Thematic Routes Research Articles

Churches and Monasteries in Northern Transylvania in Planning Documents and in Tourism Development Projects Financed by European Funds

Churches and Monasteries in Northern Transylvania in Planning Documents and in Tourism Development Projects Financed by European funds. In the present paper we studied the manner in which county and regional authorities from Northern Transylvania view churches and monasteries located in this area as tourist landmarks. In order to do that, we analyzed the county and regional policies and strategies and looked for projects addressing cultural heritage in the area that were financed by European programmes. While highlighting the diverse tourism potential of the religious buildings, the counties’ development strategies also recommended the preservation and rehabilitation of the historical monuments and promoting them in an integrated manner, as parts of cultural and/or religious routes. These objectives have been realized mostly with the help of the European funds – more than 40 churches were renovated and more than 80 have been promoted using REGIO and INTERREG funds, and wooden churches in Maramureș and Sălaj counties and medieval churches in Satu Mare County were included in thematic routes. Moreover, the creation and promotion of more cultural tourism routes is one of the main objectives of the Romania’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan, adding more value to the region’s tourism potential. Keywords: cultural heritage, tourist routes, European funds, churches, Northern Transylvania.

THE ROLE OF THEME ROUTES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF RURAL TOURISM

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to draw attention to the positive tourism development effects of thematic routes in rural areas, using the analysis results of good practices in Germany. Theoretical Framework: The interpretation of the thematic routes and the history of their creation are presented with the help of the literature related to the topic. The examination of the issue is incomplete, so the work aims to fill a research gap. Design/Methodology/Approach: In the ongoing research, in addition to the analysis of secondary sources, we performed a website analysis and visited the most important thematic routes using the methodology of personal qualitative observation. We have created a database covering more than 250 thematic routes. Findings: Good practices discovered during our research confirm that the development of tourist thematic routes can be an effective tool for the protection of rural heritage and for the development of rural gastronomy, in the presence of a suitable management organization. Research, Practical & Social Implications: The German practice can serve as a good example in other countries in the development and operation of effective tourist thematic routes. However, effective operation requires a responsible "host" organization, professional management, and it is necessary to take into account trends affecting the demand-side of tourism during development. Originality/Value: The results show the chronological distribution of the development of the thematic routes, and contain a recommendation on the important aspects to be taken into account during development.

OPTORER: A Dynamic Routing and Touring Service for Indoors and Outdoor Tours.

This paper introduces a new routing and touring service both for outdoor and indoor places of touristic and cultural interest designed to be used in the wider area of Attica, Greece. This service is the result of the work performed in OPTORER (OPTORER: OPtimal rouTing and explOration of touRistic and cultural arEas of interest within Attica given personalized adaptive preferences, promoted underlying purpose, and interactive experience), project, and it aspires to offer a range of innovative and thematic routes to several specified points of interest in the selected area of Attica, encouraging the combination of indoor and outdoor routes in a single tour. The aim is to optimize the user experience while promoting specific, user-centric features, with safety and social welfare being a priority for every designed tour, resulting in enhancing the touristic experience in the area. Using a common smartphone device, as well as common wearable devices (i.e., smartwatches), the OPTORER service will provide an end-to-end solution by developing the algorithms and end-user applications, together with an orchestration platform responsible for managing, operating, and executing the service that produces and presents to the end user results derived from solving dynamically complex optimization problems.

