A Framework to The Inventory of Cuture-based Tourism Products

Cláudia Henriques (Research Centre for Spatial and Organizational Dynamics University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal)
Manuela Guerreiro (Research Centre for Spatial and Organizational Dynamics University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal)
Júlio Mendes (Research Centre for Spatial and Organizational Dynamics University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal)

E-Journal of Tourism
Volume 4 Number 1 (March 2017)

Cultural Tourism is a promising market segment with higher growth rates than other niches. World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) data indicate that the proportion of international trips accounted for cultural motivations grew from 37% in 1995 to 40% in 2004. Additionally, UNWTO (2015) considers that this type of tourism could, in the future, increase competitiveness, create employment opportunities, generate income for investment in preservation, and simultaneously contribute to a sense of pride and self-esteem among host communities. In this article the authors propose a reflection on cultural tourism, based on the questioning of concepts such as tourism and culture, experiences and transformations. To this purpose, this paper aims to come up with a framework upon which tourism destinations can develop culture-based tourism products.