CULTURAL PRESERVATION
VISITING THE AMISH
SHIPSHEWANA, INDIANA, UNITED STATES
Before traveling, take time to learn about the different cultures in the places you will visit. Preparing like this will help you experience these new places with greater respect and understanding. Shipshewana, Indiana, is one destination that makes learning easy with a program to introduce visitors to local Amish culture.
What's
changing
When visitors seek to immerse themselves in the local culture of a destination, striking a balance between the economic benefits of tourism and the preservation of local ways of life can be delicate work. Tourism organizations play a vital role in finding this balance by educating visitors and acting as intermediaries to foster mutual respect.
What's already
possible
The Shipshewana/LaGrange County Visitors Bureau serves as a bridge between the Amish community and visitors drawn to the region’s restaurants, crafts and slower pace of life. About 23,000 Amish live around Shipshewana, which has an English (non-Amish) population of about 850. Though tourism is key for the economic viability of Amish businesses, potential cultural misunderstandings between visitors and locals could lead to frustration and discomfort. To help avoid this, the tourism board safeguards the community's values while setting clear expectations for visitors. This allows for a respectful and mutually rewarding experience for all involved.
Seizing
the opportunity
The tourism board employs multiple online resources to educate visitors on respectful interactions with the Amish community. Topics covered include appropriate photo etiquette, cash-only sales, traditional operating hours, alcohol policies within town limits, and more. They maintain a close partnership with the Menno-Hof Interpretive Center, recommending it as visitors' first stop for an introduction to Amish and Mennonite culture. These efforts collectively aim to manage visitors’ expectations, ensuring they are informed and prepared for their experiences. Simultaneously, the visitors’ bureau collaborates closely with the Amish community to ensure their comfort with promotional activities. For instance, in developing a new off-the-beaten-path guide, all featured businesses received information on how this new initiative could affect them, and then signed consent forms if they were comfortable being included.
Standout
tactic
The visitors’ bureau wants to make sure that the Amish community is aware of tourism events and activities in the region that they can enjoy. As a result, the Visit Shipshewana team prints an email newsletter to be delivered to Amish community members who do not use the internet.
How
it helps
Many representatives of the Amish community have praised the visitors’ bureau for its work as a conduit between visitor interactions and Amish ways of life. They remain involved at board meetings and in public fora hosted by the visitors’ bureau. The open communication has built trust with key stakeholders in the community and has equipped them to better evaluate the benefits of sharing their culture with outsiders.
Diving
deeper
How can the Amish community manage the risks of influence and cultural saturation from outsiders as more people visit, even with respectful behavior?
Increasing
impact
Expanding on successful initiatives could help the area become more sustainable in other ways, too. For example, promoting ecotourism practices that align with the Amish community's values, such as encouraging the use of bicycles instead of cars, could lessen the impact visitors have on the community.
Traveling
better
Travel is inherently carbon intensive. Whether you are taking a mini-break or an annual vacation, consider ways to minimize your impact by staying longer in one place, reconsidering how you travel to the destination, and supporting businesses that are working to make their community and the world a better place.
