Greg Richards

Production and consumption of European cultural tourism

Abstract A transnational study of European cultural tourism demand and supply indicates a rapid increase in both the production and consumption of heritage attractions. Although heritage tourism demand has been fueled by rising income and education levels, there has also been a significant supply-induced element of demand. In particular, those engaged in cultural production play a key role in exploiting the cultural capital concentrated in the major historic centers of Europe. Spatially localized production of heritage is intimately linked with socially limited consumption of heritage tourism by groups within the “new middle class”, rendering attempts to spread tourism consumption through heritage promotion difficult.

Tourism Attraction Systems. Exploring cultural behavior

Attractions are vital sub-elements in all whole tourism systems, and yet their study suffers from lack of theoretical depth and empirical foundation. This paper presents an empirical exploration of the attraction system model, based on a survey of over 6,000 tourists to cultural attractions. The results provide strong support both for the general structure of the model and for the idea that tourists are “pushed” towards attractions by their motivations. Visitation is shown to be strongly related to motivation, attraction markers, use of different media, and touristic characteristics. Potential areas of development for the model are suggested, including more consideration of the relationship between agency and structure.

Cultural attractions and European tourism.

Part One: Development of Cultural Tourism and Cultural Attractions 1: The Development of Cultural Tourism in Europe, Greg Richards, Tilberg University, Tilberg,The Netherlands 2: The Market for Cultural Attractions, Greg Richards 3: The Experience Industry and the Creation of Attractions, Greg Richards 4: The Cultural Attraction Distribution System, Greg Richards, Saskia Goedhart, L A Group, Amsterdam, The Netherlands and Carla Herrijgers, Pelikaan Reizen, Zevenbergen, The Netherlands Part Two: Case Studies of European Cultural Attractions 5: The Bonnefanten Museum, Maastricht, Wil Munsters, Hoge Hotelschool Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands 6: Urban Regeneration and Glasgows Galleries with Particular Reference to The Burrell Collection,David Leslie, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, UK 7: Clonmacnoise: a Monastic Site, Burial Ground and Tourist Attraction, Frances McGettigan and Kevin Burns, Althone Insitute of Technology, Althone, Ireland 8: Cultural Heritage Sites and Their Visitors: Too Many For Too Few?, Sue Berry and Graham Shephard University of Brighton, Eastbourne UK 9: Urban Heritage Tourism: Globalization and Localization, Michael Green, Loughborough University, 10: The Budapest Spring Festival - a Festival for Hungarians?, Laszlo Puczko and Tamara Ratz, Tourism Research Centre, Budapest, Hungary 11: The Consumption of Cultural Tourism in Poland, Barbara Marciszewska, University School of Physical Education, Wiejska, Poland 12: Creative Industries as Milieu of Innovation: The Westergasfabriek, Amsterdam, Caro Bonink, Caro Consulting, Amsterdam, The Netherlands and Erik Hitters, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands 13: European Cultural Attractions: Trends and Prospects, Greg Richards

Vacations and the Quality of Life: Patterns and Structures

Abstract The growing frequency of vacation travel in the developed world has ensured that tourism is seen as an essential element of the quality of life. A cross-comparative analysis of tourism consumption indicates substantial differences in tourism consumption and the structural position of vacations as a social right between nations. Higher levels of vacation entitlement and consumption in Europe can be linked to corporatist or social democratic welfare regimes that recognize tourism consumption as a social right. In the United States and Japan, however, more liberal welfare regimes are linked to lower vacation entitlements and greater inequalities in distribution of income and/or leisure time. The resulting differences in vacation time availability are reflected in time-intensive tourism consumption patterns in Europe, and money-intensive consumption patterns in the United States and Japan. With increasing liberalization, however, there are signs that these international differences are beginning to narrow.

The European cultural capital event: Strategic weapon in the cultural arms race?

The European Cultural Capital Event has become a much sought after distinction for cities seeking to attract cultural visitors. The event has developed beyond its mainly cultural origins to form an important part of urban economic and cultural reconstruction strategies for deindustrialising cities in Europe.This article reviews the history and development of the event, and analyses the extent to which cultural events have been successful in stimulating economic development. Although there is abundant evidence of short-term increases in visitor numbers and spending, there is inconclusive evidence for longer-term benefits. The European Cultural Capital Event: Strategic Weapon in the Cultural Arms Race?

