ABSTRACT
People sometimes lose sight of the fact that cultural tourism is first and foremost a form of tourism. They forget that the word ‘cultural’ is an adjective that modifies the noun ‘tourism’. Thus, while cultural tourism uses the cultural assets of a destination, its performance is guided by the same principles that drive any other form of tourism. Understanding cultural tourism, therefore, is predicated on developing an understanding of what tourism is, how it works, and what drives tourism decisions. Yet, while many are keen to express an opinion about how tourism should work, relatively few really understand the underlying factors that determine how tourism does work. This chapter seeks to address that knowledge gap, at least partially, through the identification of 19 underlying principles or structural realities that drive tourism. They are summarized in Table 7.1. Some relate to tourism in general, while others relate to how cultural assets are used for tourism purposes. You may not agree with them all, but at least consider them before commenting on tourism in the future.
