Issues in Cultural Tourism Studies

Book excerpt: The extensively revised second edition of Issues in Cultural Tourism Studies provides a new framework for analyzing the complexity of cultural tourism and its increasing globalization in existing as well as emergent destinations of the world. The book will focus in particular on the need for even more creative tourism strategies to differentiate destinations from each other using a blend of localized cultural products and innovative global attractions. The book explores many of the most pertinent issues in heritage, arts, festivals, indigenous, ethnic and experiential cultural tourism in urban and rural environments alike. This includes policy and politics; impact management and sustainable development; interpretation and representation; marketing and branding; and regeneration and planning. As well as exploring the inter-relationships between the cultural and tourism sectors, local people and tourists, the book provides suggestions for more effective and mutually beneficial collaboration. New edition features include: an increased number of topical case studies and contemporary photographs which serve to contextualize the issues discussed a re-orientation towards global rather than just European issues three brand new chapters on The Geography of Cultural Tourism, The Politics of Global Cultural Tourism, and The Growth of Creative Tourism an extensively revised chapter on Experiential Tourism. At the interface between the global and the local, a people-centred approach to planning and development is advocated to ensure that benefits are maximized for local areas, a sense of place and identity are retained, and the tourist experience is enhanced to the full. The text is unique in that it provides a summary and a synthesis of all of the major issues in global cultural tourism, which are presented in an accessible way using a diverse range of international case studies. This is a beneficial and valuable resource for all tourism students.