirayi 2016). This essay critically reviews an article on cultural tourism in Tanzania by
Audax Mabulla, entitled, “Strategy for Cultural Heritage Management in Africa: A Case Study”.
The purpose of this review is to highlight the importance of cultural heritage management and
the effective ways by which it can be implemented.
Relevance of the Abstract in Pointing out the Aim of the Research
The abstract of the article outlines the theme of the article, which is, that Africa’s past
heritage is economically sustainable in character and that it can be used for long term economic
productivity. In the view of the author, only through the adequate management of cultural
heritage can Africa as a continent establish its prominence in domains such as global tourism,
global research and global education. While the abstract does a good job of mentioning in brief
what the article is all about, it is not too well written and is certainly lacking in terms of the
lucidity of style and language. The sentences used to convey the arguments of the author are
abrupt and short, making for difficult reading. The abstract gives readers a decent synopsis of
what is about to follow in the article, but does not outline in brief, the main points to be
discussed, which for all good purposes, an abstract should do. Hence the article abstract can be
said to be a bit abstract and vague. It does give readers a sense of what is to come, but a lot could
have been elaborated upon.

2EVENTS AND TOURISM – ARTICLE REVIEW
Evaluation of Article Structure and Scope of the Research
The article is one that is neatly divided into different sections. The author first gives
readers an elaborate introduction to go through, that gives readers an idea of the importance and
the necessity of cultural heritage management. Readers are made to understand how cultural
heritage is something that forms a crucial part of a dynamic ecosystem and that culture is to be
preserved and studied, if the essence and character of a country is to be well understood
(Rogerson and Van der Mewe 2016). Following this detailed and elaborate introduction, the
author goes onto discuss the potential in Tanzania for the development of cultural tourism. This
the author does with special reference to a number of popular destinations within Tanzania such
as Olduvai Gorge, Laetoli, Isimila, Engaruka Basin and Lake Natron, Serengeti National Park,
Eyasi Basin, Central Tanzania and the Coast of Tanzania. The author talks about not only the
preservation of flora and fauna in each and every one of these areas but also the preservation of
architectural sites and buildings that are reminiscent of Africa’s colonial and pre-colonial past.
Indeed the Tanzania Coast is a place that is characterized by an abundance of buildings that
feature a colonial architectural style and which give visitors a faint idea of what life was like in
this part of Africa when the colonizers invaded and established their rule. The preservation of
buildings in itself is quite a mammoth task, and there are multiple procedures and techniques in
addition to a ton of money that goes into making sure that heritage buildings are well preserved
(Akagawa and Smith 2018). Audax Mabulla does a good job does a good job of mentioning why
heritage and conservation is needed to protect the architectural sites in Tanzania, given how
culturally rich these places are, and how important these structures are for understanding the
history and culture of any country as a whole (Ekern et al. 2016).

3EVENTS AND TOURISM – ARTICLE REVIEW
After discussing the numerous ways and means by which architectural sites, local
customs and flora and fauna can be preserved in various parts of Tanzania, the author outlines a
number of strategies that can be implemented in order to develop cultural tourism in Tanzania.
First and foremost, the author talks about the necessity for planning and management if cultural
tourism is to be developed in Tanzania. Not only do the heritage sites and locations have to be
managed and cared for in a way that no harm comes to them, it is also important to ensure that
these are exhibited in a way that they provide customers with the satisfaction they demand
(Ndoro et al. 2017).It is carefully planning and management that in the view of the author can go
a long way in helping Tanzania to management ad execute cultural tourism and heritage
management in the best possible way. Specifically, what the author points to the necessity of, is
the identification of heritage and cultural products that are easily marketable, followed by the
preservation and management of these products. Protection, preservation, conservation as well as
curation are the four different ways by which cultural and heritage management can be carried
out (Dinnie 2015). Once marketable products have been situated, be it relics, souvenirs, carpets
and furnishings or tourist sites, these have to be properly managed by guarding them from abuse
or destruction, preserving them (Mortara et al. 2014). This is necessary so that these have a long
life and can entertain tourists for years to come, conserved so that the good shelf life of the
marketable products is easily retained and curated adequately, so that tourists get to choose from
only the best of the cultural products and artifacts that are unique to the country (Guzman et al.
2017). . Curation is something that has a particularly important role to play in the view of the
author, largely because of the fact that it is responsible for showcasing only those marketable
products before consumers that are aesthetically pleasing in quality, and which cater easily to
people who have the most refined tastes and preferences (Mabullah 2000).

