Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Don't know, didn't
answer
100%
Other elements in general
11%
0,8%
Intang.
Herit.
9,3%
Tangible Heritage:
8,5%
1,7%
The Wall
3,3 %
5,9%
75%
30,5%
The Cathedral
1,7%
Churches and
monasteries
1,7%
23,7%
Other monuments,
places, buildings,
historical district
50%
20,3%
59,3%
Tang.
Herit.
79,5%
Intang.
Heritage
16%
2,5%
0,8%
Intangible Heritage:
Saint Theresa, and elements
related
Local cuisine
0,8%
19,5%
5,1%
6,8%
25%
10,2%
45,8%
7,6%
68,6%
5,9%
Tang.
Heritage
30,1%
Museums
10,2%
10,2%
4,2%
Culture, History…
2,5%
In first
place
In second
place
In third
place
Fig. 10.5.
Most representative elements of Ávila, according to real visitors. Copyright UAM, PICTURE.
and developed professionally according to
principles that are fully applied in other sectors,
such as business administration and marketing.
The points of view of the customer, i.e. the tour-
ist, and the residents, i.e. the fi nal benefi ciaries
of tourism, are often imagined rather than prop-
erly surveyed. Despite millions in the budget
assigned to ambitious development plans, visi-
tors' and residents' studies are often neglected,
or oriented towards quantitative or purely fi nan-
cial issues. Mons' new town project is rich and
forward thinking. It nonetheless highlights a
phenomenon of image construction based on
personal values, political interests and the
expected sources of funding with tourism as a
tool. The example also points towards some
possible dangers of disagreement between the
projected image and the internalized image of
residents. If some parts of history are erased,
and diversity endangered, it can create some
alienation and confl icts. The case of Ávila simi-
larly foregrounds on the one hand how studies
on tourist expectations and representations can
suggest new tourism products. On the other hand,
it shows how conservative or uncoordinated
development strategies, oriented to consolidated
markets or fashionable objectives, often jeopar-
dize these opportunities.
The two examples underline that it is not so
much the tourist gaze that plays a role in image
construction but the idea authorities in charge of
tourism have of it. Many cities pay attention to
the cultural offering, without given adequate
consideration the actual or potential demand,
nor to the reception of the offering by residents
and tourists. Considering the estimations about
the tourism market's growth in the next few years
(WTO, 2001), this imbalance between supply
and demand, if not corrected on time, may have
negative and irreversible impacts on the tangible
and non-tangible heritage, particularly in small
and medium European cities. A more systematic
study of the gaze of tourists and residents alike,
compared with that of local authorities, would
allow more integrated policies and sustainable
development. Indeed, it would prevent alien-
ation of locals or destruction of valued sites,
while opening the doors for new sources of
revenue through different marketing options.
Speaking of visuality, it would allow kaleido-
scopic images integrating different point of views
rather than imposing a specifi c looking-glass.
 
 
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