Механізм формування воєнного туризму в Україні

Background. Military tourism in Ukraine is a relatively new direction that emerged after the beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian war in 2014. According to experts' estimates, around 100,000 tourists interested in the war visited Ukraine in 2023. This figure is 30 % higher than in 2022. International support for Ukraine contributes to increasing awareness of our country and its history. Respect for memory and dignity is a fundamental principle in the ethics of research and interaction with the historical and sensitive topic of military tourism. Methods. General scientific and specialized research methods were employed, including analysis and synthesis, logical structuring, in formulating the theoretical and methodological foundations of the study – the essence of military tourism, aspects of studying military tourism. Expeditionary and remote methods were utilized in gathering initial information – surveying the territories of cities such as Irpin, Hostomel, and Bucha. Geospatial analysis methods were employed in processing the initial information and subsequent analysis – exploring the possibilities of creating thematic routes, which would allow for structuring visits and promoting historical and heritage sites. Geospatial modeling and cartographic methods were employed in analyzing the impact of military aggression on Ukraine on international tourism and in presenting the research results. Results. Military tourism was considered by us as a type of tourism in which tourists visit places and objects associated with armed conflicts, military history, and military events. This type of tourism can encompass various aspects, from visiting military museums and monuments to specialized tours where tourists can participate in military action simulations, visit military sites, and locations of combat. A proposed model for forming the typological structure of military tourism. Conclusions. Tourism based on history and cultural heritage can be more authentic and appealing to tourists. In the academic context, there is emerging research aimed at monitoring, evaluating, and optimizing military tourism routes. One aspect that has contributed to the success of military routes is the coordination of efforts to build a shared identity. It has been found that military tourism can contribute to raising awareness of war, promoting tolerance and understanding among people of different cultures, and fostering the development of Ukraine's economy, including international support for military tourism in Ukraine.

The Pandemic As a Challenge for the Diversification of Tourism

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant global impact on tourism. During the period of restricted travel between the countries, the segment of leisure activities in the regional city of Nitra (Slovakia) also gradually diversified. For the city, traditional events such as visits to theaters, museums, galleries, or trade fairs were halted and later moved online. The offer of activities has expanded to include the previously unnoticed objects of anthropogenic origin, which present the industrial history of the city and also point to the growth of the city. These objects are gradually transformed from the original production function to objects with a nonproduction function. This article aims to identify such buildings as an alternative to other leisure time activities of the residents and visitors to the city of Nitra. We analyze and evaluate their usability in the area of tourism based on primary and secondary sources and field research. The results are formulated as a proposal to form two thematic routes through the city, which can be used in nonpandemic times.

THE POSSIBILITY OF PROMOTING THE CULTURAL HERITAGE OF SERBIA THROUGH A CULTURAL ROUTE OF FORTIFIED TOWNS

The promotion of fortified towns, as Serbia’s significant cultural heritage, represents a major element of tourism development. The main goals of this paper are to highlight the tourism potential of fortifications in Serbia and to investigate the prospect of creating a cultural route of fortified towns. The route is comprised of six fortresses. This article applies CREM (Cultural Route Evaluation Model) to assess the tourism potential of fortified towns and the possibility of linking them in a thematic route. The CREM model provided principal information about the possibilities of developing cultural routes, and details about the sites’ requirements. Furthermore, it identified the main areas in need of improvement at each fortress to be visited by a substantial number of tourists in the upcoming period.

The rurAllure network contributing to the renaissance of pilgrimage culture in Europe – A case of the Way of Mary

The paper discusses the possibilities of using religious tourism to achieve several objectives related to the field of tourism in Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia on the Central European Way of Mary. Content analysis was used to explore the following features of the rurAllure project: highlighting the cultural and natural heritage along the pilgrimage road and contributing to the development of regional business; offering various thematic routes to the pilgrims, and fostering slow tourism. The research showed how unified, as well as diverse, the individual paths of the Way of Mary in the three European countries are. The variety of geographical and cultural specificities is underlined by the attractiveness of slow tourism along the Way of Mary in Hungary, Transylvania and Slovakia.

Sürdürülebilir kırsal kalkınma bağlamında kırsal tutundurma model araştırması: Mut örneği

