Author(s): Stepan Dychkovskyy
The article studies currently important theoretical issues connected with the determination of prospects for future development of cultural tourism, which is one of leading prevalent cultural practices and which takes large percentage of investments in all developed countries as well as gives an enormous amount of money for culture culture development in general.
Development of international tourist cultural event markets allows developing of new more attractive economic directions. One of the main directions of cultural tourism is event tourism, which is a unique kind of tourism as it is an inexhaustible in content, while effective use of cultural and historical potential capacity and architectural and natural monuments allows developing new more prospective economic directions of event tourism.
Considering cultural tourism as a symbiosis of economy and culture we should emphasize that it contemplates not only knowledge of cultural heritage of tourist destination, but also inclusion of a tourist into a modern cultural environment - active involvement in cultural events and practices characteristic for a certain territory [1].
Demonstration of widening of motivation variety and specialization of traveller’s interests on different aspects of culture and cultural heritage of countries and territories they visit is tendencies of diversification of cultural tourism, which is often a factor of activation of event tourism in a certain world region. Research of peculiarities of demand and supply for tourist trips with cultural purposes based on study of foreign and national sources allow making conclusion that today in international tourism, except traditional cultural and educational tourism, there are different tourism subtypes put into practice. They allow more meaningful diversification of leisure by means of interactive programs of a visit [2]. In modern tourist sphere it is important to combine social and economic conditions, natural potential and cultural environment, which is a significant tourist resource. Such a combination allows developing event tourism, which according to the World Tourist Organization’s estimates is becoming one of the motivating factors of cultural resorces study. The word Event (occurrence, happening) in English has very many meanings, in particular, as both a socialcultural and technical and even philosophic occasion or a planned social-public event/occurrence, which takes place at a certain time and with a certain purpose and has a certain public reaction. It combines some kinds of traditional recreation with active and passive participation in different events [3].
Event tourism, which is a unique kind of tourism as it is an inexhaustible in content. According to projections of event tourism researchers, extreme sport, spectacular combat sports and open-air festival shows will be the most popular subjects of special events in future. These types of activity the best way reflect the topics modern people are interested in - issues of environment safety, preservation of cultural heritage, health promotion and family strengthening.
There is one more advantage of event tourism - constant renewal of propositions. Having a great multiplicative effect, event tourism promotes development of related branches. Travellers visiting one or other region are potential consumers of other types of tourism popular in this territory. It results in increase of propositions and demand for additional services. Positive effect of event tourism on region’s development lies in the fact that owing to the interesting events tourists go to those regions, which at other times could hardly attract their attention.
In the past, the most events were the integral part of social contexture and played important role in the society - marking significant moments shared by all people. Religious holidays, cultural festivals and trade fairs created the environment of social cooperation. Taking into account the fast pace of social, economic and cultural changes today, events continue to acquirenew functions in the society. Recents researches show the growing role of events and festivals as economic accelerators, factors of creation of cultural environments, incentives for new management models as innovative platforms and as centers in global networks. When socio-cultural phenomena are studied, events can be seen as social subjects, which have a potential to support and transform social systems. Event is understood as a complex of occasions notable for its identity and significance for the given society or mankind in general, small groups or individuals. It can be of the form of a onetime unforgettable event or periodic one, which takes place every year or in a certain period of time [4]. Event as a tourist resource has clear multiplicative effect - it “makes” different tourist industry sectors of the country develop, which promotes effective use of its own potential. Hotels and transport companies, restaurants, cafes and sports centers, souvenirs shops and museums - it is hardly full list of components, which serve event tourism [5].
In this case event tourism as a kind of cultural tourism influences: revival of folk traditions and promotion of local crafts, job placement, organization of diverse tourist programs and travel itineraries, protection and revival of cultural and architectural heritage, transition from traditional way of life to so called modern western forms of society, which promotes development of interindustry cooperation, study of regional cultures with the purpose of development of interethnic tolerance. Integration of some monuments of cultural heritage into tourist network is promoting confirmation of restoration programs, creation of new image museums, skansens, restaurants of traditional food, furnishing of guest rooms for tourists by local residents.
Specifically event market segmentation makes you to adapt to it, creating a requested product. Competitive preference is given to the territories with rich history and high culture monument and natural site density. To create tourist attraction in case if there is no any cultural or historical event, it should be produced intentionally by developing legend of the given region. In this case there should be conducted a campaign for raising significance of individual or group cultural product, which involves maximum number of tourists. In the result the territory gets financing from event tourism and tourists, who have certain cultural demands, satisfy them in outdoor activities while visiting popular monuments and taking part in interesting different scale and subject matter events.
