nep-cul New Economics Papers
on Cultural Economics
Issue of 2021‒02‒22
six papers chosen by
Roberto Zanola
Università degli Studi del Piemonte Orientale

  1. Cultural institutions and Digital Innovation: Is Cultural Tourism Becoming Obsolete? By Andrea Salustri; Valeria Cocco
  2. Kandovan, an Unique Cultural Landscape of Iran, Issues and Strategies By Zahra Momeni
  3. Cultural Tourism: Romania, a Promising Tourist Attraction By Aurelia Sabiescu
  4. COMMUNITY WORLDVIEWS AND HERITAGE CONSERVATION IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF TOURIST DESTINATIONS By Rosa María Velázquez-Sánchez; Jesús Gómez-Velázquez
  5. Long-range dependence and Trends in Nigerian Popular Music Artists’ Famosity-“Davido”, “Burna Boy”, “Tiwa Savage” and “Wizkid”: Evidence from Google Trends By Yaya, OlaOluwa S; Ajose, Toyin S; Ogbonna, Ahamuefua E
  6. An Aesthetical Study of Mongyu Monastery Murals, Ladakh By Khushboo Chaturvedi; Varun Sahai

  1. By: Andrea Salustri (Università Sapienza di Roma - Dipartimento di Studi Giuridici, Filosofici ed Economici); Valeria Cocco (Università Sapienza di Roma - MEMOTEF)
    Abstract: This research investigates issues such as the preservation and valorization of cultural heritage, cultural and experiential tourism, cyber tourism and digital marketing. In this perspective, cultural tourism, being at the crossroads between the cultural and the economic system, may be thought as a primary activity in the effort of making economic development more culturally sustainable. However, the polarizing attractiveness of the Italian main cities of art results in a reduced capacity for spreading tourist flows throughout the national territory. Therefore, the aim of the research is to investigate how marketable and non-marketable cultural goods and services may be distributed to the wider public by means of digital technologies, either contributing to the human and social progress, either generating culturally sustainable economic value. Within this general framework, this research focuses on museums’ management and on the challenge of triggering a process of digital social innovation as a foundation for the online fruition of cultural goods and services. While waiting for a “new tourist normality†and given the renewed need for social distancing to limit the contagion, by exploiting technological and digital innovation, a new inclusive and attractive market for cultural tourism has been shaped. Therefore, the travel experience, as well as all the activities related to the preservation and valorization of cultural heritage, could evolve, because of the renewed needs of tourists inspired by the experiences and emotions lived on digital platforms.
    Keywords: cultural economics; museums services; cyber tourism
    JEL: Z11 Z31 Z32
    Date: 2021–02
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:gfe:pfrp00:00047&r=all
  2. By: Zahra Momeni (University of IAU, Iran)
    Abstract: In 60 km southwest of Tabriz in East Azarbaijan province, a village with magnificent rock architecture has been formed. The most famous history of about 6,000 years, annually hosts more than 300,000 domestic and foreign tourists. The conical and pyramidal masses formed by the volcanic interactions of the Sahand mountain from thousands of years ago made it possible to settle on the slopes of this mountain. Today this type of landscape is seen in only two examples of the hills in the world (Cappadocia in Turkey, Dakota in the USA) with the advantage of Kandovan, that unlike the mentioned examples which have no inhabitants, the Iranian case is a touristic village and has more than 120 families with the living and working facilities. Exclusive architecture of Kandovan village along with its residents’ flow of life in its old texture form is considered as a unique phenomenon in the world, since, no one is found, anymore, to live in Cappadocia of Turkey or Dakota of U.S. Kandovan is a lively village built at the heart of rocks, and stone is the only structure of the village. The houses are in pyramid-form and some holes have been considered for livestock of the villagers. Certainly, the ultimate goal of the present article is considering the village as the pattern to its two similar cases, hoping that the authorities and responsible in the field of culture and tourism consider the village as a source of inspiration and take some steps compared to revival actions of the two exclusive cases since protecting historical and natural heritages has economic and cultural importance from the tourism perspective. Revival and introducing a progressive plan might be accompanied by the best positive cultural and economic results. This revival project, of course, has some certain dangers and potential threats for the elimination of historical and natural signs of the current texture, requiring a scientific and professional attitude and approach. The issue, which, unfortunately, has been ignored is that more than one decade attempts have been fruitless in registering the village in the UNESCO’s historical monuments’ list (unlike the other two above mentioned cases). In fact, modern human interferences in the form of unpermitted constructions have threatened historical signs and cultural value of the village. These are the barriers, which in the belief of UNESCO’s experts, should be eliminated. Hence, the lessons taken from Kandovan village should be noted and considered by authorities of cultural heritage and tourism industry responsible.
    Keywords: Kandovan, cultural landscape, tourism, rock architecture, UNESCO
    Date: 2020–08
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:smo:apaper:045zm&r=all
  3. By: Aurelia Sabiescu (University of Craiova, Craiova, Romania)