Sürdürülebilir kırsal kalkınma anlayışında temel amaç, bölgenin kapasitesinin ve dolayısıyla kırsal iş gücü istihdamının artırılarak yoksulluk ile mücadele edilmesidir. Böylece yaşam kalitesi iyileştirilerek bölge insanının yeterli gelire sahip olması ile refah düzeyinin artırılarak kırsal tutunmanın sağlanması hedeflenir. Mut ilçesi fiziksel ve fiziksel olmayan problemler nedeniyle kırsal yaşamın az olduğu yerler arasında yer almaktadır. Bu nedenle son yıllarda, bu sorunlara yönelik pek çok tarımsal, altyapı, eğitim ve sağlık yatırımı almış, buna rağmen ilçe nüfusu 2007 yılından bu yana %4,65 azalmıştır. Bu azalışın en önemli nedenlerinden birisi ilçenin bir cazibe merkezi olma özelliği taşımamasıdır. Bu çalışmada ilçede gerek kırsalda tutunmayı artırarak göç etmeyi önlemek, gerekse yeni ziyaretçileri çekerek ilçeyi turizm açısından çekim merkezi haline getirebilmek amacıyla tematik turizm bölgesi modeli araştırması yapmak amaçlanmıştır. Bu araştırma sonucunda iki tematik rota önerisi ortaya çıkarılmıştır. Birincisi; II. Selim tarafından fethedilen Kıbrıs adasının Türkleştirilmesi amacıyla bölgeye gönderilen ahalinin geçiş güzergâhı olması nedeniyle Kıbrıs Yolu temalı yeni bir rota oluşturulmasıdır. İkincisi ise Antik Anadolu medeniyetleri dönemlerinden başlayarak Roma, Bizans ve Osmanlı İmparatorlukları da dâhil olmak üzere pek çok devletin hüküm sürdüğü ilçede birçok tarihi kalıntının bulunması sebebiyle Tarih Yolu temalı yeni bir model oluşturulmasıdır. Doğal ve kültürel mirasımızın korunması ve tanıtılmasında önemli işlevi olan kırsal turizm olanaklarının canlandırılması, başta bölgede istihdam olanaklarını genişleterek kırsal tutundurmayı sağlayabilir, ardından da Mut ilçesi özelinde Türkiye’nin de ülke olarak iç ve dış turizm gelirlerinin artmasına katkı sağlayabilir.

A New Perspective of Sustainable Perception: Research on the Smellscape of Urban Block Space

The smell of space is inseparable from the sustainable development of the living environment. The research on olfactory perception and smell landscape has a positive effect on landscape design and urban planning and contributes to the formation and design optimization of unique urban memory. This study combines urban smell tracking experiments with Internet social media data analysis to classify smells in the old city center of Guangzhou, China, and analyzes the study within the inner ring and six historic districts. Based on the research results, the smell map was drawn, and the reliability of the smell map was tested through social data and semantic analysis. The emotional score heat map of smell and emotion in six regions was constructed, highlighting the impact of smell in key neighborhoods on the environment. In the conclusion to the study, the thematic routes of green urban design are proposed: sightseeing routes, cultural routes, and food routes, as well as improvement strategies to promote the integration of smell and urban operation activities and the sustainable development of urban regional characteristics.

Personalized-thematic itinerary as a means of forming the educational mobility of high school students: the experience of experimental development

Introduction. Modern realities define educational mobility as one of the key abilities, which is a kind of predictor of successful socialization and career guidance of a person. The purpose of this article is to analyze the effectiveness of the author's itinerary in the process of forming the educational mobility of high school students. Methods. In the course of this study, 105 students of grades 10-11 of two schools in Belgorod (Russian Federation) were diagnosed twice, which allows us to state the effectiveness of a personalized thematic route within the framework of high school students' training sessions (A.S. Lachins' methodology "Flexibility of thinking", T. Ehlers' methodology "Motivation for success"; N.P. Fetiskin's methodology "Perceptual assessment of the type of stress resistance" adapted for adolescents). Methods of mathematical statistics: the χ2-Pearson criterion. Results. The introduction of a personalized and thematic itinerary had a positive effect on the development of flexibility and plasticity of students ' thinking (the initial 65% increased to 85%; χ2emp =7.551; p <0,05), allowed to increase the number of high school students who are highly motivated for cognitive activity and success (from 21.3% to 54.6% of students; χ2emp=11.703; p <0.05). The number of psychologically resistant students who adequately assess the difficulties that arise, who are able to rationally distribute their own forces and emotions, has increased (the number of students with high resistance to stressful situations has increased by 17%; χ2emp= 8.261; p <0,05). Conclusions. The results obtained indicate the effectiveness of a personalized-thematic itinerary as a unified tool for implementing an individualized educational vector of a student. Its systematic use optimizes the organizational and time costs of teachers and students, effectively developing the educational mobility of the individual and meeting the key requirements of the social order of the state.

