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May 01, 2012 Issue 218Regardless of the harangue againstmodernisation, what is most striking aboutthis phenomenon is the rapid process ofunification that we are witnessing in theway the global culture has penetrated ourmarkets. Almost everywhere around theworld, in the standardised big shoppingmalls, we can buy products that lookexactly the same, regardless of whateverculture, region, and climate we inhabit. Inaddition, Internet, mobile phones, and socialonline networking have made interculturalrelationships much easier than it was yearsago. In the modern world today, we cannotice hundreds of examples of all thesecultural changes taking place simultaneouslyaround the world. Obviously, networkinghas several positive aspects; youth today,from the Middle East, Asia or the West, havemuch more contact with their counterpartsaround the world. Today, they understandeach other much more, regardless of theculture, language or religion.On the flip side of the coin, there are thenegative influences of such rapid culturalchanges on small local communities who havesteadfastly held on to their old customs; it hassignificantly impoverished certain culturesand common traditions. Today, it is almostimpossible to find a culture or even a smallcommunity that has never been influencedby the modern cultural mainstream. Even inthe deepest part of inaccessible Papua NewGuinea or the Amazon Rainforest, peopleare wont to use mobile phones and othertechnological gadgets; typical elements ofthe global culture. All these changes areirreversible; culture is forever evolving andwill never stop doing so.Besides, enormous developments in aircommunication have also helped increasethe numbers of tourists around the world.Spurts of growth in the tourism industryhave also permanently changed theculture in many countries. One of the bestexamples are countries like Tunisia andEgypt. The tourism business is one of themost important branches of the economy inthese two countries; both have permanentlychanged after more than 20 years ofdevelopments.So, how does Oman compare with otherMiddle Eastern countries and the rest of themodern world? Has the Sultanate, whichis proud of its local culture and customs,been able to protect itself from the adverseeffects of massive tourism activities?25