The role of tourism in the process of realization the mentioned above reasons is substantial as it is providing to the tourists the following: involvement into the other cultural context, where people of the other country, city and region live and based on this - rapid change of impressions; intense intellectual and information component of tourist activity, which is very important for modern people; entertaining-relaxational effect; satisfaction of social and prestigious demands according to consumer’s behavior of an individual, developed consumer standards of certain social groups and, therefore support and in some cases raise of social status of a tourist; opportunity of meeting and communicating with different people during cultural events-festivals, holidays etc., which allows realizing ideas about tourism as a system of interpersonal contacts [6].
Cultural development is promoted every time, when tourism strengthens culture by its economic results. The main aspects are travel motivation, people’s aspiration to visit cultural monuments, their desire to learn something interesting about the place they visit and to get to know new traditions or customs and impressions, got by a tourist during visiting certain places. From this point of view, investments in arts, architecture of city blocks and festivals can have a substantial symbolic and promotional meaning, but they should always be justified and belong to the long-term strategy [7].
To involve tourists Hong Kong Tourism Council every year organizes mega-events and promotes thematic festivals with the purpose to demonstrate a variety of cultural monuments and creative activity available in Hog Kong including shopping, visiting restaurants and monuments of cultural heritage. Hong Kong today is a popular place in Asia for holding meetings, conferences and exhibitions. Every year more than 300 events are taken place here. City administration spends substantial resources for development of various tourist world-class projects, diversifying tourist industry of the territory to make the city a bastion of culture and creativity. The early 2000th there was a breakthrough in the development of creative fields such as design, advertising, music, film production, theatre, television, antique and modern art trade and digital media entertainment. In 2005 development of cultural creative fields was included into the program for supporting the Hong Kong’s status of a global city and art auction market. Development of tourist infrastructure and resource base in the cultural heritage territories, caused by growth of mass tourism has a negative effect on the condition and character of cultural heritage sites. Meanwhile, according to the Charter for Sustainable Tourism the development of tourism is based on the consistency criterion, which means it should be environmental responsible in the longterm, economically sustainable and ethically and socially balanced for local communities [8]. For this reason, growth in demand for different social objects and cultural phenomena within cultural tourist product is worth to be satisfied at the account of innovative forms of organization of cultural and event tourism.
Corresponding vision on cultural tourism is presented in the documents of International Council on Monuments and Sites, which says that cultural tourism is a form of tourism the purpose of which is to learn culture and cultural environment of destination, including landscape, getting to know the traditions of local people and their way of life, artistic culture and arts and different forms of leisure activities of residents. Cultural tourism may include visits to museums, cultural heritage objects, cultural events and contacts with local residents [9]. That’s grounds for saying that success of cultural tourism projects depends not only on culture conservation and protection and promotion of cultural heritage, but on the ability of cultural policy to create new value territories, including ones on the ground of events.
Often use of natural resources does not satisfy the growing demand of a tourist and modern traveler feels the need for alternative resources, particularly event services and recreative-leisure resources. The characteristic of these resources is the fact that their elements can be located everywhere as every place, region and state are notable for their history and culture. The necessity of use of event resources in the the tourist activities and their social importance are mentioned in the works of O.O. Beidyk. He tells that event tourist resources are basic demonstration of social nd natural movement and reflect landmark events in the history of a certain territory [10]. Attractivity of event resources and complexes are determined by their artistic and historical value, fashion and accessibility in relation to places in demand, thus their potential can be considered unlimited. Therefore, to count on involvement of potential guests, the establishments, which organize tourist activity within cultural tourist product must in advance choose the strategy of special programs and events promoting interest to the culture of particular region or country on the whole anddistribute information about its cultural potential. During the preparation for the event we can observe regeneration of local cultural traditions and customs, strengthening of patriotism and development of arts and crafts [11].
Ukrainian scientist I.V. Smal thinks that event resources have a tendency to constant growing of their varieties as they include motivational preconditions of travel to the place of the event or occurrence, which allows referring them to the dynamic factors of tourist traffic development [12]. Since the world is changing unbelievably fast and along with-it people’s customs and needs, event resources are involving the most significant factors of modern public life with its trend of globalization, ecology, active and healthy way of life including their ptomotion and mechanism for the implementation [13]. Event recreational-tourist resources have become the factor of appearance of the modern economy, which deals with planning and arranging of events, which differ by choice motivation concerning the type of event and final objective. Level of abundance and activity in terms of organization of cultural events, in which a tourist will take passive (as a spectator) or active part determines the main goal of the trip of a cultural tourist and promotes the development of the tourist industry of the territory. There are the following kinds of events: festivals, carnivals, parades, celebrations; conferences, forums, symposiums, round tables; educational events: seminars, trainings, advanced vocational training; sports competitions (e.g. Olympic Games); concerts, screening of a movie, theatrical productions; anniversaries, weddings, festivities; business events: exhibitions, fairs, trade shows, presentations, opening of new companies, receptions, events connected with trade mark promotion, etc., [14].