Картографическое обеспечение туристской деятельности (на примере картографического сопровождения маршрута выходного дня «Саратов в кино»)

The article provides an overview of the main types and features of cartographic support for the needs of tourists and tourist activities. An example of a modern thematic route is presented, as well as options for the compilation and layout of a tourist booklet. The research is aimed at popularizing regional tourism and attracting the attention of guests and residents of Saratov to non-traditional cultural and educational routes.

The attractiveness of the rural tourist product on the example of the trail “Lesser Poland Village Fragrant with Herbs”

The purpose of this publication is to identify and evaluate the attractiveness of the rural tourism product in Poland. As an example to achieve the goal, a thematic trail was chosen, the leitmotif of which is inextricably linked with the village—“Lesser Poland Village Fragrant with Herbs”. The topic concerns an interesting, but at the same time little known, innovative tourist product in Poland and abroad. Thematic routes constitute a coherent and attractive offer for tourists. Promotion of cultivation and gastronomy based on dishes from herbs, as well as cooperation of agritourism farms in this area can bring tangible benefits both for themselves and for tourists. The thesis put forward in the paper is the statement that the cooperation of farms within the “Lesser Poland Village Fragrant with Herbs” trail may be a significant stimulus in improving their attractiveness and market position as well as diversifying the tourist product. The research results positively verify the thesis. The functioning of the trail significantly affects the market position of the member farms, improving the quality of their operation and professionalism. The article was created using compact books, magazines, as well as netographic information and an interview with selected agro-hosts and the director of the organization responsible for establishing the trail. The research method used in the publication is the analysis of existing data and an interview with the director of the SOT office and selected owners of the member farms of the discussed route.

GUIDED TOUR: IN THE WAYS OF HALF A CENTURY OF HISTORY OF THE FIRST HOTEL-SCHOOL OF LATIN AMERICA.

This work is the result of experiences lived during the stages of the project "Interpreting the ways of the Hotel-School Senac Grogotó: thematic routes as tools to promote the appreciation of the history and heritage preservation in Senac unit in Barbacena-MG." The project was developed under the extension program of the Technology School of Senac Minas, together with the graduation courses of technology in hospitality and gastronomy. The project is characterized by offering thematic routes, structured as a guided tour, which are conducted by students of the institution in order to present the history and the heritage of the hotel, aiming to sensitize students, guests and other social groups in the community. The development of research and data collection took place between July 2016 and July 2017, and currently the project is still active, with the visits already implemented, as will be seen in the topic Methodology. The methodology used was the exploratory research and intervention research. For this, information was collected from various sources of research that enabled the formatting of a tour script, which was categorized and sectorized. Within this context, it was aimed through the formatting of the guided tour the consolidation of guidelines and methodologies for the reception of groups. This initiative intended to professionalize and expand the visitation to the complex of Hotel School Grogotó. The consolidation project in Barbacena Senac unit is an effective strategy to publicize the heritage and also the educational expertise of the institution, especially in the theme of hospitality. As a result, it provided the recognition and revaluation of historical and cultural aspects of the 1st Hotel-School in Latin America, offering to Barbacena community and other interested parties educational and entertainment opportunities. The guided tour is formatted in seven points of interpretation, and along the route the places of the Hotel-School that present as relevant spaces in the professional technical training since the year 1960 are visited. In this sense, the project contributes to creating places for students and teachers to experience and materialize the construction of a more inclusive and participatory society, providing the transforming relationship between school and society, establishing the exchange of academic and popular knowledge, in order to democratize the knowledge produced in the classroom. Finally, the project opens the space for participation of the community in the Hotel-School in a more significant way.

