Cultural tourism

Cultural tourism (or culture tourism) is the subset of tourism concerned with a country or region's culture, specifically the lifestyle of the people in those geographical areas, the history of those peoples, their art, architecture, religion(s), and other elements that helped shape their way of life. Cultural tourism includes tourism in urban areas, particularly historic or large cities and their cultural facilities such as museums and theatres. Cultural tourism has been defined as 'the movement of persons to cultural attractions away from their normal place of residence, with the intention to gather new information and experiences to satisfy their cultural needs'. Cultural tourism can be seen to have a number of the following dimensions: handicrafts, language gastronomy art and music Architecture Sense of place Historic sites Festivals and events Heritage resources The nature of the work environment and technology Religion Education And dress. Cultural tourism brings together the accepted practices of; Research Site development Design Planning Construction Interpretation visitor services and connects them to the practice of tourism in marketing, research, product development and promotion

What is cultural heritage?

According to the definition of United Nations Cultural and Educational Organization, Cultural heritage is the legacy of physical artifacts and intangible attributes of a group or society that are inherited from past generations, maintained in the present and bestowed for the benefit of future generations. Physical or "tangible cultural heritage" includes buildings and historic places, monuments, artifacts, etc. that are considered worthy of preservation for the future. These include objects significant to the archaeology, architecture, science or technology of a specific culture. A broader definition includes intangible aspects of a particular culture, often maintained by social customs during a specific period in history. So to put it simple, anything that related to our living experience and has been viewed as a connection of affection over a period of time like dialects, buildings, paintings and even an old tree can be called Cultural Heritage.

IMPORTANCE OF CULTURAL PRESERVATION

Importance of culture to human development Cultural development is an integral component of the national development process as it is the vehicle for inculcating the love of the arts, aesthetics, moral values, and helping to build national unity and the patriotic commitment.

While economics and industry drives material development culture develops and nurtures the development of the mind which is equally important as the former. Amid the global financial crisis it is worthwhile to note that a top Chinese official has called for increased emphaisis on cultural development because it is a way forward for development. Authorities must attach more importance to the country's cultural development, efforts to create a favorable social environment to promote steady economic growth and to build a well-off society, by improving the ethics and academic qualities of the public, and promoting cultural development that puts people first. The inclusion of culture into community and economic development models can take many shapes and forms. Culture can serve as the central focus. Included would be tourism and other efforts that focus largely on the promotion and preservation. Importance of culture to human development Regional or local culture can serve as a basis for development. Such efforts can serve to promote the local identity, regional languages, and minority cultures. Efforts can focus on preservation or promotion of a culture, but can also use culture to mobilize the local population Architectural rehabilitation, highlighting the architectural heritage of an area (restoring historic sites to serve as a focal point for tourists), cultural venues (local heritage centers, traditional cultural events), traditional craft and artistic skills (development of industry and employment based on the production of items which are symbolic of the local culture), Enhancement of local or regional cultures. Culture can also be a factor that needs to be addressed to determine its impact on new or existing development programs (resource management, environmental protection). In facing development, the programmes that communities are willing to accept and embrace are likely to depend largely on cultural factors. Cultural based entertainment and cultural dissemination (organization of cultural activities, festivals, permanent exhibitions). Equally important is the environmental aspects of culture, where traditional uses of natural resources or events symbolise local cultural ties to environmental processes (solstice festivals, harvest festivals, agriculture progress days).These efforts serve as a basis for development, but also serve to maintain cultural traditions and ways of life. Furthermore, such forms of development highlight the importance of rural cultures and identify their role in shaping wider society. Finally, through such development, community and cultural identities are reinforced and collective identities strengthened. Such interaction can lead to an improved state of community and social well-being. Guyana, because of its historical evolution is blessed with a beautiful diversity of culture which have been weaved into a wonderful tapestry and is continuing to build on this wonderful foundation to fashion its national culture which is still relatively young, being a nation of only just over four decades old. Therefore, it is imperative that we revisit the direction our cultural development is taking to ensure that is going along the right path and to take the necessary remedial measures to correct the deficiencies.