Consistency and frequency of events is very important. The peculiarity of event tourism is the fact that every year new event tours, which move from the categoty “occasional” to “regular”, are added to it. Characteristic features and strong sides of this tourism direction, which should be taken into account in the process of tourism development and planning in any territory, are seasonal prevalence, economic attraction and renewal of propositions, multiplicative effect and unique character [15].
A growing number of countries are trying to hold events, which can be whether a copy or absolutely new at the tourism market. All of these things is promoting not only development of the territory itself, but is a driving factor for improvement of infrastructure and services, involving a great number of tourists. However, it is important to keep in mind that participants of event tours demand higher standards of accommodation, transport, public catering and guide-interpreter services [16].
Tourists’ demands for event tours are applicable not only to the traditional sphere of hospitality industry, service and comfort: tourists want to get a unique experience and impressions of the environment, they are dug into. It involves the nevessity to develop a principally new approach, which meets the tourists’ requirements as a customer is a full legitimate participant of the tourist service market. Event tour operators always try to combine certain events with people’s customs and needs. These days, event tourism is represented by various forms, which compliment each other. If for example, tourists want to visit noble events with the participation of world show business and movie stars or to visit more refined events, they can be recommended to go to the parade in Paris - Couture fashion salon. Therefore, event resources have an influence on the development of tourist infrastructure, which in modern worl first of all is depending on the publicity of the event and promotional events around it.
Effective regional event tourism development policy focused on the rise of level of event organization and holding is a requirement for development of leisure industry and rise of social and economic development of regions of the country as a whole. First of all, it is conditioned by the importance of events for distribution of information about the regions of the country, historical pecularities and originality of their development, etc. Thanks to complex event tours, which include not only participation in a certain event, but also related services, connected to venue sightseeing as well as interesting objects close by, accommodation in a comfortable resting-place with additional recreational services, there are provided the conditions of improvement of social and economic development of the country’s regions [17].
Event tourism is a unique kind of tourism as it involves a great number of propositions and events for tourists of practically any target categoty, increasing year by year in terms of number of events and travellers. In accordance with its effect on the event tourism development all factors can be divided into direct and indirect ones. Direct effect factors are characteristics of the territory and its population. Therefore, territories with the rich historical and cultural heritage have substantial prerequisites for organization of carnivals or festivals. Factors relating to political and economic situation in the country (state cultural policy of support and financing of event tourism development, availability of sponsors or other interested persons) can be referred to indirect ones.
These factors have become particularly topical in the conditions of growing global interdependency of societies, resulting in fusion of technological and information processes, spreading of unification and versatility tendencies and intensification of interpenetration of cultures [18]. In the context of globalization of modern cultural world cultural event resources are becoming priorities of social and economic development and cultural policy is considered as an effective instrument for achieving a leading position. As Yu.M.Pakhomov says, in the process of globalization, not only economic factors, but value elements of behavior peculiar to one country or civilization as a whole keep involving more into the competitive whirl. It is “factors of culture and life senses” that began “to determine the competition result” [19]. Study of motivational sphere of tourism allows determining such realities as break of stereotypes, development of new type of recreation, oriented toward active way of life, when demand for reareation and relaxation correlates with the ability to get distracted and to rest in cultural artifacts space.
Globalization processes promote spreading of such cultural models that are presented as generally valid within of a single informationcommunicative field and provide global integration of cultures. Respectively, identity symbols are often developed away from the national culture space, above its boundaries. Taking into account the idea about field of forces, we can assume that in the process of globalization different national cultures can set up an integral mental field, a single context, where the variety is a condition of stability of the whole entity [20]. Globalization is making an impact on all kinds of identity - from supranational type of identities and cultural ones - to cultural and socio-cultural identities at the individual level [21]. In particular, cultural cooperation in Europe is developed in the context of a wide multilateral flow of projects and initiatives, offered, developed and implemented by individual artists, amateur organizations, local museums, theatres and companies, arts management departments, local and regional governing bodies as well as national governments and their structural government organizations [22]. Notwithstanding manydifficults, the European Union is paying considerable attention to the issues of creation of comprehensive European cultural space, involvement of cultural circles and available resources to appearance of new consumers of cultural product.
