ATLAS Cultural Tourism Group and SmartCulTour are organising the launch of the book “Rethinking Cultural Tourism” by Greg Richards. The publication of the book represents a key moment of reflection after 30 years of research by the ATLAS Cultural Tourism Group. When this project was launched in 1991, culture and tourism were relative strangers – now they seem to be inseparable partners – both equally hard hit by the pandemic. The SmartCulTour Horizon 2020 project, of which this book is part, is also therefore searching for new concepts of cultural tourism for the future.
The book develops a new approach to cultural tourism, rethinking cultural tourism as a social practice, combining practice theory and interaction ritual theory, and explores how actors utilize their competences to shape meaning from cultural resources, and in doing so produce both intended and unintended outcomes. These outcomes in turn influence continued participation in the rituals of cultural tourism and the development of places and moments in which cultural tourism occurs. This novel practice approach stimulates a reappraisal of cultural tourism, in which traditional high culture attractions are supplemented by popular culture events, contemporary creativity and the consumption of everyday life through new styles of tourism, and new forms of delivery and management.
«Rethinking Cultural Tourism» will be published by Edward Elgar on April 28th, 2021. The celebrate the launch veterans of the ATLAS Cultural Tourism Project and SmartCulTour members are invited to reflect on the value and meaning of this book for academic and professional audiences. The implications of the book for the future research agenda of ATLAS will also be discussed.
The webinar will take place on Friday 21 May 2021 at 14.00 CET and speakers include the author of the book, Greg Richards (Breda University of Applied Sciences and SmartCulTour), Jan van der Borg (University of Leuven and SmartCulTour), Melanie Smith (ATLAS Cultural Tourism Group and TBC) and Carlos Fernandes (ATLAS Cultural Tourism Group):
14.00 Opening and Introduction
14.05 Overview of the book «Rethinking Cultural Tourism» by Greg Richards
14.30 Discussion of the book by invited guests:
>Jan van der Borg
>Carlos Fernandes
>Melanie Smith
15.00 Questions and open discussion with the audience
Participation is free and registration for the webinar is required; you have the details here: Rethinking Cultural Tourism