Culprit?

Has tourism been a culprit in commodifying cultures and traditions?

Yes, I feel that tourism has been a culprit in commodifying cultures and traditions. Through tourism, more people are more exposed and aware of a country's culture. These tourists would then "bring back" the experience of the country with them. They would then spread the word about this certain culture. This makes the country's culture commercialized as people are constantly visiting it. And then it would not be unique anymore as everyone has experience or seen the culture. For example, Chinatown is solely exclusive to the Chinese people. However, the Americans have mimicked Chinatown by building one in every famous state to give Americans an experience of Chinatown without having to go to China.

Secondly, poorer countries like Indonesia make use of tourism to "sell" their culture to tourists. For example, tourists are required to pay for a cultural Legong dance in Bali. This maybe lead to the extinction of its culture in a long run as this might deter tourists from visiting their country to experience their culture.