IGU 2024 – On the edge of culture and tourism: Exploring the dynamics of cultural routes and heritage trails

Riceviamo da Alessia Mariotti e trasmettiamo:

Please consider contributing to our session (sponsored by the IGU Tourism Commission) at the 35^th International Geographical Congress (Dublin, Ireland, 24-30 August 2024).

Title of the session: “On the edge of culture and tourism: Exploring the dynamics of cultural routes and heritage trails” (Ref. Number: 270; Commission: C.17: Tourism, Leisure and Global Change)

Chair: Dimitri Ioannides, Mid Sweden University, dimitri.ioannides@miun.se

Co-Chairs: Alessia Mariotti, Center for Advanced Studies in Tourism (CAST), University of Bologna, alessia.mariotti@unibo.it; Maja Turnsek, University of Maribor, Slovenia, maja.turnsek@um.si; Maria Laura Gasparini, CAST, University of Bologna, marialaura.gasparin3@unibo.it

Description of the session:

A constantly renegotiated relationship exists between culture and tourism, two social dimensions, which variably influence the development potential of both urban and rural areas. Tourism is widely perceived as a panacea for revitalizing de-industrialized areas, depopulating regions, as well as peripheries of cities and/or remote territories. Conversely, culture stands among the most relevant motivations behind leisure-led mobility, since it is an extremely important factor determining the fortunes of tourism destinations. By treating tourism development, not as an ultimate goal in itself, but a means towards consolidating cultural cooperation networks, certain European and transnational institutions (CoE, UNESCO, EU, ICOMOS) have invested in promoting a new cultural concept: cultural routes (CR). Rather than treating heritage sites of cultural expressions in a linear fashion, CR are both used as a reviving approach pursued by national and regional agencies, or a development strategy implemented by an array of stakeholders, including cross-national institutions and local communities.

Topics:

Given the current widespread attention to CR and heritage trails as an interdisciplinary research object, the aim of this session is to discuss and debate about issues, such as:

Governance of CR and itineraries
Tourism communities and CR
CR practices in a Global citizenship education perspective
CR based regional development strategies
Tourism practices along CR
Strategic planning and stakeholders’ management
Slow mobility along CR
Intercultural dialogue and CR
Sustainability and CR
Over and under tourism along CR
Public policies and CR
CR and rural development