BBC published a curious and funny news about the Orange Walk and called it Orangeman slams cultural tourism (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/7503644.stm). I was not surprised to see that politicians are (miss)using the notion of cultural tourism for their purposes. This is an old communist trick that I have “enjoyed” during the 30 years living in the Eastern Block. What I was surprised to see this type of propaganda rising head in old Ireland, in a very funny situation.
A religious order is objecting to event re-branding of a 4 centuries old tradition. Who made a bigger mistake? The Orangemen or the members of the ruling DUP? Of course, this time – the politicians. If they wanted to use the Belfast Parade as a tourist attraction, why they first didn’t consult with the “famous” Orange Order and get their blessing to reshape it accordingly to their idea about cultural event? Simply because, nobody is paying attention to the Orange Order, an obsolete and pompous institution, claming to represent the conservative cultural values of the country. As John O'Dowd put it very well: "Nobody listening to the speeches of Order leaders today can conclude that the Orange Order is a religious and cultural body - it is not."
The Order is Protestant, anti-Catholic organization, which since 1700s plays big part in dividing the country, not uniting it. Then, why re-brand the Belfast parade to relate to this order? I guess the intentions were to make the parade look and feel more peaceful, civilized and to attract more tourists. As Northern Ireland's first minister Peter Robinson said: "There is no good reason why Northern Ireland should not become a magnet for those around the globe who are interested in cultural tourism." He was right about the destination perspectives and opportunities and wrong about the way to achieve the goal. Because you cannot re-brand a controversial event, on which even the retailers refuse to work in objection to the parade. Much less you can create a positive cultural tourism experience in the midst of local animosities.
The Russians did the opposite to the Irish – and they succeeded better in creating a new cultural tourism product. They admitted that their 70 years communist experiment was horrible. There was a consensus that all conflicts belong to the past, to the museums, and hence - they are exhibits, cultural attractions. They opened the doors to the Lenin’s office, the Stalin bunker and dozens of “attractions” which still cause terror to the survivors of this era.
The new Russians didn’t try to dress in flowers the nightmarish experiences – they even made them look more horrible than they ever were. Why? Because this was the image about the USSR during seven decades. So instead of fighting with the established brand, even when this image was created against their will, the Russian marketers started using it to the fullest extend.
After 18 years of perestroika, oligarchy mafias and times of quick petroleum buck, they even restored the 9th of May military parade in 2008. Why? Surely not to showcase their war trinkets, about which every military intelligence knows more than everything they can demonstrate in 4 hours, but to sell more Coca Cola around the Red Square, more hotel rooms and more tickets to the Kremlin. It was a brilliant combination between imperial uniforms fashion show, an air show and brass band marching bands concert. Isn’t it a tourist attraction? Of course it is, unlike the times when the parade was shown on the Western TV programs to incite fear and justify the arms race.\
So why re-brand the Belfast Parade, symbol of sectarianism and extreme nationalism? I would advise the Northern Ireland tourism experts to drop the re-branding idea and to let the parade as it is – an old custom, of which the political connotations will disappear with the democratization of the society, not with the renaming of the event. In the meanwhile, old fashion-dressed Protestants will march on the streets, and, if the retailers don’t go on strike, a lot of beer, hotels and meals will be sold to the curious camera-happy tourists.
