مرکز منطقه ای اطلاع رساني علوم و فناوري - A Conceptual and Geographical Approach to the Creative Tourism

Abstract :

In the recent years, the monotony resulting from the influences of globalization has increased the interest towards new and various tourism trends. New places and cultures, diverse types of tourism and experiences have caused some changes in the demand for tourism. Cultural tourism which we can refer to as traditional cultural tourism in a broader sense had a narrowed meaning restricted just within visiting the ancient cultural heritage, museums, and immoveable assets until 1980s. This trend has turned into a cultural tourism model integrated with traditional culture, contemporary culture and living culture following 1980s. After 2000s, the cultural tourism practices that put great emphasis on creativity and participation to active life rather than passive visit with a tendency towards live like a local as a product of sharing and experience economy have started to attract attention. In the modern era, tourism has moved away from its mass character, thus individuality and creative tourism products which reflect the individual opinions and expectations of tourists and which respond to their desires and sensitivities have started to gain importance. The concept of creative tourism can be defined as a form of sustainable tourism that offers the opportunity to learn the unique cultural heritage and artistry of a region by establishing close relations with the people living in the region and experiencing it with active participation. The most important features distinguishing creative tourism from traditional cultural tourism are “active participation, experiential learning, creative potential-skill development and close relationships with local people. The aim of this study in this context is to evaluate the concept of creative tourism which is closely related to “geography”, “sustainability”, “local culture-tourist-place interaction” and “regional development” via tourism geography approach. For this purpose, national and international literature has been primarily reviewed and creative tourism has been conceptualized and then explained with examples of creative tourism practices.