Tourism from Viewpoint of Anthropology
Shahrivar 13th (the sixth month in the official calendar of Iran) corresponding with September 3th or 4th has been registered as the National Day of Anthropology in Iran. Anthropology can be regarded as an important factor in cultural tourism given that cultural tourists usually incline to get familiar with local cultures and sub-cultures in destinations along with visiting historical monuments. Today, anthropology is an undeniable science interwoven with tourism. It comprises an amalgam of factors such as local and ethnic ceremonies, architecture, languages, handicrafts, music, games, clothes, and economies.
Iran, because of its large geographical area and various ethnic groups, benefits from different cultures and sub-cultures that are scattered in different parts of the country. For example, different tribes and nomads living in the country encompass a variety of languages, dialects, architecture, and cuisines. Such introduces appropriate capacities for tourism development, while Iran’s cultural tourism is more structured on the basis of historical monuments/ pieces of evidence and ethnic cultures have not been taken into account appropriately. Of the strategies to improve anthropology-based tourism include launching and establishing indigenous accommodations/camps, tours for visiting the life of nomads, anthropology museums, and local food festivals. To this end, it is imperative to apply promotional and advertisement methods so as to introduce effectively sub-cultures. For example, indigenous accommodations or museums should not be regarded as a mere place for keeping or displaying objects; rather they could be prepared to highlight various national or local events or to offer anthropological tours to guests. Such tours provide a unique opportunity for tourists to experience a nomadic way of life (e.g., temporary migration). In fact, anthropology-based tourism aims to exhibit and introduce all living aspects of a region using different methods and strategies.
In the end, it is worth mentioning that anthropology-based tourism is an effective way to develop sustainable tourism in indigenous regions. For example, the revenues earned through this type of tourism can rehabilitate local populations and importantly, can revive cultural values and pave the way for transmitting sub-cultures to the next generations.
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