Hermeneutics of Tourism Scientific Corpus. 50 Theses about the Corpus of Tourism




IV Congreso internacional Científico-Profesional de Turismo Cultural
Córdoba. España
22 y 23 de Febrero 2018
©António dos Santos Queirós

 Universidade de Lisboa

Faculdade de Letras. Centro de Filosofia
Alameda da Universidade 1600-214, Lisboa Portugal
adsqueiros@gmail.com


http://www.jthr.es/index.php/journal/article/view/35

Abstract

This essay wants to discuss the conceptual framework from where emerges the new paradigm of environmental tourism, discussing at the same time if can be conceptualized by a set of axioms, as an autonomous Scientific Corpus of Tourism.

Crossing this analytical and experimental way, new conceptual definitions emerges, claiming to have "mathematician" value, comparable to the "scientific laws” or axioms, like the definition of the types or categories of tourism, the concepts of taste, aesthetics of the landscape, particularly the parallel aesthetic- categories applied to tourism products and even simple mathematical formulas adequate to expresses the new relationship between the heritage and the value chains of tourism.

The Convention, approved at the 22nd UNWTO General Assembly transforms the Code of Ethics for Tourism into an international convention.

Tourism is today a scientific autonomous area under construction, with a fewer developed conceptual corpus, but has its own identity and autonomy compared to other areas of science.

This essay, in the form of 50 thesis, departing from the perspective of convergence of different tourism theories, wants to design the pathway to the construction of a theoretical body of Scientific Corpus of Tourism, discovering some of the "universal constants" of tourism phenomenology.

50 bricks of its fundamental concepts, presented as philosophical axioms, like a Tourism Rosetta Stone


Keywords: Paradigm. Axiom. Hermeneutics. Environmental Tourism. Corpus Scientific.





50 theses ABOUTH the corpus of tourism

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The new paradigm override the anthropocentric and ethnocentric perspectives, which are based on tourism planning and management to satisfy the motivations for the travels of the human being, for a different and broader view, the outlook of environment philosophy and environmental ethics. A new approach to the tourism phenomenology with the prevalence of environmental principles, holistic, systemic, unified and determined by the environmental philosophy and environmental ethics.


The concept of taste, not only in the restrict sense of the concept of motivation, change the viewpoint of tourism hermeneutics and could find in the diversity of the global market, not only the hedonistic demands and practices on the middle class, but a new tendency, the ethical and aesthetical values disseminated in the new middle class, a global changing in the taste of different social strata.  

A new world market where we can find several paradigmatic models.


1. Geography is probably the science, considering its scientific work methodology that is closer from tourism studies.


2. The essence of the methodology of scientific work in tourism information and guidelines consists in 'describing and interpreting' the Earth and the Human Beings who live in the cultural landscape, but by different ways accessible to different audience segments. (see figure 1)


3.  The imperative of a tourism ethics. This conception lead to a philosophy born in the observation and reading of the landscape that represents the synthesis of Earth and Human Being relationship, whom create and transforms the 'cultural landscape', but at the same time menacing to degrade or destroy them.  That contradiction justifies the necessity of an ethics of tourism, built from the new Environmental Ethics and based on the critic of anthropocentrism and ethnocentrism. The World Code of Tourism Ethics must be imperative and be really applied.


4. The frontier between Geography and Tourism, from a scientific perspective. That is exactly the combination of inductive and deductive methodologies that allows to organize tourism information and tourism guidance, based in the new concepts of Tourism Route and Circuits of Tourism. That means, firstly, selective observation and meaningful description of the cultural landscape, in the perspective of tourism economy and diversified needs of information of its target audiences.

And by this red line pass the frontier from Geography scientific object study to the autonomous field of tourism research, including the making of their products offer. The Geography scientific object is to build a conceptual framework about selective observation and meaningful description of the cultural landscape, objective and universal. Departing from scientific view of Geography, the market, the demand of different targets audiences, the chains values are not pertinent.  Consequently, a very well structured scientific Route and its Circuit, could not be relevant to the tourism activity and economy, if they not serve its Chains of Value.


4. It is precisely at the intersection of the paths of art, knowledge and science, that cultural tourism and tourism of nature have its origin.


6. Preserved Ethnography in rural areas gives the opportunity to create exclusive products of tourism, in a Europe that industrialized and destroyed humanized landscape (cultural landscape), but without the recognition of the political and economic decision-makers and agents of tourism, about their potential.


7. Cultural Tourism and tourism of nature, and the ethical values. Globalization of tourism activity, anchored on cultural tourism and tourism of nature, whom is founded on a scientific basis and preserves the most significant elements of the identity and diversity cultural of peoples and nations, becomes itself a powerful agent of social and moral renewal of social ethics (environmental ethics).


8. This new vision of the landscape, multi and interdisciplinary, which is at the same time an instrument operating its hermeneutics and a category in the field of Environmental Philosophy, is entitled:

Landscape ecology (natural landscape humanized by the man’s work). In our definition it represents a structural and systemic view that encompasses the large natural landscape, characterized and differentiated not only by the various fields of science (environmental sciences and exact sciences), but also because it was created with the help of Man in his daily effort as a farmer, a shepherd and a landscape architect.


9. However the knowledge of the landscape humanization, from the perspective of the philosophy of nature and the environmental philosophy, would be incomplete without the use of another category of elements, which we define as:

Metaphysics of landscape. It represents the domain of the "spirituality", "soul" of things, the categories of aesthetic emotions and feelings, "beauty" and "beautiful", the "sublime", "wonderful" and "mysterious", “monumental”, "epic" and "tragic."  

All this categories can be linked with wilderness but also with the human labor in the land. Including the negative categories: the disgusting, the ugly, the repulsive, the abhorrent...


