Greetings and Happy Midweek!
And since today is mid-month, it’s time for another of our RAP sessions (Review And Process, deeper and wider). Each RAP revisits a cross-cultural theme or topic from a previous Connect. This month we are going to revisit the topic of tourism (*), exploring specifically what can be bought and sold cross-culturally when it comes to ‘foreign’ investment. Our focus is on the HOST dimension of our 3D Dynamics framework, which is an integral component of our Global SKILLs training.**
In the realm of travel and tourism, we all are perhaps familiar with some version of the saying “Been there, bought the t-shirt”. It is at best a superficial way to describe some place we have visited, reducing a potentially rich cross-cultural experience to - well, ‘just’ buying a trinket souvenir.
In this context, I was struck recently with a news item which announced the sale in Italy of not just a t-shirt…but a castle AND the surrounding village! (see the full story in LINKs below). The clientele would, I imagine, be tourists who want to have their very own space in Italy…or perhaps investors with visions of a neat ‘authentic experience’ package. The description speaks well of a rich and varied history for this property, including debunking rumors of a haunting - which might otherwise deter visitors.
The number of current inhabitants of the village was noted (not many!) - but nothing was said of the fact that this IS their village being sold! My question, crossculturally for any ‘deal’ like this, is how it surely will impact these folks, the HOST community - which would welcome (or perhaps not…) their new ‘owners’ and whomever they choose to invite to what was, and is no longer, ‘their’ village.
As the world slowly reopens to tourism, let’s always be sensitive to not just what we and others as visitors might be able to get out of a place and space…but how our presence (or ownership, in this case!) impacts those who are already there. And hopefully - let’s see how HOST individuals, village and community - and we too - can be enriched by these connections!
How about you ~ seen any potentially enriching cross-cultural ’deals’ recently?
Share about that with a friend or note it here.
And check out the Global SKILLs LINKs below for the original story link and a few other items on cross-cultural sales.
Thanks for being part of this Connect community.
Until next week,
Betsy
Global SKILLs LINKs
~ For sale: the castle AND the village: https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/italy-castle-sale/index.html
~ a few interesting ‘tips’ which can give insight into cultural ‘for sale’ dynamics: https://www.entrepreneur.com/growing-a-business/business-selling-to-other-cultures/83782
~ and a few more tips to help you along the way!
Notes:
* [related blog post dates] 5/8/20 - Out my window; 12/23/20 Connecting around the world;
7/7/21 - Tourism - my kind; 11/2/21 - Windows on the world; 4/20/22 Cross-cultural permission; 5/4/22 Cultural bridges
** Through my business Global SKILLs and several partner subsidiaries I offer unique cross-cultural consulting and training including:
3 Dimensional Dynamics Model: 1st dimension = HOME ; 2nd dimension = HOST (which we explored this week)
; 3rd dimension = HARBOR)
PROACTive Learning Strategies: (which we explored this week) PRO = PROfile, PROcess, PROgram
ACT = Application, Collaboration and Transformation
~ contact me for more information on this model and these strategies and how you might use them in your current programming
2022 ~ Celebrating 40+ years of working in
intercultural communications and global community building
“It takes a community to build a community”