Cultural Memory through Tourism: An Ethnography of Colonial Williamsburg.

Abstract

This paper examines the relationship between tourism imaginaries and cultural memory through historical sites such as Colonial Williamsburg in Virgina. By analyzing how the museum acts as a tourist destination and an educational institution, this study explores how Colonial Williamsburg serves as a social structure for both concepts through ethnography. Additionally, this paper argues that institutions like Colonial Williamsburg actively shape the collective and cultural memory through tourism. This study highlights the importance of integrating memory studies and tourism imaginaries in understanding the role of historical tourism in preserving and conveying the past.