An approach of landsenses ecology and landsenseology in Greece

ABSTRACT This paper proposes an approach for identifying and evaluating Landsense ecology and Landsenseology. The case study focuses on proper management of land uses in the wider area of Florina in Greece and on improving the inhabitants’ quality of life. The two novel concepts are associated with the preservation and further improvement of living conditions in the city. The carrier that is used is the land coverage of the wider area of the city. The methodological approach relies on ecosystem services derived from land cover. The aim is to describe the spatial distribution of basic ecosystem services, their interactions and to investigate whether they generate statistical correlations with various characteristics of the city. An analysis of twelve variables is carried out based on a hectare scale that covers the city and its surrounding area. The adopted scale is very large for such research and the relationships between variables are explored with Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Results reveal that the distribution of variables is determined by current social conditions, existing ecological structures and by past decisions. The outcome indicates that PCA can be an important tool that enables speedy processing of large quantities of data concurrently. The relationship between sustainable development and ecosystem services is analyzed in a different way and is projected into the future. This is effectively achieved by the validation of the thematic intervention routes. It is the first time the terms Landsense ecology and Landsenseology are used in Greece in order to explore a specific problem and provide appropriate answers.

Legends of Places as Part of the Sustainable Development of Regions

Many newly established thematic routes and parks include narrative traditions to be experienced in their natural environment. Quality products of this kind are the result of well-developed concepts that follow expert guidelines and strategies and can be, as such, part of sustainable tourism, which strives to preserve ties with tradition to the greatest extent possible. This article includes some examples of different presentations of narrative tradition or local legends in places and discusses the problems with which such presentations cope. The article particularly discusses two examples of thematic trails that are based on professional folklore and ethnological research. The first case involves research activities that served as the foundation for thematic storytelling routes in the eastern part of the Alps – Pohorje above Slovenska Bistrica in Slovenia – and in central Istria in Croatia. The second example shows the influence of a thematic trail on the knowledge about local narrative tradition among schoolchildren in Bovec in the north-western part of Slovenia.

Assessment and Promotion of Geotouristic and Geomining Routes as a Basis for Local Development: A Case Study

Travel itineraries are fundamental in the development of tourism of a given area. Traditional thematic routes (e.g., architectural, archaeological) can be significantly improved and optimized by including geological and mining interest sites. The present study offers an analysis of the influence that inclusion of geosites or mining sites could have on the existing routes of the Zaruma-Portovelo region (Ecuador), together with a global assessment of these itineraries as the basis of fostering local development in communities of the region. The methodology consists of the following stages: (i) compilation of existing travel itineraries; (ii) analysis and assessment of those geosites and mining sites that are included in two geotouristic routes through the Spanish Inventory of Places of Geological Interest method (IELIG, acronym in Spanish), but have not been assessed previously; (iii) assessment of existing routes (two geotouristic routes and one geomining route) from a global perspective through the Geotouristic Route Assessment Matrix method (GtRAM, acronym in Spanish); and (iv) definition of strategies for the development and promotion of travel itineraries within the context of geotourism. According to the results of quantitative assessment, three new sites (both geosites and mining sites) were studied and their obtained score of interest was “High” (164/400). The existing routes achieved good results both from the geological-mining perspective “High” score of (189/400) and within a global context “Very High” score of (3.5/5). The quantitative assessment allowed us to propose improvement strategies to disseminate and use these itineraries to unfold sustainable development based on geotourism.

Promoting Palaeontological Heritage of Mammoths in Serbia Through a Cross-Country Thematic Route

Interpretation of paleontological heritage of mammoths is an important factor for the development of tourism in Serbia. Most fossil remains of mammoths are found in a unique geological environment, indicating the significant tourist value of these sites. The principal aim of this paper is to emphasize the tourism potential and geoconservation values of mammoth fossils throughout Serbia. These fossil remains provide an excellent basis for establishing the first ever mammoth route in Serbia. The route stretches from the city of Kikinda in the north to the city of Jagodina in the south, encompassing the basins of three major rivers, the Danube, Tisa, and Morava River. Throughout history, these rivers have been a place where different cultures have flourished over a long period of time. Also, many prehistoric animals such as mammoths and other species inhabited these areas continuously for nearly a million years. The current state and tourism potential of the selected mammoth sites were evaluated by using the CREM (Cultural Route Evaluation Model). The application of this methodology will provide us with crucial information for future route development and help us identify which areas and sites require more attention as well as identify the major fields for improvement at each mammoth site in order to attract a larger number of tourists in the future.

