Cultural Tourism and Economic Development

There are many links between cultural tourism and economic development. Governments from entire nations down to cities and counties have made tourism a focal point in their economic development efforts. This chapter discusses 18 types of cultural tourism attractions ranging from architecture to gastronomy to sex. Each of the types of cultural tourism are assessed in terms of the level of interaction between a tourist and an attraction. Travel and tourism's contribution to gross domestic product (GDP) has outpaced overall GDP in 62% of the 185 countries studied by the World Travel and Tourism Council in 2017. Tourism's contribution to GDP exceeds 10% for several countries with Iceland topping the list at 20.1%. Sustainability is a key to the success of any long-term development strategy, and this is certainly the case with cultural tourism. The tradeoff communities face is maximizing short term returns versus managing development (tourism) to maintain the quality of the resource for the long run. Over-tourism results when an attraction or a community experiences numbers of tourists beyond the carrying capacity of the attraction. While the marketplace is better suited for managing much of tourism and its impacts, government is uniquely suited to manage some key aspects of tourism. Government is better able than business to manage for the long term. Additionally, governments can weigh costs and benefits to different groups (e.g., residents versus tourists). Two case studies are presented to highlight these issues.

Government Role

Government's role is tourism is generally by way of economic development models or individual projects. In the U.S., each state and most large communities have a unit whose primary charge is economic development. Tourism is often viewed as an important lynchpin in a community's economic development efforts. Additionally, government impacts telecommunications via regulation. In some locales government policy is directly targeted to impact tourism (e.g., the billions spent by Mexico to develop Cancun and other coastal resort communities). Governments with a longer time horizon than ordinarily seen in the private sector are ideally suited to impose regulations to achieve sustainability. This is particularly important when conservation of a tourism asset is critical (e.g., Mayan and Egyptian archeological sites). Governments can also act in a meta-role to join various tourism assets under a single umbrella (e.g., the Royal Thai government operates a meta-site) making it easier for a tourist to explore multiple websites focused on tourist attractions and interests within the kingdom. Governments can also act to restore consumer faith in a locale as when the Government of Mexico raided vendors who were purveying tainted alcohol and adversely impacting tourism to Cancun. Case studies are employed to highlight government roles in cultural tourism, and one case highlights the negative impact social media can have on tourism. Best practices for governments are forwarded.

Definition of Tourism

The chapter reviews the development of travel and tourism, especially cultural tourism from Egyptian times to the present. Attention is paid to intersecting developments in three key technologies impacting tourism: travel, communication, and information technologies. The evolution of travel technologies from walking to horse drawn coaches, to steam engines, to internal combustion, to jet technologies are presented parallel to communication and information technologies. International tourism increased 4,000% between 1950 and 2014. Travel technology was the primary driver in the development of tourism from its inception in early recorded time; however, in the last 100 years, communication and information technologies have asserted important roles in tourism, and in recent decades equaled and possibly surpassed the importance of travel technology.

Observations and Recommendations

The future of tourism and communication technology are intertwined. As Toffler observed with other revolutionary change, an inter-relationship will be difficult to predict but rewards will be substantial to those who are ahead of the curve. Two critical forces will continue to collide: increased democratization of tourism and increased focus on sustainable use of resources. The growth in incomes and the expansion of low-cost air service make China, India, and a few other developing countries the most rapidly growing tourism markets. This is particularly the case in parts of the Islamic world, resulting in rapidly expanding numbers of Muslims who seek to undertake the Haj. As detailed in a case study, this has resulted in demolition of much of ancient Mecca to make way for tourist hotels, a case where it appears the Saudi government is more interested in offsetting declining oil revenues with tourism revenues than with preservation of a unique tourism asset. Elsewhere the threat of over-tourism is evident in many places. In Europe, this is most evident in Venice where as tourism has expanded, the prices charged for overnight accommodations have shot up, forcing long-term residents to move out of the city and to endure commutes to their places of work back in the city. Local government has a choice – see the asset degrade or limit tourism. The market is well suited to limit tourism, but if the government imposes fees, say a day pass to enter the city, is this an equitable option (i.e., potentially making the city available only to wealthy visitors)? The nation of Bhutan has already imposed a high fee for visitors as a method to maintain the nation's happiness index. The future of tourism is uncertain as is the impact that technology change and concern regarding sustainability.

Travel Vendors

The private sector plays a fundamental role in tourism. This role is elaborated with specific attention to information and communication technologies. The tourism experience is disaggregated into stages and activities: pre-travel – stimulation, information gathering, planning, and execution (including booking); travel; and post-travel – posting photos and reviews and paying bills. Particularly important for vendors is the posting of reviews. Even one negative review can cost a vendor business; therefore, the management of reviews has grown by leaps and bounds. However, as Priceline.com found recently, managing reviews—positive or negative—must be done judiciously. If tourists suspect a site's reviews are less than honest, the vendor can lose important business. Best practices for vendors are forwarded.

Generations

Cultural tourism is greatly impacted by the technical and social changes stemming from the communication and information revolutions, especially the rapid deployment and improvements in mobile communication. The tourism experience is conceptually divided into three phases: pre-trip, trip, and post-trip. Tourists are not a homogeneous community, especially in terms of their adoption of and usage of technology. Tourists are disaggregated by generation: Baby Boomers, Generation X, Generation Y, and Generation Z. Each of the three phases of the tourism experience is analyzed by generational tendencies. Each phase is disaggregated by key activities within the phase: pre-travel – inspiration, information gathering, booking, and other; travel – connectivity and other; and post-travel – sharing experiences, paying the bills, and other. The degree to which technology is employed and how the technology is employed is discussed in terms of each activity. Best practices by generation are put forth.