ABSTRACT
The aim of this chapter is to provide an overview of the development of cultural tourism, including an analysis of some of the factors that have shaped its development. The chapter will discuss the development of the cultural tourism product and the diverse range of cultural activities that are now considered to be part of this growth phenomenon. It will be argued that cultural tourism can no longer be considered as a special interest or niche sector, but instead as an umbrella term for a range of tourism typologies and diverse activities which have a cultural focus. The motivation for such travel will also be discussed, focusing on the changing nature of patterns of consumption and diversifying typologies of the cultural tourist as the phenomenon apparently shifts from ‘niche’ to ‘mass’.