    Abstract: Romania holds a cultural, historical and ethno-folkloric patrimony of considerable value which advantages the increase of tourism attractiveness. The tourism industry in our country had its starting point back in the 19th century. The development of the cultural tourism entails the recognition, restoration and the renovation of historic buildings and, mainly, of the existent historical patrimony, the entire process being accompanied by the recognition and the encouragement of local traditions, subsequently stimulating this development by means of cultural products. Romania has followed some essential steps in order to be seen as a destination of cultural interest, and not only environmentally, considering the fact that a large amount of sites and attractions with a stark impact from a historical and aesthetical perspective. For Romania, cultural tourism is regarded as an essential matter, whereas most itineraries suggested by various tour operators from Italy are focusing especially on this field. The most known and popular tourist attractions seen in the Italian market are Transylvania and its three main cities (Sibiu, BraÅŸov, SighiÅŸoara), Bukovina with its painted monasteries. The tour continues from Bucharest to Sinaia, offering the opportunity to explore the lands of royal castles, and finally reaching Transylvania, a true land of fairy tales, with its Bran Castle, the famous RâÅŸnov Fortress and other churches and medieval buildings. The trip is followed by a sightseeing of the main urban centers in BraÅŸov, such as the Black Church, with its towers and strongholds; Sibiu, along with the Astra National Museum and the Brukenthal National Museum (being the first museum built in Central and Eastern Europe), and SighiÅŸoara, a hidden gem destination in Romania, which presents a well-defined medieval center, along with the Clock Tower, watching over the entire city. Those who are specifically interested in finding out more about the Romanian cultural patrimony are invited to visit the 30 main destinations in Romania included in the UNESCO List, in which, apart from the monasteries, churches and the urban centers previously mentioned, there are also included the Dacian settlements in Orăştie Mountains (Sarmisegethusa Regia).
    Keywords: Tourism, Cultural Tourism, Urban Tourism, Urban Center, Historic Patrimony, Tourist Attraction, Church, Monastery, Tourism Market, Industry
    Date: 2020–08
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:smo:apaper:040sa&r=all
  4. By: Rosa María Velázquez-Sánchez (Universidad Autónoma “Benito Juárez†de Oaxaca, Mexico); Jesús Gómez-Velázquez (Instituto Politécnico Nacional (Mexico))
    Abstract: Mexico is widely recognized by the international tourism due to its natural and cultural attractions with coastal, ecotourism and community tourism destinations. There are several community tourism destinations in the southeast region of the country and mainly in Oaxaca State, which main attraction is its cultural heritage. In the northern highlands region of Oaxaca, where most of the indigenous groups are located, it is common to find a pre-Hispanic worldview based on the relationship with the earth and in this region is where the largest number of community tourism destinations is located. The community tourism lies in the appreciation of the natural environment in coexistence with the culture of the local inhabitants. However, the Mexican tourism policy has oriented the growth of tourism in indigenous communities with a homogeneous model based on the construction of cabins with modern elements and without considering the community worldview. In this research, the elements of the community worldview that relate to the conservation of cultural and natural heritage in the development of tourist destinations were analyzed qualitatively with the use of in-depth interviews with key informants. The results provide indicators of community worldview that explain the preservation of culture and can contribute to establish the bases for the development of sustainable tourism destinations in indigenous communities.
    Keywords: Tourism, Worldviews, Sustainability, Culture, Indigenous Communities.
    JEL: Q01 Q26 Q28
    Date: 2020–12
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:aly:journl:202075&r=all
  5. By: Yaya, OlaOluwa S; Ajose, Toyin S; Ogbonna, Ahamuefua E
    Abstract: We investigate long-range dependence and linear trend in the famosity of popular Nigerian music artists such as Davido, Burna Boy, Tiwa Savage, and Wizkid by relying on their Web, News, Image and YouTube Google Trends searches. The available weekly datasets span 13.09.2015 to 06.09.2020. Preliminary results indicate correlations of search parameters (Web, News, Image and YouTube) of each musicians, while correlations of each search popularity parameters are weaker across musicians. Upon applying fractional persistence approach, we obtain that Web searches for these four musicians have slower tendencies to revert to mean level compared with persistence estimates for News, Image and YouTube searches, while Burna Boy weekly popularity indicate positive linear trend across the four search parameters. This musician is likely to pull more online support in few years than other music youngsters.
    Keywords: Long-range dependence; Pop music; Google Trends
    JEL: C22
    Date: 2020–11–30
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:104445&r=all
  6. By: Khushboo Chaturvedi (Amity University, India,); Varun Sahai (Amity University, India,)
    Abstract: Ladakh is one of the peculiar terrains of the world which still remains mystic due to its inaccessibility and solitude as cold dessert encircled by rugged and mighty ranges of Himalayas, though it was explored by Sir Alexander Cunningham in 1852. Ladakh appearing more Tibetan than Tibet attracted many adventurers and scholars in the field of Indo Tibetan studies. Mongyu is a small village in a narrow deep ravine of Ladakh situated on the left bank of river Indus near Alchi. The monastery of Mongyu is a complex of four temples, i.e., Byamschen Lhakhang (Avalokiteshvara temple), Thugs-rge-chen po Lhakhang (Assembly Hall), Nampar snag mdzad (Vairochana temple) and Jam-chung Lhakhang (Manjusri temple). Its antiquity indicates that it must have been constructed during the revival of Buddhism in Western Tibet. It contains large amount of rare wall paintings from eleventh-twelfth century that are among the most precious and prepossessing in existence today. Its statues and paintings embrace many unique works of art representing the ancient art from the formerly vital marveled Buddhist center of Kashmir. Stylistically they may be compared to the famous paintings of the early temples of Alchi to which the foundation of Mongyu is contemporaneous. The wall paintings are articulate documents that contribute in resolving the chronology of the paintings of Alchi too.
    Keywords: Ladakh, Monastery, Wall Paintings, Alchi, Himalayan Art
    Date: 2020–08
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:smo:apaper:033kc&r=all

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