A visit to the historic village, Val Jalbert, in the Saguenay region of Quebec, is a step back into the fascinating world of an abandoned mill town. Paradise to its residents, it died an untimely death in 1929. Do I need to explain why I was dancing barefoot in the middle of a deserted street at […]
Cultural tourism definition: i.e. what the heck is it?
Welcome to Wandering Carol's Cultural Tourism category page. First let me tell you what cultural tourism is and why you should do it. Or, feel free to scroll down to any of the cultural tourism travel blog posts below.
What is Culture Tourism?
It's not easy to come up with the perfect cultural tourism definition. Why? Because cultural travel can be just about any type of travel at all! But, as I have an entire category on this travel blog about Cultural Tourism I'll do my best to define it.
Don't get shut out of cultural travel.
Cultural Tourism Definition #1
Cultural tourism is the pursuit of cultural experiences. There. How's that? Not enough? Okay I'll try again.
Milan Cathedral, a cultural highlight
Cultural Tourism Definition #2
Cultural tourism is the act of travelling in order to explore another region's culture.
What types of cultural tourism are there?
- Cultural travel can be historic: Think castles, the Tower of London, the Empress Sisi of Austria.
- It can be artistic: Think music in Budapest, the Louvre in Paris, traditional Balinese dancing in Ubud.
- Cultural travel can be educational: Think studying Flamenco dancing in Barcelona, going to Korean language school in Seoul.
- Cultural tourism can relate to indigenous cultures: Think hill tribes in Burma; Wanuskewin Heritage Park in the Canadian prairie city of Saskatoon (I'm giving my hometown a plug here), a tour of Soweto in South Africa.
- It can be religious: Think temples in Luang Prabang, Amazon shamans in Peru, Stonehenge, Aachen Cathedral in Germany.
- It can be memorial: Think Dieppe, Auschwitz, the 9/11 Memorial in New York.
- Cultural travel can be architectural: Think Architecture River Cruises in Chicago, King Herod's hilltop fortress if Masada overlooking the Dead Sea in Israel and the Pyramids of Giza.
Get cultured!
The Best Definition of Cultural Tourism
Finally, my most heartfelt cultural tourism definition is that it's any type of trip that brings you, the traveller, into contact with another culture. It means connecting with the people, land, manners, philosophies and customs of another place.
Whether you add a single cultural attraction to your holiday, or want to dive in over your head, cultural tourism can expand your horizons, promote a better understanding of the world around you and bring you closer to your global neighbours. Ultimately, cultural travel is the most enriching type of travel of all.
Music in Budapest
Budapest is a musical city and there’s no better way to explore this vibrant Hungarian city than with your ears. Here’s everything you need to know about Budapest music, Franz Liszt sights, the music-themed Aria Hotel, concerts, the State Opera House and more. Music in Budapest I’d like to say I fell in love with […]
The Seychelles Carnival can change the world
Sometimes the things you think you know turn you upside down, dunk your head in the Indian Ocean and make you see reality in a different cinnamon-scented way. This is how the Seychelles Carnival changed my perspective about carnivals, and how I came to believe that the Seychelles Carnival can change the world. Three days […]
Where are the Seychelles?
Whether you’re coming to the Seychelles for the beaches, a honeymoon hideaway, celebrity spotting, or just for an exotic vacation, you’re sure to find something on this dreamy group of East African islands to entice and surprise you. Though they’re one of the top luxury island destinations in the world, many people aren’t quite sure where they […]
What’s forbidden about the Forbidden City at the ROM?
You know you’re not supposed to do something, so you want to do it even more, right? Or is that just me? No! It’s human nature. And I’m not just talking about the Forbidden City at the ROM. Think of Lot’s wife, fleeing Sodom and impending disaster. The angels give her one simple rule: flee […]
Whip cracking can change your life
A saloon near Saskatoon offers a unique take on steak fondue – western style
Manaus – a rainforest city to host the World Cup
A few million gazillion people will be heading to Manaus, that cultural metropolis deep in the Brazilian rainforest, when it becomes one of the host cities in the football (or soccer, whatever) World Cup 2014. My advice is to go now. I would like to go now. I want to take an Amazon cruise […]
Montreal Lantern Festival
I’ve been to a lot of spas that promise the fountain of youth but I’d never heard of the Peaches of Immortality. I had to go to the Montreal Lantern Festival in the Chinese Gardens of the Montreal Botanical Gardens to find out about this. The Peaches of Immortality only ripen every 3,000 […]
Is the Roman Colosseum falling down?
Is it true? Is the Roman Colosseum falling down? If you’re planning to visit the Roman Colosseum, you need to read this Roman travel blog post first because there are things you should know. Recent reports say that the south side of the Colosseum is about 16 inches (40 cm) lower than the north side and this, […]
Secrets of the Maya, secrets of travel writing
Feeling a presence behind me, I turned around at the media preview of the Maya Exhibition at the Royal Ontario Museum last week, only to see a gray painted dude brandishing some kind of spear. It’s not that I mind being threatened by an otherworldly creature first thing in the morning, but I do […]
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