The segment that had been affected the most, not only positive but also negative is the cultural part of Mardi Gras. If Mardi Gras started as a religious festival, being part of the local culture and being a reason of being proud to live in New Orleans and participate in the event, it now changed radically. Tourism, as a mean of globalisation, has a paradoxical effect on the culture of a location or event, by promoting as well as undermining local differences, traditions and culture(Gotham, 2005). One effect of globalised tourism is the substitution of a real authenticity with a staged authenticity, in which a local culture or tradition become simulated for tourist consumption(MacCannel, 1973; 1992; Cohen, 1988). One such simulated tradition
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This festival encountered both negative and positive aspects from this change. On the positive side, New Orleans developed, the city having investments in the infrastructure. The local businesses that revolve around the production of Mardi Gras merchandise bloomed and gained the opportunity of selling it throughout the year. Moreover, until now, the locals managed to maintain to a certain degree the uniqueness and the long lasting tradition. This resulted in an improvement on the number of tourists coming to participate in the Mardi Gras. On the negative side, Mardi Gras gradually becomes a commodified experience, shifting its main goal from promovating the traditions to generating massive revenue. Moreover, the market of Mardi Gras merchandise has been taken by foreign producers as a result of economic and technological globalisation, offering the possiblity of producing and selling Mardi Gras merchandise all over the world by any producer, wether it is from New Orleans or not. The image of Mardi Gras has been affected by the new, simmulated traditions, such as exhibitionism and nudity in exchange of beads, slowly creating a false appearance of a sin, hollow carnaval rather than one full of long lasting traditions of religious
This festival encountered both negative and positive aspects from this change. On the positive side, New Orleans developed, the city having investments in the infrastructure. The local businesses that revolve around the production of Mardi Gras merchandise bloomed and gained the opportunity of selling it throughout the year. Moreover, until now, the locals managed to maintain to a certain degree the uniqueness and the long lasting tradition. This resulted in an improvement on the number of tourists coming to participate in the Mardi Gras. On the negative side, Mardi Gras gradually becomes a commodified experience, shifting its main goal from promovating the traditions to generating massive revenue. Moreover, the market of Mardi Gras merchandise has been taken by foreign producers as a result of economic and technological globalisation, offering the possiblity of producing and selling Mardi Gras merchandise all over the world by any producer, wether it is from New Orleans or not. The image of Mardi Gras has been affected by the new, simmulated traditions, such as exhibitionism and nudity in exchange of beads, slowly creating a false appearance of a sin, hollow carnaval rather than one full of long lasting traditions of religious