"Cultural Tourism" in Bali: Cultural Performances as Tourist Attraction

Michel Picard"In the temple we ask fo r a blessing, and at a hotel w e ask fo r money" "It's a ritual dance to ask the gods for a lot o f tourists"Culture is Bali's defining feature, and Balinese culture is renowned for its dynamic resilience.The Balinese have been readily praised for their ability to borrow whatever foreign influence suits them while nevertheless maintaining their identity over the centuries.Today, there is no dearth of observers to claim that the Balinese have adjusted to the tourist invasion of their island just as in the past-taking advantage of the appeal of their cultural traditions to foreign visitors without sacrificing their own values on the altar of monetary profit.The following quotation should suffice as an example of such an established conviction:The Balinese seem to be coping with the tourist invasion as well as they have coped with others, that is they are taking what they want, but they are not allowing them