The focal point of this paper is to present a critical analysis of the relation between films and tourism. For this purpose, the aspect of the enhanced tourism industry in China would be taken into account in the parameters of two successful movies in the US based on China. Georgette Wang and Emilie Yueh-yu Yeh’s article Globalization and hybridization in cultural products: The cases of Mulan and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, published in the International Journal of Cultural Studies in 2005 provides a good insight into this aspect. In recent years with the development of the concept of global village hybridization is fast becoming the order of the day. In this concept, it becomes necessary for an industry to meet the needs of both local and global markets all at the same time. And no industry is a better example of meeting this dual market at one given time frame than the movie industry to ascertain a formulation of this phenomenon of globalization and hybridization. The authors Georgette Wang and Emilie Yueh-yu Yeh, therefore, have taken into consideration two global blockbusters Mulan and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon for the purpose. According to the authors Georgette Wang and Emilie Yueh-yu Yeh, there are mainly three important features of this phenomenon. These can be enumerated as renaturalization, acculturalization, and decentralization. (Wang, 2005).
According to the authors the significant approach of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon can be well emulated as a prime example of globalization and hybridization in a market where the maxim is to go beyond the parameters of the local market structure and capture the global audience. To achieve this target the director Ang Lee of the movie made sure that the usual tone of Chinese movies is kept down and flavors are added to meet the taste of a global audience. The authors take note of the fact that “Ang Lee, being a diasporic Chinese, has attempted to instill a specific cultural significance in Crouching Tiger that no member of the Disney team would be interested in.” (Wang, 2005).
On the other hand, the production of the animated feature film Mulan is to be taken into account. “The Mulan story is based on a popular ballad written during the Northern Wei Dynasty (386–534 AD) about a legendary 14-year-old girl Mulan who, as a filial daughter, volunteers to join the army, by hiding her gender, in her father’s place”. (Wang, 2005) This is a predominantly Chinese story and the aura of Chinese aspects is all over the build-up of the story. It is more rooted in China than it is alien to Hollywood. This is an example of another aspect of globalization and hybridization seen from the perspective of the other way around. In this case, the Disney production team approached the film with enough impetus that gave a specific Chinese vibe to the film. This is an example of hybridization where a global company is ensuring its marketing strategy to capture the local market. (King, 2006).
The net result is an enhanced influx of tourism in China. It should be taken into consideration that there are some extremely high amount of advantages of the popularity of these films in China. It has developed a huge tourist attraction and in return induced foreign festivals. Foreign festivals like Christmas and Valentine’s Day make the population of China feels aligned with the larger world and their interest in these festivals draws the attention of the world to China. This helps tourism to improve. The basic influence of these festivals has improved the economy, stimulate the market, enrich people’s life as a whole. This developed tourism can be referred to as a new era of sunshine gradually but progressively scattering its rays all over the world, incorporating the nations, bringing people, culture, and economies close to each other. Alignment with the world through these western festivals signifies escalating global connectivity, incorporation, and interdependence in the economic, cultural, technological, social, ecological, and political orbs. The interest acts as an umbrella phrase and is perchance best explained as a unitary progression comprehensive of several sub-processes, such as improved financial interdependence, augmented cultural authority, the rapid progress of information technology, and superior governance and geopolitical defies that are ever more binding people and the biosphere extra firmly into one global system. (Fletcher, 2003).
Thus it could narrate the aspect of the basic issue globalization and hybridization is but a two-way approach and where the basic maxims of the capitalistic economy are taken into consideration at every step of formulating the strategies of marketing. It is obvious that the basic impetus of any business is to deal with the principles of profit and the methods of maximization of profit margin. In this context of a market-induced economy that the issues of globalization and hybridization should have been considered by the author’s Georgette Wang and Emilie Yueh-yu Yeh. But they remained focused mainly on the aspects of corporate issues and social context. However, it is a certain truth that this specific issue could have been dealt with in a much better manner if the simple truth had been evaluated and taken into consideration that “the matter of money is not only about the accumulation of money but the accumulation of power”. (Lamb, 2004) thus it could be ascertained that society and everything related to the society is basically evolved and metamorphosed by the manipulation of the economy and globalization and hybridization is a no different issue in this context and those two movies played an extremely instrumental role in this enhancement. (King, 2006).
It could thus be ascertained as per the author’s Georgette Wang and Emilie Yueh-yu Yeh and Lamb, along with another writer, that the issue of globalization and hybridization would ultimately lead to a situation where there would be no specified local culture at all. Indications are bright about this possibility and there is no way but to agree with them in this respect. Thus, what started as an influence of movies ultimately showed the road of a booming tourist industry and amalgamation of culture that in turn made the situation more favorable for the western population and develop more tourist attractions.
References
Fletcher, R; (2003); Beliefs and Knowledge: Believing and Knowing; Howard & Price.
King, H; (2006); Cinema Today; HBT & Brooks Ltd.
Lamb, Davis; (2004); Cult to Culture: The Development of Civilization on the Strategic Strata; National Book Trust.
Wang, G.; Yeh, E. Y. (2005); Globalization and hybridization in cultural products: The cases of Mulan and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; International Journal of Cultural Studies, vol. 8, no. 2.