Cultural Tourism Research Paper

Introduction

In a globalising world, travellers are seeking authentic experiences. This is when most will turn to cultural tourism. Cultural Tourism is “the traveling to experience the places and activities that authentically represent the stories and people of the past and present.” This practice has a long history, with its roots in the Grand Tour era. Cultural Tourism emphasizes on the education, and communicative experience on the authenticity of such travel.

Cultural Tourism has always been associated positively with the promotion of one’s culture. After all, the best way to understand a culture is to experience it personally. Apart from promoting a destination’s culture, and heritage, Cultural Tourism benefits the destination’s economy,

Therefore, the upsurge in an educated market is an upsurge in cultural tourists.

Types of Cultural Tourism, and Cultural Tourists

There are various forms of cultural tourism. They consist of heritage, and historical sites, dance, music and theatre performances, art galleries, museums and exhibitions, religious and worship sites, and even ethnic traditions. This segment caters to a wide range of consumers, all with different needs, and interest.

In general, there are 3 categories of cultural tourists. The first is the culturally-motivated tourists. They are typically better educated, and financially better off. They are motivated by the desire to experience unique cultural sites, and organise their tours around cultural activities. However, they are small in number, comprising only about 5% of the market.

Secondly, there is the culturally-inspired tourists. They are mainly inspired by a specific cultural attractions, or events. They are inclined to only visit a cultural location once, and would not return. They make up about one-third of the

When travellers visit, they not only spend money on accommodation, food, transport, they would spend on cultural attractions. This would be exceptionally true for cultural tourists, as they tend to have a better financial income, and a higher disposable income. The expenditure by tourists supports local businesses. Secondly, tourism creates employment in plenty of sectors. Direct jobs are created when hospitality sectors like hotels, attractions, tourism agencies, and restaurants employ people. Indirect jobs are generated when architects, engineers, and construction workers are employed for the construction of hospitality-related infrastructure, or when food suppliers are hired to supply food to restaurants, and hotels, or when buses are chartered to take tourists around. This list goes on.

The effects of cultural tourism are received positively, and negatively for a society. Cultural tourism can give rise to the preservation of culture. Cultures which had previously been regarded as obsolete, and useless are finally appreciated. This saves many cultural sites which would have been either neglected, or destroyed otherwise. The locals, notably the youths will learn to treasure their unique culture in a globalising world where the western culture is