What is the importance of dance and music for tourism promotion?

Dance and music have been marketed in different parts of the world for tourism purposes. There are two ways in which they can be marketed-

Local people perform and portray their culture. For example Maori Poi dances in New Zealand, Hula dance in Honolulu, Alarde festival in Spain etc. However in such performances sometimes the tourists also participate.

Tourist destination stage attractions giving information and knowledge about the host culture i.e. culture of the place being visited. The staging is generally done at places which do not have any extant culture experience. Such staging is called “contrived tourist product”. Instances of such products are mock wedding ceremones in Tunisia, hourly concerts of native dances in Hawaii and fiwalking display every evening in Fiji.

Both the above strategies have become acceptable practice in contemporary mass tourism. Today, in practically all the states of India the Tourism Departments not only organize such festivals but aggressively market them also. The most recent example in this regard are the Qutab Festival in Delhi and the Beach Festival at Puri. The Pune and Elephanta Festivals are other examples which have been in existence for some time now. However one of the most prominent festivals organized in this regard is the Khajuraho Festival which attracts a large number of foreign as well as domestic tourists. It is a contrived tourist product.