Intergovernmental project “Cultural Capital of Europe” or “European Cultural City”, which was aimed at promoting indepth cultural cooperation by the way of European identity promotion, has become one of the most prestigious and the most famous cultural events. Development of the image of European community as a single socio-cultural space began in 1985 in Athens. In 1999 EU recognized the project “European Cultural Capital” as an official event and determined the city status, which is appointed by the European Union for the period of one calendar year, during which the city should convincingly demonstrate its cultural variety: theatres, music, dances, museums, exhibitions, festivals, libraries etc. Cities are chosen on the grounds of cultural programs, which should promote involving of residents into the cultural projects and provide benefits to the city in the long term.
French city of Lille, which in 2004 was granted the status of cultural capital of Europe is an interesting exapmple of transformation of cultural life and development of creative space. It was the event of prime importance for the city as Lille is located in the indusrially poor region of France and had been in the state of economic depression for a long time [23]. However, unattractive and unpromising for life, investments and recreation city at the beginning of the XXI century was transformed into one more spice of France. In the city and its outskirts there were hold about three thousand of different events - from intimate to mass ones, which involved dozens (and even hundreds) thousands of people. Overall, about eight millions of participants were involved [24].
One more interesting innovation, involving not only Lille, but also some towns in the outskirts is the project Les maisons Folie (“The Houses of Overwhelming Happiness”) - one of the main “landmarks of cultural projects” of the program “Lille - a Cultural Capital of Europe”. Within the project there appeared 12 new modern cultural centers on the basis of buildings, one would think destined for destruction, - abandoned farm of XVIII century, old factory of XIX century, half-ruined fort of XIX century, monasterial hospital of XVII century etc. Thanks to the efforts of disigners and architects they made a new start and have become key platforms for holding exhibitions, holidays, meet-the artist events. There are libraries and computer centers, roomy halls for different expositions, cafes and restaurants, concert venues and many other things. Besides, in most cases the buildings are renovated in such a way that they have not lose their original architectural forms, in which new content fits with harmonically[25].
Other example of creative restoration is the new art and industry museum, where the city collection of the fine arts and sculptures is located. The museum is created at the site of abandoned in 1985 swimming pool in art-deco style, once “the most beautiful in France”; - Modern Art International center “Le Fresnoy”, which in the territory of 10000 sq.m combines schools, motion picture studios, theatrical and exhibition halls, two cinema halls, research laboratories, sound and electronic images manipulating workshops and administrational offices and service sector objects [26].
Being awarded the status of European cultural capital is a possibility to strengthen a positive image, to involve tourists and to develop cultural directions and creative indusrties, which by now bring more budget revenues to European cities than industry. Although some cities are become the cultural capitals only for a year, they keep this status forever as it is a conscious choice of city authorities and citizens and they are bound to keep this status in the future. The status of cultural capital has a positive effect not only on the city’s cultural life, but also on its economic development. One of the examples of connection between culture and economy is British Liverpool. When it was “Cultural Capital” in 2008 it invested about 200 million Euros into the project and during the short period of time it has already received about 900 million of additional revenue. In particular, the number of guests in local hotels and other places for accomodation of visiters increased.
Thus, cultural projects transform culture into the most important imperative of tourist development, and creation of friendly environment for promotion of cultural industry and development of a high-quality tourist product of European level on the basis of culture is becoming a priority. In practice it shows itself as well in lobbying by municipalities of big cultural programs of transformation of economically poor territories into creative spaces, which show the “atmosphere of the place”, its peculiar character and that way increasing its value.
Development of creative spaces in the high-urban territories are demonstrated convincingly in the form of creative clusters, creative quarters and centers, art galleries, show-rooms, teleand media platforms, sports and art initiatives, cultural spaces, antique cafes and media centers, start-ups etc., [27]. As it is known, such creative centers not only satisfy aesthetic needs of creative city people, but also attract enterpreneurs and tourists, change the image of the place and play the role of specific channels of development of cultural and business contacts of the territory. In the result of extension and development of creative industry a new unique character is being developed in the city, its tourist attraction is growing, motivation for visiting the city is being developed as well as a wish to live and work there. Along with it number of jobs in creative sphere and number of investment-attractive places for the transformation into creative spaces are growing.
Cultural tourism is one of the leading dominant cultural practices, which accounts for a large percentage of capital investments in all developed countries and gives a vast amount of money for the development of culture on the whole. Cultural consumption of values in the context of artistic and cultural-historical potential of tourism is being implemented in the form of production of new senses, destinations, images and gestalts of everyday life during travelling [28]. Development of international tourist markets of cultural events should be considered from different points of view - from individual to social and local, regional, national and international levels of creation of cultural capital. Increasingly the new approach to the assessment of the impact of event tourism is becoming a new paradigm, although in some areas it directly contradicts mainly instrumentalist approach. Effective use of cultural and historical potential, architectural and natural landmarks allows developing new, more promising economic sectors of event tourism.