4EVENTS AND TOURISM – ARTICLE REVIEW
It is fair to say that Audax Mabullah does quite a stellar job of pointing out the need for
developing infrastructure and enhancing local tourist attractions for the purpose of improving
and carrying out cultural heritage management in Tanzania. The author very wisely states that an
adequate number of tourist lodges, guest houses and other forms of accommodation need to be
developed if tourists are to find comfort and safety when vacationing in Tanzania (Mabullah
2000). Tourists need to be given security and stability upon their arrival in the course of their
stay here so that they feel happy and safe and comfortable when touring the different parts of the
country and find every incentive to pay another visit soon (Graham et al. 2016). If there are not
enough guest houses and lodges for tourists to put up at, then it will be difficult for them to come
and explore T in the a country in the first place (Raj and Griffin 2015). A number of tourist
attractions that Tanzania is famous for, also need to be well highlighted and developed over the
long term, as very aptly pointed out by Audax Mabullah. For instance, boating cruises along the
coast of Tanzania ought to be promoted as these can serve as a source of great entertainment for
tourists. The conventional boating cruises take place for an hour or two and give tourists an
amazing view of the Tanzania coast. Safari tours can also be organized in order to promote and
develop cultural tourism in Tanzania as argued by the author, which is a moot point, given how
safaris end up giving tourists a breathtaking view of the African landscape while exposing them
to the amazing wildlife that this continent is so famous for (Mabullah 2000).
The author points to the importance of forming partnerships with local communities in
order to promote cultural tourism in Tanzania. For instance, the author suggests that tourists can
be made to come and visit the country at a time when local festivals are being celebrated, when
local traditional customs are being practiced on a wide scale, and at a time when people can get
an up close and personal view of what local culture in Tanzania is all about. The author also

5EVENTS AND TOURISM – ARTICLE REVIEW
rightfully suggests that local enterprises and businesses can be made to sell food and local
products to tourists when they come down to see such local festivals taking place, for
themselves. This is something that in the view of the author will give the local economy of
Tanzania a significant boost, earning plenty of revenue for the country and making it one of the
most popular places for tourists to visit in Africa (Mabullah 2000).
There are a number of other useful and effective strategies that are suggested by Audax
Mabullah for developing and promoting cultural heritage and tourism in Tanzania. The author
calls for the development of model villages, where tourists can get a view of what Swahili
language and culture is all about. The model villages can capture how locals go about leading
their day to day lives, show tourists how fishing techniques are deployed to acquire to the catch
of the day, and what the general feeling of living in a village in Tanzania is all about. The author
goes into detail as well about how the needs and requirements of the internal and external
tourism market in Tanzania can be met. The internet marketing needs can be met by making
locals away of how culturally rich and diverse Tanzania, how there are so many cultural
resources like architectural sites, local language and tribal culture that can be exploited in order
to get tourists to visit this part of the world on a regular basis. Seminars and tourism workshops
for instance need to be organized for such locals in order to get to locals to participate more
frequently and whole heartedly in cultural heritage management activities (Boonzaier and Wels
2018). At the same time, the author very rightfully states that the needs and demands of the
external market in Tanzania can be met by advertising about the rich cultural heritage as much as
possible. To this end, the author very correctly argues that all sorts of visual and print media
need to be exploited such as the radio, television, newspapers, magazines and of course social
media platforms., the latter being known to have the widest outreach in today’s day and age

