Culture as a Critical Enabler for Tourism Destination Development

Abstract

The relationship between cultural heritage and tourism has stimulated the theoretical debate for many years. While it is evident that cultural attractions have the potential to be critical assets for tourism policymakers and destinations, tourist behaviors are often seen as potential harm to both the preservation of cultural heritage and the development of a profound cultural experience. Nevertheless, a growing number of experiences show that a sound management of cultural tourism can generate substantial social, economic, and even environmental benefits. This chapter aims to investigate the trajectories and strategies tourism destinations can adopt to leverage their (material and immaterial) cultural assets, improve their brand, and eventually, enhance their competitive position in the tourism markets, with particular reference to the case of Parma Italian Capital of Culture 2020.