At some point, tourism stops being about the place itself.
It becomes about reproducing the same experience millions of times.
The same photos.
The same gestures.
The same expectations.
And this process affects not only famous landmarks.
Over time, entire cultures begin adapting to external expectations — including traditions, crafts, local aesthetics, and even the way authenticity itself is presented.
Traditional craftsmanship is often replaced by imitation designed to look “authentic” at first glance: simplified symbols, mass-produced souvenirs, and invented cultural fetishism created for tourist consumption.
In the process, local culture is often reduced to spectacle, simplified into stereotypes, and sometimes openly humiliated for entertainment value — while tourists themselves may not even realize they are participating in it.
Places do not simply become visited.
They gradually become performed.

Photo source: Instagram / @ahmad_alhilmi