6EVENTS AND TOURISM – ARTICLE REVIEW
(Barthel-Bouchier 2016). The author even points to the importance of training local guides in the
topic of cultural heritage of Tanzania and its management so that they are able to do a good job
of giving tourists a correct idea about what the cultural heritage of Tanzania is all about, while
earning a decent income upon doing so. Finally, the author points to the importance of special
committees that need to be organized and set up if cultural heritage is to be properly managed in
a country that is as large and as diverse as Tanzania. Different committees and sub committees
need to be formed that are in charge of specific activities and roles, so that heritage management
activities are carried out on an even keel (Alivizatou 2016).
Assessment of the Research
It is safe to say that the author has done a good deal of research in order to come up with
the various points or arguments that have been presented throughout the article. The author has
for instance, conducted quite a few in depth personal interviews as well as group discussions in
order to understand how tourism operations are conducted in Tanzania and how things exactly
work at the local or domestic levels, in order to make the right suggestions and recommendations
for cultural tourism development and cultural heritage management in Tanzania. However, the
references given at the bottom of the article clearly reveal that the author relies a bit too much on
the use of secondary literature in order to make many of his arguments. The use of more primary
data and field resources would have been welcome, given the importance and the relevance of
the topic that has been discussed by the author in this article. The excessive use of secondary
literature on the part of the author is what makes the article a well informed piece, but not
something that can be regarded as too original an academic work.

7EVENTS AND TOURISM – ARTICLE REVIEW
References and Bibliography
Akagawa, N. and Smith, L. eds., 2018. Intangible Heritage: The Practices and Politics of
Safeguarding. Routledge.
Alivizatou, M., 2016. Intangible heritage and the museum: New perspectives on cultural
preservation. Routledge
Barthel-Bouchier, D., 2016. Cultural heritage and the challenge of sustainability. Routledge.
Boonzaaier, C. and Wels, H., 2018. Authenticity lost? The significance of cultural villages in the
conservation of heritage in South Africa. Journal of Heritage Tourism, 13(2), pp.181-193.
Dinnie, K., 2015. Nation branding: Concepts, issues, practice. Routledge.
Ekern, S., Logan, W., Sauge, B. and Sinding-Larsen, A. eds., 2016. World Heritage Management
and Human Rights. Routledge.
Graham, B., Ashworth, G. and Tunbridge, J., 2016. A geography of heritage: Power, culture and
economy. Routledge.
Guzmán, P.C., Roders, A.P. and Colenbrander, B.J.F., 2017. Measuring links between cultural
heritage management and sustainable urban development: An overview of global monitoring
tools. Cities, 60, pp.192-201.
Mabulla, A.Z., 2000. Strategy for cultural heritage management (CHM) in Africa: A case
study. African Archaeological Review, 17(4), pp.211-233.
Mortara, M., Catalano, C.E., Bellotti, F., Fiucci, G., Houry-Panchetti, M. and Petridis, P., 2014.
Learning cultural heritage by serious games. Journal of Cultural Heritage, 15(3), pp.318-325.

8EVENTS AND TOURISM – ARTICLE REVIEW
Ndoro, W., Chirikure, S. and Deacon, J. eds., 2017. Managing Heritage in Africa: Who Cares?.
Routledge.
Raj, R. and Griffin, K.A. eds., 2015. Religious tourism and pilgrimage management: An
international perspective. Cabi
Rogerson, C.M. and Van der Merwe, C.D., 2016. Heritage tourism in the global South:
Development impacts of the cradle of humankind world heritage site, South Africa. Local
Economy, 31(1-2), pp.234-248.
Schmidt, P.R. and Pikirayi, I. eds., 2016. Community archaeology and heritage in Africa:
Decolonizing practice. Routledge.
Smith, M.K., 2015. Issues in cultural tourism studies. Routledge.
Timothy, D.J., 2017. Managing heritage and cultural tourism resources: Critical essays, Volume
one. Routledge.