International Conference on Tourism Development and Management
Kos Island, Greece 11-14 September 2009
Dilluns 14 de setembre es va clausurar l’International Conference on Tourism Development
and Management. Tourism in a Changing World: Prospects and Challenges.
L’ICRPC va participar amb una comunicació d’Antonio Rojas Rabaneda amb el títol: SHAPING THE TOURIST OFFER: THE ROLE OF FAIRS AND STREET MARKETS IN DISSEMINATING CULTURAL HERITAGE
A continuació presentem el resum de la comunicació:
The main aim of this research is to analyse the characteristics of fairs and street markets in Catalonia as tools to attract tourists and promote cultural heritage.
This type of tourist event has increased in the region under study in the last few years. The tourist model in Catalonia, in the north-east of Spain, has had a great impact both in coastal areas and in medium and large inland cities. The tourist model put into practice in the last few years is clearly beginning to reach saturation point, and the need to redefine the tourist offer is object of debate. In this context, cultural heritage plays an essential role in this change in mentality. Efforts to offer alternatives to the traditional tourist promotion and attraction models in Catalonia have, therefore, increased. Between the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st, we have witnessed a significant increase in fairs and markets in Catalonia that use cultural heritage as a tourist element. On the one hand, these events are held in places that lack traditional tourist attractions. But, these fairs and markets also take place in cities and places with a strong tourist tradition, and have been included in an attempt to update the range of activities.
In order to carry out this research, we have selected the study of fairs and markets that reconstruct history, although attention has also been paid to the dissemination features of local cuisine and traditional trades.
The methodology used to carry out this research has been the collection of previously established data from each of these fairs and markets. An analysis of the data has then been made, carrying out a comparative study and establishing a list of final evaluations. Thus, the study analyses, among other aspects, the organizations and institutions involved in the organization of these tourist activities, the economic resources destined to them, the financing source, and the times of the year when they take place.