THE MEANING OF CULTURAL FESTIVALS: Stakeholder perspectives in Catalunya

Cultural festivals and events are increasingly becoming arenas of discourse enabling people to express their views on wider cultural, social and political issues. Often the debates polarise into those advocating change and those wishing to preserve “traditional” or “local” culture in the face of modernisation and globalisation. This article analyses the discourse on cultural festivals from the perspective of stakeholders involved in traditional and popular culture events in Catalunya. There is generally a high level of agreement about the aims of cultural events and the cultural content that is appropriate for them. In particular, the importance of cultural events in underpinning Catalan identity is seen as being important. However, stakeholders tend to differ more in the meanings attached to concepts such as identity, with policy makers exhibiting a greater emphasis on economic and political issues, whereas cultural producers are more concerned with social aspects of identity. However, the general consensus on the social role of cultural events between the different stakeholders may be one explanation for the relatively vibrant festival culture in Catalunya.

Creativity and tourism in the city

Creativity has become increasingly important for the development of tourism in cities in recent years. As competition between cities grows, they increasingly seek to distinguish themselves through creative strategies. In the field of tourism, however, such strategies may arguably be counter-productive, as the race to produce distinction often results in cities adopting similar creative development models. In particular, many cities rely on the ideas of creativity ‘gurus’ such as Richard Florida and Charles Landry to provide creative solutions to a wide range of cultural, social and economic problems. However, by following such exogenous prescriptions, adopting forms of ‘fast policy’ and copying ideas from other ‘creative cities’ through ‘policy tourism’, the result is often a form of serial reproduction, unattractive to the very tourists cities seek to attract. This review article examines the search of many cities for distinction through creativity, and analyses the development of different forms of creativity, including creative industries and creative cities strategies and creative tourism. It argues that the shift away from tangible to intangible competitive advantage is continuing, with a trend towards relational forms of tourism based on creativity and embedded knowledge. These processes are illustrated by reviews of the literature relating to cities around the world.

Suspending Reality: An Exploration of Enclaves and the Backpacker Experience

Backpacker enclaves have become important arenas for social and cultural exchange and identity formation. As customised spaces catering for visitors, they provide home comforts as well as points of contact with home for those on the road. Backpackers striving to experience something different often end up surrounded by the extended familiarity of home even in the most remote destinations. This problematises concepts such as the rite de passage or culture shock, which suggest a sudden and substantial shift between home and away. The concept of suspension is put forward as an alternative model, which sees culture shock and reversal being deferred by taking refuge in the enclave, providing difference without seriously challenging the basic cultural and social norms of the visitor. The suspended experiences in traveller enclaves are neither here nor there – not here because the real experience is outside the enclave, and not there because of the familiar surroundings of the enclave. Drawing on research from Bangkok and Sydney, this paper examines the way in which the roles of hosts and guests are negotiated in enclaves. Suspended environments provide a relatively neutral space in which the cultural knowledge of the host can be offered as a gateway to the authentic experiences outside the enclave. The neutral space of the enclave also provides the locals with the opportunity to consume the exotic cultures brought by the visitors in a safe way. The enclave therefore becomes a tool for mediating cultures, so that culture confusion is avoided from both sides, although true reversal is also prevented by the constructed familiarity of the enclave.

Skilled consumption and UK ski holidays

Abstract An analysis of the UK ski holiday market indicates that the notion of ‘skilled consumption’ may be useful in analysing tourism motivations. Advanced skiers are more critical of the quality of skiing facilities, but spend longer in the destination and ski more frequently. They will tend to favour resorts with the most challenging ski conditions, and tend to use specialist tour operators in their search for the perfect piste. As the number of skilled consumers grow, it will become even more important for ski resorts to provide the quality of ski facilities demanded by the discerning skier. As skilled consumers demand more detailed information about tourism products, the availability and quality of product information provided by the travel trade will also become crucial.

Tourism and Culture

In the past, studies of tourism and the environment have tended to concentrate on the ‘natural’ environment; these studies did not pay attention to the role of culture in creating environments for tourism, and mediating the way in which tourists consume environments. Recent critical studies of the tourism phenomenon have begun to redress this balance, by pointing to the way in which the production and reproduction of ‘nature’ is highly culturally determined (Urry, 1996).