In many popular destinations, visitors can watch traditional dances, ceremonies and crafts that have been adapted for a tourist audience. Some argue that this process strips customs of their original significance. While I agree that there is a real risk of this happening, I do not believe it is inevitable, and tourism can sometimes help to preserve traditions.
There is certainly evidence that tourism can change the character of a custom. A ceremony that was once held only on a particular sacred occasion may be shortened and performed several times a day to suit hotel schedules. Costumes may be made more colourful and movements more dramatic to impress visitors who have little knowledge of their meaning. In such cases, the performers may come to see the tradition primarily as a source of income, and younger community members may learn the simplified version rather than the authentic one.
However, tourism can also provide the resources and motivation needed to keep traditions alive. In many rural communities, young people move to cities in search of work, and traditional skills risk disappearing within a generation. When tourists are willing to pay to watch a performance or buy handmade textiles, young people have an economic reason to learn these skills from their elders. Moreover, the performances staged for visitors can exist alongside private ceremonies that the community continues to hold in their original form.
The outcome largely depends on who controls the process. When local communities decide which customs to share and how to present them, they can protect what is sacred while benefiting from visitors' interest. Problems are more likely when outside tour operators package culture purely for profit.
In conclusion, I partly agree with the statement. Performing customs for tourists can reduce them to entertainment, but when communities remain in control, tourism can help sustain traditions that might otherwise be lost.