Heritage Tourism Beyond Borders and Civilizations Proceedings of the Tourism Outlook Conference 2018 (original) (raw)

Cultural tourism, one of the most important tourism types of the 21st century, is based on the use of resources for tourism purposes. While it has gained importance in the modern era as an alternative to mass tourism, cultural tourism is the most important tourism type of the postmodern tourism paradigm. Cultural heritage such as museums, ruins, historic buildings, and archaeological remains were the main priorities in cultural tourism developed to supply cultural heritage to tourists. Afterward, cultural heritage such as architectural structures, traditions and customs,music, dance, cuisine, and handicrafts attracted attention. Along with this aspect, the attractiveness of natural surroundings, traditional architecture, and the rural areas where the cultures are preserved and protected is increasing. Tangible and intangible cultural heritage such as traditional architecture, customs, crafts, and cuisine are referred to as rural heritage, creating a strong attraction and competitive power in combination with the changing trends in tourism. The most obvious benefit of cultural tourism is that intangible value is transformed into material value that contributes to the economy of the country (Emekli 2004, p. 45). Cultural tourism development in rural areas provides an important source of economic income for residents. To continue this contribution, the preservation of rural heritage and the continuity of its existence and delivery to future generations must be achieved.