Uticaj kovida 19 na panevropske kulturne i prirodne tematske rute

Although the definitive effect is not measurable yet, it is evident that the hospitality and tourism sectors have endured the greatest pressure in the coronavirus pandemic crisis. This paper presents the analysis of the impact of the crisis on the thematic tourism routes. The emphasis is placed on investigating the impacts on market structure and seasonality, being the external dimensions, and on employment and cost-controlled measures as instruments of the internal management dimension. The case study analysis employed is based on the empirical examples of Pan-European thematic routes titled "Roman Emperors & Danube Wine Route" (RER & DWR) and "Via Dinarica Route" (VDR). The paper also discusses models of various scenarios for business recovery and further development. The findings show that COVID-19 has had a minimal impact of -2% on employment in the thematic routes and that massive cost control measures have been predominantly aimed at fixed operational costs. Thematic routes have experienced a decrease in operating time of up to 50%, and at the same time are undergoing market restructuring, with domestic and regional guests being the leading segments. Research further shows that the most needed form of government support through crisis mitigation measures is destination promotion support, followed by wage support and utility cost reduction.

The potential of memorial tourism development in Istria (Croatia)

This paper analyses the geographical features and potential of memorial tourism development in the tourism region of Istria in Croatia. In the past century, Istria has had several political and socio-economic turning points, with far-reaching consequences for its overall development. For the most part, the historical turning points in the 20th century in Istria were marked by armed conflict, followed by individual and mass human casualties, terror, and the persecution of the population. The motive of travel in memorial tourism here is to visit the places where these tragic events occurred. Therefore, the aim of this research was to determine the geographical distribution of potential sites in Istria suitable for the development of memorial tourism. An additional objective was to propose thematic routes of memorial tourism in the areas of Istrian towns and municipalities. A secondary aim of this research was to provide a geographical contribution to the scientific evaluation of memorial tourism in Croatian tourism regions, with proposals for measures in the planning of the development of this form of tourism.

Identification of tourist resources for the design of thematic routes in the natural corridor of the Armorican Arch of Cáceres (Extremadura, SW Spain)

The Spanish region of Extremadura represents a paradigmatic case within the European Union because above 30% of its territory (41,634 km2) is protected by international, national or regional figures of protection. In addition, many of these protected areas are connected between them through the so-called Armorican Arch of Cáceres which crosses the region from SE to NW as if it were a natural corridor of quartzite ridges. The main goal of this study was to identify tourist resources in this natural corridor aimed at the design of tourist routes that can suppose an opportunity of touristic development in this territory characterized by a low population density. For doing that, we have followed these methodological steps: [1] geographical delimitation of the Armorican Arch of Cáceres, [2] socio-economic analysis of the municipalities and [3] identification of the natural protected sites crossed by this corridor, [4] compilation of information on fauna and flora as well as geological and cultural aspects, and [5] design of tourist routes. This corridor passes by 52 municipalities, 7 counties, 3 provinces and 2 countries and connects the La Siberia Biosphere Reserve with the Naturtejo Geopark in Portugal passing by the Villuercas, Ibores, Jara Geopark, the Monfragüe National Park (also Biosphere Reserve), the Canchos de Ramiro y Ladronera Special Protection Area for Birds and the International Tagus River Biosphere Reserve. We have identified 81 remarkable tourist resources: 37 natural protected sites, 30 sites of geological interest and 14 medieval castles as well as the presence of fossils and valuable species of flora and fauna (some of them are endangered). By using this information we have designed three thematic tourist routes: birdwatching, medieval castles and geological sites.