The objective of this paper is to explore cultural tourism perceptions, practices, concerns and prospects among local residents, tourists and business representatives in the Cycladic Islands, specifically three sites (Andros, Syros and Santorini). The concept and framework of cultural sustainability are employed to analyze the variable interrelationships between culture and tourism in the development of cultural tourism and in overall local sustainability, from a bottom-up/destination perspective. The methodological approach was an on-site exploratory questionnaire survey, effectuated in the context of the SPOT Horizon 2020 EU project, on cultural tourism in the Cyclades. Our findings show that the role of culture as an actual tourism attraction and the potential for further growth in cultural tourism, and consequently local development, are broadly recognized. However, the role of tourism in cultural development, management and appropriation is viewed with a certain degree of trepidation and ambivalence. Culture and tourism emerge from the results of this research study as positively interlinked in the minds of the locals, the visitors and the entrepreneurs involved in cultural tourism and tourism more generally. Despite the fact that it is mostly privately driven, the culture–tourism relationship is viewed as holding great potential for all sides involved and for local cultural and overall sustainability.
Although the centrality of landscape to tourism is unquestionable and already a broadly established scientific area of research, much remains to be explored and understood regarding their interrelatedness. The objective of this research was to investigate, analyze and assess notions and perceptions of the reciprocal relationship between the landscape and tourism through an electronic survey among European researchers and scientists of relevant and associated academic fields. This was achieved with the aid of an interview questionnaire survey, focusing on the experts’ (a) perceptions/understandings and visions of future optimization of the reciprocal relationship tourism–landscape, (b) their conceptualizations of landscapes of tourism, and 9c) their assessments of the prospects (opportunities) and challenges (threats) coming out of the close tourism–landscape relationship, both for the tourism industry and the local societies involved. Our findings point to an emergence of a definition for “landscapes of tourism”. The experts elaborated on the high significance of the tourism–landscape relationship, through well-balanced and realistic opinions vis-à-vis the positive and negative aspects of the researched relationship but leaning towards its negative aspects. Overall, the findings reveal significant social sensitivities, environmental concerns, support for the principles of sustainability, locality, participatory governance and a call for appropriate governmental planning.
The objective of the chapter is to explore cultural tourism perceptions, practices, concerns, and prospects among local residents and business representatives in the Cyclades, specifically three sites (Andros, Syros, and Santorini), and to draw their implications for local cultural sustainability. For this purpose, it relies methodologically on an on-site intensive questionnaire survey, effectuated in the context of the SPOT HORIZON2020 EU project (2020-22) on cultural tourism. The findings show that the role of culture as an actual tourism attraction and the potential for further growth in cultural tourism, and consequently in local development, are broadly recognized from all sides involved in the survey. Conversely, the role of tourism in these destinations' cultural development, management, and appropriation is viewed with some trepidation and ambivalence, while, in the relative absence of the state, local residents and tourism- or culture-related businesses appear to have taken most aspects of cultural tourism planning and management in their hands.
Until July 2021, the repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic were severe for tourism-dependent countries, such as Greece, and particularly the Cyclades. The cultural sector and related activities, at the crux of Cycladic tourism industry, were especially hit by the pandemic. The rest of the 2021 tourist season, however, proved especially successful for Cycladic tourism, which poses the question of why and how a destination may survive—and even profit—from the pandemic. This paper thus explores emerging Cyclades tourism patterns and prospects (in a case study of Andros, Syros, and Santorini), in the context of the anticipated post-pandemic tourism regeneration. Methodologically, the study was based on a) a series of in-situ in-depth interviews with key informants, b) a questionnaire survey of tourists and related local businesses, and c) a focus group panel discussion with key local/ regional stakeholders. The study was conducted between the fall of 2020 and spring of 2021, in the context of the SPOT HORIZON2020 EU project; the research design and data interpretation were enriched by participant observation and consultation of Trip Advisor websites. Findings show that the pandemic and its repercussions were grave for these islands, highly dependent on tourism based on a dominant small-and-medium-enterprise tourism development model. Modes of travel, types of tourism, and visitors' behaviour were altogether affected, resulting in new patterns of (im)mobilities, while the role of culture was viewed as the destination’s ‘hope in the horizon’ towards the reigniting and regeneration of smaller-scale, creative, dispersed, and more sustainable tourism. However, great disparities also emerged between the current state and regenerative potential for local cultural tourism development. The study participants specifically emphasized that the private tourism sector had been left by the State to their own devices, and pointed to a lack of a) cultural infrastructure, b) public funding, and c) destination marketing/ promotion.
Ο σκοπός της διδακτορικής διατριβής είναι η διερεύνηση των επιπτώσεων των διεθνών καλλιτεχνικών φεστιβάλ στην τουριστική και πολιτιστική ανάπτυξη των πόλεων. Στο θεωρητικό μέρος πραγματοποιείται ανάλυση της σχετικής διεθνούς βιβλιογραφίας ενώ η εμπειρική έρευνα βασίζεται σε δύο εδραιωμένα διεθνή καλλιτεχνικά φεστιβάλ: το Διεθνές Φεστιβάλ Χορού Καλαμάτας και το Διεθνές Φεστιβάλ Ταινιών Μικρού Μήκους Δράμας. Παρόλες τις οικονομικές περικοπές της τελευταίας δεκαετίας, αυτά τα δύο φεστιβάλ έχουν καταφέρει να διατηρήσουν τη δημοτικότητα και το κύρος τους συμβάλλοντας πολιτιστικά και τουριστικά σε δυο πόλεις με διαφορετικά γεωγραφικά χαρακτηριστικά, μετά από 24 χρόνια συνεχούς παρουσίας. Τα πρωτογενή δεδομένα συλλέχθηκαν τόσο με ποιοτικές όσο και με ποσοτικές μεθόδους όπως τη συμμέτοχη παρατήρηση, τις συνεντεύξεις και τα ερωτηματολόγια κατά τη διάρκεια των ετών 2012 και 2016. Συνολικά διεξήχθησαν 11 συνεντεύξεις με κύριους πληροφορητές στις δύο πόλεις και απαντήθηκαν 512 ερωτηματολόγια από τους κατοίκους και τους επισκέπτες των δύο πόλεων. Τα συμπεράσματα της έρευνας προκύπτουν από τον συνδυασμό όλων των πηγών δεδομένων και την πολύ-επιστημονική προσέγγιση τους προβάλλοντας τον εξαιρετικά θετικό πολιτιστικό και τουριστικό αντίκτυπο των φεστιβάλ στην κάθε πόλη. Συγκεκριμένα, τα αποτελέσματα δείχνουν ότι στην περίπτωση της Καλαμάτας, το φεστιβάλ έχει παίξει σημαντικό ρόλο στην βελτίωση των πολιτιστικών προτύπων και υποδομών και έχει συμβάλει στην αναβάθμιση του προφίλ του προορισμού. Αντιστοίχως, στην περίπτωση της Δράμας το φεστιβάλ έχει επηρεάσει εξαιρετικά θετικά τις τουριστικές υποδομές και έχει βελτιώσει την εικόνα του προορισμού. Στόχος της διατριβής είναι να αποκαλύψει τις αναξιοποίητες δυνατότητες των φεστιβάλ και να συμβάλει στη γνώση σχετικά με τις πολιτιστικές και τουριστικές επιπτώσεις τους στις πόλεις υποδοχής.
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