DEFINING CULTURAL TOURISM

Cultural tourism has been defined as "the movement of persons to cultural attractions away from their normal place of residence, with the intention to gather new information, and new experiences, to satisfy their various aspirations – cultural, social, educational etc."

Recently, specialists who look at the marketing of cultural tourism, suggest that the concept of cultural tourism should be more closely scrutinised than has been the case in the past for two reasons. 

First and foremost, and generally, ‘culture’ all too often seems to be a concept that’s applied only to Indigenous communities as representative stereotypes. 

Likewise, cultural tourism can all too often be characterised as a new way of continuing the colonisation between ‘the centres of power’ and their peripheries. Thus in its worst manifestations, cultural tourism tends to lead to a narrow ethnocentric construction of ‘exotic otherness’. 

Clearly cultural tourism has its ugly aspects. However, it need not and communities with a well developed sense of place, a connection to place and deep understandings of ‘their place’ have much to offer their visitors. 

Tourism destinations are built upon the things that give a place its own distinctive character and that separate it out from other destinations. These factors are: 

1. The lifestyle experiences the residents and visitor can enjoy together; 
2. The communities that can openly share their history and heritage; 
3. The manner in which the place’s distinct cultural realities are expressed; and 
4. The place’s geography – its natural and cultural landscape, flora, fauna etc. 

These things are the basic tourism offerings any destination has to offer. Importantly, cultural tourism gives visitors the opportunity to understand and appreciate the essential character of a place and its culture as a whole, including all of the above.

At its best, cultural tourism gives ‘the visitor’ access to information, experience and activities that can help them feel engaged with a place, its people and their heritage. In essence ‘the tourist’ seeks to feel at home albeit elsewhere – and likewise seeks the opportunity to compare and contrast home with elsewhere. Creating relationships of various kinds between the visitor and the host community is an important feature of cultural tourism – and especially so in a marketing context. Furthermore, concepts of sustainability, authenticity, integrity and education are as central to cultural tourism as they are to ecotourism.