§ Landscape Aesthetic Categories


Concerning the concept of beautiful on the landscape, we want to mean the vision of harmony of colors and shapes, the balance in the diversity, the absence of visible assaults to their natural and cultural heritage, the permanence of scents and perfumes, the movement of crops and trees, therefore, values that arouse all senses and appeal to other moral values.

About the sublime on the landscape, we understand the association of the beautiful with a sense of respect and even a certain fear, imposed by natural landscape framework, or predominantly natural, such as the majesty of a mountain covered with snow or the largeness of the landscape that can be seen.

Our definition of the wonderful on landscape, it is the beautiful ascend to a superior exponent, with some, or all of the senses stimulated by a higher emotion.

With the concept of the mysterious on the landscape, we wants to represent the surprise and fascination, shapes, colors and particular environments, we don't understand spontaneously.

The concept of the monumental on the landscape, he signifies the recognition of the transformation of the landscape from the human’s labor crossing the centuries and millennium, creating the harmony and sustainability in a large dimension, a monumental dimension.

The definition of the epic on landscape: when we recognize in this effort of humanization of landscape, their transformation into cultural landscape, an exceptionally and continuous effort, during centuries or millenarian presence of the man, frequently associated with the use of animals, creating new biotopes by its own action.

The tragic (and dramatic), when we observe the process of abandonment of the cultural landscapes, total or partial when he left behind the ruins of a farmer, an old mill, a broken wheel, that are the lost signs of the presence of human communities.

These categories can be found simultaneously in the same landscape framework.

But we must consider the negative categories: the ugly; the horrible; the repugnant; the disgusting; the repulsive; the hideous...


§§  Parallel –Aesthetic Categories


We can make reference in the landscape to a set of categories that we call “parallel-aesthetics”, carrying an intrinsic moral value and touristic attraction capacity: "the unique", setting this concept as susceptible to express the landscape attributes of an uncommon place. "The single” defining the own identity of a common landscape object. "The authentic” quality applicable to the conservation of objects and original landscape contexts. "The genuine and rare", objects and places of Humanized landscape, that in its process of evolution tend to the disappearance or corruption…

And differentiate them from “Systemic Parallel-Aesthetics Categories”.

The discontinuity of forest stands and the sustainability of agro-forestry “Mosaic” are supported by mountain terraces, with an amazing hydrological systematization: erosion control, drainage and reduced dispersion of full tips. Here we can find the use of the traditional culture and the simplified use of the land: the polyculture and permanent pasture, terraces with trench irrigation and drainage ditches, the walls supporting the land, winning against the slopes. Also, this is helped by the use of the sheep’s herding and the use of manure from their beds to fertilize the fields

“Lime meadows”, the drought irrigation system in the winter, with pressure refills of aquifers and summer irrigation.

"The Bocage landscape ", concept shaped from the French “Bois”, a continuous hedge. With woods at the top of the slope, live fences and lines of trees linking plaids and armed pasture wisely under the slope lines, without supporting walls.

"The Oak and the river forest", that preserving the traditional agriculture, it is a privileged place to avifauna observation.

"The Water Gardens", landscape places covering rivers and streams beds.

"Moss Garden": micro fauna and flora.


All this categories came from the philosophy and Esthetical domains.

The landscape has become the sediment of life and death of all beings, from the non-biotic and biotic community, crossing their cycle of birth and death recycle and reutilize.


10. The best way to delimit the modern tourism is maybe to consider it in terms of the concept of levels of organization, viewed as a kind of a spectrum of cultural tourism and tourism of nature ... tourism focuses on the central part of the spectrum. That is, on the levels of organization, economic organization, socio-cultural organization, political-historical, human’s organization, that are autonomous and common ecosystems, that depends one from the others, (The human beings replaced by the Environmental Philosophy at a non-privileged place )

On the center of the spectrum the cultural tourism and the tourism of nature, the environmental tourism as a new synergistic energy irradiator. (see figure 2).


11. The Conceptualization of Tourism Sciences and the design of new products are made by the same way.

The territory that the tourist crosses has differentiated ecosystems equivalent to the biological ecosystems, produced by the historical relationship of man and nature, which constitute the ecosystem of cultural tourism, the ecosystem of tourism of nature and others.

An internal dynamics transfer, of cultural goods, energy and economic value, crosses those ecosystems, moved by the role of human labor.


12. That perspective can explain why there are various theories about tourism, its history and diversity. It is not just a matter of different approaches according to the scientific field where the theorizing came from. In fact the object of study of tourism has evolved over the last 150 years and this evolution has accelerated rapidly in the second half of the 20th century and in recent decades. But evolved unevenly and diversely as its matrix, anthropological, sociological, cultural, economic, political-historical, regional, national, local, incorporating new and old products; mixing the taste and values of various segments of public; carrying on conservative and innovative dynamics. Despite the integrator role and even synchronizing tendency, brought by technical-scientific revolution, the environmental crisis and the financial, economic and cultural globalization

                       

13. The first theories about tourism are no less valuable than new approaches.

From that perspective, the theoretical plurality is the image of the different levels of                  organization of the phenomenon of tourism in diverse destination, and indirect proof of its formidable and complex diversity, coexisting in the same space-time. In this space-time distinct tourism objects are moving, not mechanically but dialectically, and physical reality of tourism belongs to the fields of relativity and quantum's and not to the traditional science, which, paradoxically, cannot and must not spare.


14. At this historical time, tourism unifying paradigm is the analytical and conceptual framework of cultural tourism and tourism of nature, which we designate as Environmental Tourism in the perspective of the Philosophy of Nature and the Philosophy of Environment.

To achieve the “Environmental tourism”, the new paradigm of tourism, we need to apply a new ethical perspective to the economic and financial issues, and to the political governance


15. And the development of theoretical production line should promotes the convergence of theories on tourism, without considerations of leadership or hierarchy of scientific merit_ convergence is the Ariadne's thread of tourism theories.


16. The concepts of Touristic Circuits and Routes are based on the need to use an inter- and multi-disciplinary scientific methodology,  to interpret and organize the visit to the territory, which allows the tourists to read and interpret their cultural landscapes.


17. The first key of this reading and interpretation landscape is the Natural History, Earth Sciences, geology and geomorphology. The second key is the Life sciences, revealing the splendor of biodiversity. And the third key is social and art Histories, associated to Ethnography and Anthropology.


18. We define “tourism Route as an organized set of Circuits to discover and enjoy all heritages, with a specific identity, based on ecology of landscape metaphysic of landscape, accessible to all audiences but with different products according their segments, organized to serve the development of tourism activity and its Chains of Value.” (Queirós, 2009)


19. We define tourism Circuit as a road integrating all heritage products, short-lived (should not exceed one day/night), accessible to all audiences but segmented in an autonomous and distinctive identity, organized in the context of discovery and enjoyment of the landscape ecology (in the sense of interdisciplinary contribution to read landscape) and the metaphysics of landscape (immaterial heritage, imaginary erudite and popular), and using the communication/emotional principle of "montage of attractions", created to sustain and develop Chains of Value of tourism activity.


§ This new concept is built upon the conceptual contributions of geography, selective observation and significant description of the cultural landscape - its historical, natural, ethnographic heritage; the philosophy of nature and the philosophy of the environment, “ecology of landscape and metaphysics of landscape"; communication sciences, involving the psychology of affection and the cinema (the montage of attractions is a concept from Eisenstein); economy, “Chains of Value”. And its methodological construction consists in recycle traditionally concepts used in another scientific fields and reprocess them to a new subject of study.


20. Although there are common elements among the Circuits (for example, churches of the same era, gourmet dishes, the same flora) the sum of their heritage should produce a single offer and identity. And it is in this matter that the activity of tourism differs from other scientific fields, because selection and value are determined by the differentiation of the tourism products, not from scientific criteria values.


21. The structure of contents of great Route and its Circuits requires a changing paradigm in tourism products, the choice of the products of Cultural Tourism and Tourism of Nature _ or Environmental Tourism, because the environment is culture plus nature, found in the humanized landscape.


22. The tourism image is a game of mirrors. What is really crucial for the activity of tourism is the way who others look at us, the image we have of ourselves is never the same from how we are observed. Cultural differences between the countries and their Nations (China, for example, has 56 nationalities), leads to having he same brand image is apprehended differently for multiple receivers. The different mirrors game that is the metaphor chosen to put in evidence this fact.


23. Functional inversion of the relationship between Chains of Values and Heritage

What its historical relationship with heritage and Chains of Values of tourism_ accommodation, catering, merchandising, animation, transport, guides and agencies? They needs to incorporate new products and even other values?

For many years’ hotels was the must of tourism attraction. What's changed since then?

Taken variable a as the variable of the accommodation (representing also the others Chains of Values)  and h the variable which represents the heritage (cultural heritage and natural heritage). In the past h=f (a).

The mathematic law is based on the correlation between a and h, univocal correspondence in the direction a → h. We say that the variable h was a function of the variable a and we write symbolically h = f (a), which mean that a is the independent variable and h the dependent variable.

In our time, what result from the appearing of a new middle class educated, from the emancipation of work women, a new young generation increasingly cultivated and the anticipation of active retire in growing segments of the middle class, is a change of taste and motivation in tourism  travel, resulting in a functional inversion between the two variables. Now a=f (h).

Tourism travel is attracted by the existence of cultural heritage and natural heritage in the tourism destination. To choose a hotel came in second palace. Traveling to usufruct cultural heritage and natural heritage makes all Chains of Value in production.

In the field of mathematics, rigorously, each value of h corresponds one value of a; but, in the tourist market, the same monument, site or landscape is accessible from the existence of several hotels, relatively close.


The reproduction of tourism capital: Externalities and Competition

Considering that:

For many years’ hotels were the must to tourism attraction. What's changed since then?

Taken a as the variable of the accommodation (representing all the Chains of Value) and h the variable which represents the cultural heritage and natural heritage. In the past h=f(a). Currently a = f (h).

The misunderstanding of this economic paradox is the cause of the historical conflict between tourism and sustainable development, but is also at the same time the key to overcome it. This is important particularly in our time, in which a new paradigm of tourism is emerging,   environmental tourism, which means cultural tourism,  tourism of nature, and rural tourism, with their specific products and renewed environmental sustainability requirements, for all tourism products.

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24. If currently a = f (h),  the majority of hotel units, uniforms in those architecture and  services, cease to be the center of tourism attraction, tending to become dependent in their functional market area from the existence of heritage values, well preserved, attractive and accessible.

This new relationship transform accommodation on a variable dependent from heritage and makes imperative the resolution of the conflict of interest between the construction of tourism infrastructures and the preservation of the natural heritage and cultural heritage.

And, by changing the functional relationship a = f (h), put in question the very nature of traditional accommodation, at least on four dimensions: first: the imperative of quality of building requires incorporate architectural value, correct landscape insertion and environmental management. Second, the need to conform their services with the asset values of the cultural landscape, offering their most genuine products in the construction, catering and merchandising. Third the diversification of the offer, complementing the service of accommodation, catering and merchandising, with the animation, and in particular proposing Routes integrating Cultural Tourism Circuits and Tourism of Nature Circuits. Fourth the elimination of architectural barriers, in order to welcome all guests with special needs and the creation of appropriate leisure structures, especially to the senior tourists: namely,  fast access to health services and  special parks.


25. The animation cannot be confused with "radical tourism", or trivialized in small shows. On the context which we put the problem, offer animation is to give easy access and informed access to the structures of cultural tourism and tourism of nature. The only ones which have the capacity to attract and occupy large groups and even masses of millions of tourists. If the animation remains in charge of hospitality unities, costs are unaffordable to the success of the business. This is not justified and is not necessary, thanks to the current expansion of museums, the main structure of Cultural Tourism and the multiplication of Centers of Interpretation of Protected Areas, the maim structures of Tourism of Nature.


26. Distinction between natural resources and raw materials of tourism economy. Form and essence of tourism resource

The concept of tourism industry has led to search for local resources - biological and geological, livestock and forestry, etc. as their basic material. In fact the first are used and processed by other industries, and in many cases require its conservation. And for the second, its consumption is shared between residents and travellers.


27. The cultural landscape as a touristic resource

What constitutes a tourism resource is the humanized cultural landscape, urban and rural. Reading and interpretation of the cultural landscape is the basis for the creation of the tourist product and its first metamorphosis of value.

It’s the ecology of the landscape (material heritage) and its metaphysics (immaterial heritage), which constitute the essence of tourist resource, but only when their interpretation and reading gives it a new increase in cultural and economic values.


28. Touristic merchandise. Usage value and exchange value

The landscape is not an open book, empirically intelligible. The transformation into a tourism product goes through its readability, which gives it a value of use; it’s a metamorphosis that generates economy value, and it’s also a process of cultural literacy, mediated by the construction of a language for tourism communication; the result of this process changes the shape and the essence of traditional concepts of resources and tourism products.


29. Raw material sources of the Tourism New Economy

The Natural History, served by the Earth Sciences, Geology and Geomorphology in particular, reveals the diversity of geological heritage and its natural monuments.

Life sciences, especially biology and botany, teach us the size and value of biodiversity, and also the value of new biotopes created by the humanization of the landscape.

Social History with their archaeological and artistic valences, and ethnography, allow us to take advantage of the built heritage, works of art and literature, as well as ethnographic objects.

And when we discuss these resources, we can’t forget their immaterial dimension.

See below how the rehabilitation of heritage and conservation of cultural objects became a matter vital to the economy of tourism and for the productivity of its traditional Value Chains.


30. What are, after all, cultural tourism and tourism of nature? Organization and products

We propose the following definition, about Cultural Tourism: An organic and productive branch of tourism, incorporating levels of design, organization and promotion, contents and materials from the domain of culture and scientific culture. Particularly in the essence of cultural tourism, are Museology and Heritage Sciences.

The scientific core of the Tourism of Nature are Environmental Sciences. The organic structures of Tourism of Nature are the Centers of Interpretation of Nature, localized in protect areas.

The organic structures of Rural Tourism (Tourism in Rural Space), are rural houses, rural hotels, farms, offering the visit of cultural landscape, organic products, and participation in the activities of production. 

However, museums or centers of interpretation of nature may be adjusted to the dynamics and the objectives of the tourism economy, in the framework of the management of their Value Chains.

 We can distinguish clearly types or categories of tourism looking into their different organic structures and products.


31. Cultural tourism: organization and management

Cultural Tourism only exists if it’s present the network of museums, monuments and archaeological and historical sites and centers, particularly those which are classified by Unesco World Heritage, cultural festivals and celebrations. Museums, in the largest definition of ICOM (International Council of Museum), are the major organic structures of Cultural Tourism.

The products offered by Cultural Tourism, are the collections display at museums (permanent or temporary), from the Louvre to the Prado, monuments, and archaeological and historical sites and centers (particularly those which are Human Heritage), festivals and celebrations with a value of identity, local matter, at regional, national or international levels, like the Holy Week celebrations in Castilla or the Fátima Sanctuary celebrations, in Portugal.

Cultural Tourism also offers the architectural value of heritage structures, like the iconic Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao or the monumental complex of Alhambra in Granada, Spain.

All these organic structures of Cultural Tourism (museums, monuments, science centers...) are operating today as interpretation centers to their diverse audience segments (the tourists surpass the segment of the public school) and temporary events also require an organizational structure itself, even if assembled for a limited period, which increasingly tends to set in partial but permanent forms of memory and event promotion. This is the case with the creation of museums of the Holy Week in Spain or of the apparitions in Fatima, Portugal, or in Lourdes, France, which complement the Sanctuaries. And these temples are evolving in the complexity of products and as a standing offer, in addition to the dates of pilgrimages.


§ Therefore, the concept of cultural tourism must naturally integrate religious tourism, because that concept is larger than the second and the religious phenomenon is one of humanity's cultural expressions.


§ §

The idea of Cultural tourism based on built heritage, views and lifestyle, as well as events and happenings, gives us a rough overview of the diversity of contexts and products of cultural tourism. It should be connected to the specific function of tourism economy and, in this context, should lead us to study how today it constitutes and can reproduce the tourism capital, based on its relationship with the culture industry, and most of all to recognize the extension of the cultural penetration into the tourism activity, which may have led to profound changes in the traditional paradigm of tourism.


32. Tourism of Nature: organization and management


The major organic structures of Tourism of Nature are the Parks and Natural Reserves, paleontological, and nature interpretation centers, and its cultural landscape - humanized landscape (cultural landscape or “terroir”), with a special focus on those was classified as World Heritage.

The products offered by Tourism of Nature or Ecological Tourism, structured within this network in the context of cultural and natural landscapes, offer the discovery of nature diversity, observation of species, small and large pedestrian routes, and the pleasure of a human re-approach to nature, with all the sensations.


§ We include Health Tourism to the above mentioned Tourism of Nature: Thermal and water pleasures (SPA), the French thalassotherapy (sea station), mountain stations, wellness, the functional (healthy) food tours and itineraries offered by Circuits. And we also include Sports in Nature as part of the activities of Tourism of Nature.

Sports of Nature that mean Active Tourism: hiking, walking, climbing, canoeing, skiing or motorized vehicles. These products are shared with Rural Tourism.

Active tourism is not a type or category of Tourism bur a quality of several types or categories of tourism.

Integrating the Health Tourism in the type or category of Tourism of Nature  becomes an obvious choice when we realize that the network of Thermal Baths occurs in zones of geological faults and dating back to at least the Romanization period of the Iberian Peninsula and Europe. And even more when we adopt the current formula of the World Health Organization (WHO) to establish its content:

The WHO defines health as "a State of complete physical, mental and social well-being, which is not merely the absence of disease or infirmity". This approach amplifies the biological concept of health, because it includes the psychological and social components of the human being and an ethical dimension.

The functional food and the conditions surrounding the conservation of nature are now inextricably linked to the modern Spas, just as they already were connected to the Baths of classical civilizations.


§§  The products offered by Tourism in Rural Area include accommodation in traditional homes as well as the discovery of humanized landscapes (cultural landscapes, the French "terroir" concept) and/or participating in the agriculture work cycles, associated to Active Tourism: road trips, hikes, TT, horseback riding, hunting and fishing, and Golf Tourism.

Usually this typological framework does not apply to golf, but, golf normally implies the creation of a cultural landscape in the rural space not in urban or virgin landscapes, which adapt traditional landscapes to new functions while keeping the landscape setting.

Golf, like tennis, will be gradually democratized and accessible to the middle class. Their social value, can attract a younger crowd and promote fitness and an active ageing. The current breakdown between Golf and Rural Tourism, is the issue of deficient integration of tourist products in the same destination.

Other activities that relay rural tourism to Health tourism include outdoor hiking, a demand for air and water in pollution free woods and springs, and traditional, biological and healthy food.

The joint offering of Cultural Tourism and Nature Tourism, which may include the products of Tourism in Rural Areas, can be called Environmental Tourism.


33.  A conceptual approach to the typology or categories of tourism


1. Cultural Tourism, organized by the organic structures of  museums and monuments and its material and immaterial heritage and offer products (collections, visits), animation and events. Includes tourism of religion.

The collections and exhibitions of museums, from the Louvre to the Prado, monuments and archaeological and historical sites, particularly those which are Human Heritage, festivals and celebrations with a value of identity, in the local, regional, national or international level, as the Theatre Classic Festival in Spain roman heritage, the celebration of Holy Week in Castilla or religious celebrations at Portuguese Fatima sanctuary. But also the architectural value of these structures and cultural landscapes, for instance, the Côa Valley Museum and Prehistoric Rock Art Sites in the Côa Valley and Siega Verde, the iconic attraction capacity of the architecture of Guggenheim Bilbao Museum or the monumental complex of the Alhambra in Granada.


2. Tourism of Nature, or Ecotourism, structured with the organic structures of parks and reserves, paleontological and nature interpretation Centers, in the context of cultural and “wild” landscapes, especially those who are classified by UNESCO as Word Heritage, discovering geodiversity and biodiversity, and cultural landscape diversity, offering products as observation of the birds and protects species...

Including “Health Tourism” with Health Spa and some sports of nature, like walking, climbing, canoeing, caving…skiing and rackets… motorized journeys ... shared with Rural Tourism.


3. Tourism in Rural Areas, organized from the organic structures of farmers, villages and rural hotels, using the products of terroir, eating, chasing, fishing… offering several “sports of nature”, like golf or rafting… equestrian activities or hang gliding… landscape promenades… and enjoying “functional food” (healthy food).

The accommodation at traditional home but also the discovery of humanized landscapes (cultural landscapes, the French “terroir” concept) and/or participation in the agriculture work cycles, associated with the “active tourism”: car rides, hikes, TT, horseback riding, hunting and fishing, and Golf Tourism...

Unusually this typology is not applied to Golf, but, golf practice implies, as a rule, to create a cultural landscape in the rural space not in urban or virgins landscapes, who modify traditional landscape to news leisure functions. Golf, like tennis, will be gradually democratized and accessible to the middle class, for the reason of their social value, which attracts youth and promote fitness healthy and active ageing.

The current breakdown among Golf and Rural Tourism is a problem of deficient integration of tourism products in the same destination.

Tourism in Rural Areas share products related with “Health Tourism”, sharing fresh air activities and clean waters, woods and springs without pollution, the traditional and organic food, but their products are very different from the Tourism of Nature: we observe the birds on the Tourism of Nature activities and we hunt them on the Rural Tourism.


4. Tourism of Idiom, based in the organic structures of school exchanges heading for the promotion of knowledge of the language and culture among foreigners, their holiday’s camps and programs.


5. Tourism of Congresses and Business, realized in the organics structures like the conference centers, with meetings in the form of seminars, symposia, conferences, workshops and those social programs. International fairs and exhibitions.


6. Tourism of Gastronomy and Oenology, offer in the organic structures like restaurants, shops, wineries and vineyards and cellars, linked to the concept of “terroir”. Wine and gastronomy, with particular emphasis on degustation of wine, sausage, cheese and gastronomic icons menus and restaurants, as the Spanish El Bulli or the Portuguese, Port Wine (Vinho do Porto).

Those are the structures of gastronomic and oenological tourism, but we must include fairs and specialty museums, festivals and related events and a new multimedia literature that won important role in the promotion and the optimization of their market.


7. Tourism of Sea and River, based on ocean beaches and river beaches, with their leisure activities and characteristic sports, especially water sports, sailing and diving, beaches inland waterways, providing the sport fishing and boating...

The coastline also offers a wide range of products typically associated with ordinary concept of touring; walking and boating, enjoying the sun and the sand, geological and biological diversity and the aesthetics of landscape, the waterfront (and river) “promenades” , a tradition that came back from the beginnings of tourism use, in the 19th century reserved to the high class. 


8. Long Term Residential Tourism, new principal residences for foreign, which are expanded from the coast into the interior, involving mainly senior tourists with its old members, but also young couples with great mobility.


 9. Itinerant Tourism Auto-Caravan new practices, which corresponds to the overcoming of a new class of users of modern auto-caravan ( organic structures) , demanding and using the infrastructures available for cultural tourism and tourism of nature, but also a new type of parks, for refueling and waste treatment, endowed with regional information, shop and supplementary housing.


10. School and Scientific Tourism, from the organic structures that are basic schools and high schools, which corresponds to the models of study visits or finalists travels extend beyond a journey, but also associate to nature, scientific and cultural expeditions, markedly increased by the emerging of Museum and Science Centers of the 2rd an 3rd generation, thematic parks and the museums of industrial archaeology.


11. Sport Tourism and from Sport, new organic structures as national or Olympic stadiums, sportive centers,   considering the first as being the displacement of the athletes and their teams and the second the travel of supporters and spectators. That category includes Olympic Games, world championship and others competitions, including professionals and amateurs who perform regularly a sport activity. 

It is obvious that some sport activities are shared with the Tourism of Nature and Rural Tourism offer, which is the case of Golf, or sea and river leisure. His distinction type can be made through their main motivation and “taste”: enjoy diversity of or the rural environment, or searching a particular sport: that is the case of "snow tourism” to practice ski or the tourism groups affiliated in golf clubs to practice this sport championship.  


12. Tourism of Gaming and Entertaining, organized from the organic structures of casinos and thematic parks, with their own animation.


Those categories have in common several activities, but preserve their own identity, different organic structures and diverse products.

However, it is not easy to measure their impact in the Tourism Satellite Account.

In the domain of the economy, they are different productive segments of tourism activities.


34. The metaphors of the economy of tourism: The Routes as complex production units and productive lines of new capital gains. The Circuits are machine tools of the tourism activity.


335.  Plus value of Routes and Circuits. The design of great Routes and its interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary Circuits, enables the reading and enjoyment of the landscape in it’s fullness, teaches how to see and how take advantage of travel. But also extends the travel, creating the need to offer interpretation, guidance, catering and accommodation, transport and mediation, creating new professional profiles and innovative business projects.

The transdisciplinary component of Routes and Circuits is the language specific of tourism addressed to various segments of the public and the multidisciplinary that surrounds them, displays as a need of an integrated strategy of training, research, multimedia communication, conservation and rehabilitation of the heritage, land use planning, accessibility, especially through airports and ocean ports, etc.


36. They are key indicators of Environmental Tourism potential, the numbers and attributes of visitors of museums and monuments, festivities… in the field of Cultural Tourism and the Parks and nature reserves, and cultural landscapes, in the field of the Tourism of Nature, considered in the perspective of tourism and economy of their Chains of Value.


37. A reductive vision of economy of heritage. From the dominant vision about economy of heritage, the income obtained from thickets of the museums, natural parks, added to sailings of shop, restaurant, guidance and other services provided by the structures of cultural tourism and tourism of nature, is a reductive perspective that does not take into account the positive externalities and the changing nature of the functional relationship between the Chains of Value and cultural and natural heritage, offer by Environmental Tourism.


38. The concept of great Route, structured with Touristic Circuits, is the best to serves the planning, rational management of tourism resources and, especially, the efficiency in tourism promotion, overcoming the seasonality, allowing to increase the index of permanence, hotel’s occupation and hospitality, catering, animation,  the sale of other products/merchandising, rentals and other forms of negotiation and mediation.


39. Twelve ranks of differentiated products of 12 categories or types of tourism.


1. Cultural Tourism.

The collections and exhibitions of museums, from the Louvre to the Prado, monuments and archaeological and historical sites, particularly those which are Human Heritage, festivals and celebrations with a value of identity, in the local, regional, national or international level, as the Theatre Classic Festival in Spain roman heritage, the celebration of Holy Week in Castilla or religious celebrations at Portuguese Fatima sanctuary. But also the architectural value of these structures and cultural landscapes, for instance, the Côa Valley Museum and Prehistoric Rock Art Sites in the Côa Valley and Siega Verde, the iconic attraction capacity of the architecture of Guggenheim Bilbao Museum  or the monumental complex of the Alhambra in Granada.


2. Tourism of Nature, or Ecotourism.

Walking to discovery geodiversity and biodiversity, and cultural landscape diversity, offering products as observation of the birds and protects species...

Including “Health Tourism” with Health Spa and some sports of nature, like walking, climbing, canoeing, caving…skiing and rackets… motorized journeys ... shared with Rural Tourism.


3. Tourism in Rural Areas

Using the products of terroir, eating, chasing, fishing… offering several “sports of nature”, like golf or rafting… equestrian activities or hang gliding… landscape promenades… and enjoying “functional food” (healthy food).

The accommodation at traditional home but also the discovery of humanized landscapes (cultural landscapes, the French “terroir” concept) and/or participation in the agriculture work cycles, associated with the “active tourism”: car rides, hikes, TT, horseback riding, hunting and fishing, and Golf Tourism...

Unusually this typology is not applied to Golf, but, golf practice implies, as a rule, to create a cultural landscape in the rural space not in urban or virgins landscapes, who modify traditional landscape to news leisure functions. Golf, like tennis, will be gradually democratized and accessible to the middle class, for the reason of their social value, which attracts youth and promote fitness healthy and active ageing. The current breakdown among Golf and Rural Tourism is a problem of deficient integration of tourism products in the same destination.

Tourism in Rural Areas share products related with “Health Tourism”, sharing fresh air activities and clean waters, woods and springs without pollution, the traditional and organic food, but their products are very different from the Tourism of Nature: we observe the birds on the Tourism of Nature activities and we hunt them on the Rural Tourism.


4. Tourism of Idiom

Classes that promotes the knowledge of the language and culture among foreigners, their holiday’s camps activities and programs.


5. Tourism of Congresses and business

Meetings in the form of seminars, symposia, conferences, workshops and those social programs. International fairs and exhibitions.


6. Tourism of Gastronomy and Oenology,

Wine and gastronomy, with particular emphasis on degustation of wine, sausage, cheese and gastronomic icons menus and restaurants, as the Spanish El Bulli or the Portuguese, Port Wine (Vinho do Porto). Those are the structures of tourism gastronomic and oenological, but we must include fairs and specialty museums, festivals and related events and a new multimedia literature that won important role in the promotion and the optimization of their market.


7. Tourism of Sea and Rive

Leisure activities and characteristic sports, especially water sports, sailing and diving, beaches inland waterways, providing the sport fishing and boating...

The coastline also offers a wide range of products typically associated with ordinary concept of touring; walking and boating, enjoying the sun and the sand, geological and biological diversity and the aesthetics of landscape, the waterfront (and river) “promenades” , a tradition that came back from the beginnings of tourism use, in the 19th century reserved to the high class. 


8. Long Term Residential Tourism

New principal residences for foreign, which are expanded from the coast into the interior, involving mainly senior tourists with its old members, but also young couples with great mobility.


 9. Itinerant Tourism Auto-Caravan new practices

The overcoming of a new class of users of modern auto-caravan, demanding and using the infrastructures available for cultural tourism and tourism of nature, but also a new type of parks, for refueling and waste treatment, endowed with regional information, shop and supplementary housing.


10. School and Scientific Tourism

Study visits or finalists travels extend beyond a journey, but also associate to nature, scientific and cultural expeditions, markedly increased by the emerging of Museum and Science Centers of  the 2rd an 3rd generation, thematic parks and the museums of industrial archaeology.


11. Sport Tourism and from Sport.

That category includes Olympic Games, world championship and others competitions, including professionals and amateurs who perform regularly a sport activity. 

It is obvious that some sport activities are shared with the Tourism of Nature and Rural Tourism offer, which is the case of Golf, or sea and river leisure. His distinction type can be made through their main motivation and “taste”: enjoy diversity of or the rural environment, or searching a particular sport: that is the case of "white tourism” to practice sky or the tourism groups affiliated in golf clubs to practice this sport championship.  


12. Tourism of Gaming and Entertaining,

Games of casinos and thematic parks, with their own animation.


Those categories have in common several activities, but preserve their own identity, different organic structures and diverse products.

However, it is not easy to measure their impact in the Tourism Satellite Account.





40. A strange behavior of Cultural Tourism and Tourism of Nature products, in the market

The new tourist products, from Cultural Tourism and Tourism of Nature, as merchandise that they are, have an added value and an exchange value, comparable to common goods.  However, the products of Cultural Tourism and Tourism of Nature in the market competition have a strange behavior. This competition, for differentiation, generates complementary and cooperative networks, without exclusion of the competitor.

Indeed, the tourist consumer of Cultural Tourism and Tourism of Nature products tends to visit all the museums and monuments, different protected areas and cultural landscapes and not to settle unique a product, or icon or mark


§ If municipality wants to become an attraction pole integrate in a new touristic destination, must consider the cooperation with all the neighbors municipalities to create scale in the competition with the consolidated tourism destinations. They need to organize common Routes and Circuits justifying at least a journey visit (a day and one night) and several journeys crossing the territory unified, on the context of a Route of environmental tourism.


§ § A strange competition

The new tourist products, from Cultural Tourism and Tourism of Nature, as merchandise that they are, have an added value and an exchange value, comparable to common goods.  However, the products of Cultural Tourism and Tourism of Nature in the market competition have a strange behavior. This competition, for differentiation, generates complementary and cooperative networks, without exclusion of the competitor.

Indeed, the tourist consumer of Cultural Tourism and Tourism of Nature products tends to visit all the museums and monuments, different protected areas and cultural landscapes and not to settle unique a product, or icon or mark.

But the concentration of organic structures of Cultural Tourism and Tourism of Nature at a specific location, for example Paris, focus 80% of international tourism to the France capital. Louvre becomes a microcosm of the world tourism. The same phenomena in Madrid or London…

From the expansion of low-cost flights, all cultural destinations are competing among themselves and if a city or municipality wants to become a pole of attraction, must consider the cooperation with neighbors, cities and regions, to create scale in the competition with the consolidated tourism destinations. They need to organize common Routes and Circuits justifying at least a journey visit (a day and one night) and several journeys crossing their territory.


41. From that perspective, the notion of competitiveness in the field of tourism have a new sense: the economic development of new forms of tourism creates a large dynamics that determines the evolution of other economic areas upstream and downstream,  promoting an economy of conservation of nature and rehabilitation of cultural heritage. In parallel, environmental tourism encourages a sustainable agriculture and the reform of the construction, sustainable architectural and urban sets rehabilitation. And the spread of info-and cyber culture.


42. The construction of a specific tourism speech. In terms of written and multimedia language disclosure, the concepts of selective observation and meaningful description of the cultural landscape, using different sciences and cultural expressions, involve the construction of a specific tourism speech, distinct of the scientific discourse. The most common mistakes in this matter are the transcription of academics texts or the trivialization of information.

We must emphasize here that tourism writing is a specific art, very complex, because must associate and make accessible scientific and philosophical contents and communicational concepts, at the same time rigorous and accessible and that needs to be validated by the various segments of their audiences.

Its reference boundary can be what, in every historical period and cultural context, represents the general level of education and culture of the middle class. This means that the tourism narrative raises the knowledge of large masses of travelers and enlarge information of elites, which, as a rule, have a scholarly knowledge but only in a single scientific domain.


43. In the framework of the information and knowledge society, the demand for individualized programs, independently selected, predominates over the provision of "packages", in the same way as the search for information, booking and payment by Internet to prevail over the traditional agency mediation. In this new context, travel agencies must to look for new degrees of expertise and qualification of their products. And the segments that structure the tourism value chains must progress from the analogical culture to the digital culture, integrating both in their offer. This process moves the center of tourism promotion to the cyber culture and, paradoxically, to the "word of mouth", now, in universal network.


44. Accompanying this trend of more autonomy of the tourist, the migration of more time of reserved nights from the hotel sector to the sectors of residence hire, loan and purchase of dwellings. In such a way that emerged a new type or category of tourism, Long Term Residential Tourism, demanded for international tourists, that not to be confused with the second homes to nationals residents, who, in some times, occupy the space to tourism development of tourism Chains of Value.


45. In the same evolutionary line and generate by metamorphosis, emerged the Itinerant Tourism Auto-Caravan new practices, distinctive from traditional practices of camping and caravanning, and we can define as "cultural tourism and travelling in nature".


46. The terroir. The gastronomy and oenology should be considered as a tourism product only when they include a cultural component, which links the product with the cultural landscape, farming the man’s work, a product having specific identity and the value of a icon, that France masterfully set with the concept of terroir.


47. The prosperity of a tourism destination based on the target audience of Middle-middle class and Upper middle class. The sustainable and balanced of  development of the tourism market, cannot be based on high classes segments of consumers of products, like casinos games, golf, tourism white or luxury resorts, because its contribution to global tourism income is residual. Neither overestimate the juvenile segments called "radical tourism", because your value contribution is insignificant to any tourism destination. But also, the tourism income not depend of the segments, more numerous, of the popular classes and low  middle class who are looking for  trivial products of the Sun and Beach, and atypical gastronomy  and hotels, that the market already did go into decline.

The prosperity of a tourism destination must be based on the target audience of Middle-middle class and Upper middle class, by its superior economic capacity and social weight and because they role of "social consumption modeling". Their young people will spreading the new paradigm of cultural tourism and tourism of nature in society and in the youth. And teachers are the first vehicles of information and formation of cultural taste; that's is the reason we consider the teachers of all levels of school training “the main informal tourism agents”.


48. As economic metaphor, tourism reaches the scope and function of a branch of Economics social development, which has a primary sector comprises the activities of conservation and enhancement of the cultural and natural heritage integrating, in tourism management, organization and operation of museums and monuments, interpretation centers, parks and natural reserves, etc.; a secondary sector, equated metaphorically to industrial complexes, structured with the Routes and Circuits, with their itineraries and ways, especially road and trails, but also ports and airports; and a tertiary sector, one that is traditionally considered the "tourism industry" integrating the value chains: accommodation, catering, shopping and merchandising, entertainment, transportation, mediation and guidance.


49. The growth of competitiveness in the tourism economy will be sought particularly through the ability to build Circuits and Routes integrating all heritage products, which gradually will link the current urban attraction poles to dynamic regional visits, inter-regional and even cross-border. With these Routes and Circuits we can promote the upgrading of the economic status of excursionist to the status of tourist, increasing the time spent in certain places and the desire or need to return to them. This will help surpass the seasonality and promote a quality consumption, which will increase productivity.


50. In the framework of the new paradigm of tourism, the Environmental Tourism, Routes and Circuits are the functional structures of tourism destinations in connection with the Chains of Value. But they are not the structures that organize these Routes and Circuits (the museums, monuments and parks) that collect the greatest profit; the profit from tourism will come from the aforementioned external Value Chains (Accommodation for visitors, restaurants, transports and so one).

The misunderstanding of this economic paradox is the cause of the historical conflict between tourism and development, but is also at the same time the key to overcome it. This is important particularly in our time, in which a new paradigm of tourism is emerging - environmental tourism, which means cultural tourism, tourism of nature, and rural tourism, with their specific products and renewed environmental sustainability requirements, for all other tourist products.


§ The paradox of the new economy of tourism: externalities of tourism economy

.

The new functional relationship  a = f (h), accommodation ( and Chains of Value) is a mathematic function  depending from heritage,  establish that are  Routes and Circuits,  integrating all the heritage producs, which  attract tourists from middle and upper class, generating the main values of tourism activities.

However they're not the structures that organize these Routes and Circuits, the museums, monuments and parks, which collect the highest values; the tourism income is collected outside the structures of Cultural Tourism and Tourism of Nature on the aforementioned value chains: accommodation, catering, shopping and merchandising, animation, transport, freight forwarding and animation. It is the phenomenon of positive externalities.

The misunderstanding of this economic paradox is the cause of the historical conflict between tourism and development, but is also at the same time the key to overcome it.


§§ Competitiveness and Productivity


We must built new economic tools to enquire the real economic impact of Cultural Tourism and Tourism of Nature.

Then, the growth of competitiveness of the tourism economy destination will result mainly from the ability to organize their Routes and Circuits, which gradually enlarge the current urban attraction poles, giving a dynamic of visit regional, inter-regional and even cross-border.

Routes and circuits promotes the passage of the economic status of excursionist into tourist, growing time of permanence and the desire/need to return, surpassing the seasonality and encourages the consumption of quality, increasing productivity.

In this new context is imperative planning and organizing tourism to transform the excursionist in tourist, taking into account the concepts here synthesized as Externalities, Chains Values of tourism needs to incorporate permanently new products and even other values and what its historical relationship with the heritage (s).






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