The union between culture and tourism is a natural one. There is no tourist destination that does not have history, traditions, local food and drinks, stories, and even authentic clothing. After all, what makes a place or a tourist experience better? The place itself, or the story behind it? I invite you to discover together what cultural tourism is.
The World Tourism Organization (WTO in 1985) broadly defines cultural tourism as the movement of people who satisfy the human need for diversity, aiming to raise the cultural level of the individual and giving rise to new knowledge, experiences, and encounters. Cultural tourism is commonly associated with education in this way, with some describing it more narrowly as educational cultural tourism (e.g., Bualis and Costa, 2006; Harner and Swarbrooke, 2007; Richards, 2005).
Diversity is something we all strive for. We want to experience different sensations. By traveling to other lands and understanding a different culture, a different way of thinking, a different way of living, and tasting local food and drinks, we help ourselves evolve and expand our horizons.
What effects does cultural tourism have on the visited community? The positive side is the economic impact; economic growth that comes with a large number of tourists. Another positive aspect is the sharing of one’s own culture, keeping alive the traditions, mystical stories, and the history of the place.
A negative aspect would be the increase in habitation, which brings changes to tourist communities. With these changes, locals are forced to adapt, leading to the loss of local authenticity. The EU has considered this aspect, introducing a new terminology: sustainable cultural tourism.
“Sustainable cultural tourism is the integrated management of cultural heritage and tourism activities in collaboration with the local community, creating environmental and economic benefits for all stakeholders, with the goal of tangible realization and conservation of intangible cultural heritage and sustainable tourism development.” (EU – Sustainable Cultural Tourism)
Thus, the direct involvement of the local community is vital, both for the community’s well-being and for the protection of culture, cultural objects, archaeological sites, museums, and so on.
At Sewa Experiences, we aim to apply this sustainable cultural tourism, where we experience, one by one, pieces of culture, involving the local community.
If you want to read more about cultural tourism:
