Creative tourism implies more than the simple search for niche markets in the broader field of cultural tourism. It reflects a fundamental shift in the creation of value from production (the “tourism industry”) towards consumption (the “tourist”), with the essential nexus between the two being provided by the encounter, the space/event node in the new social networks of tourism.

In the network society, value is collectively created through relationships and the circulation of relational and other forms of capital through networks. Creative tourism is a form of networked tourism, which depends on the ability of producers and consumers to relate to each other and to generate value from their encounters. Creative tourists are “cool hunters” in search of creative “hot-spots” where their own creativity can feed and be fed by the creativity of those they visit. (quoting Greg Richards, in: Journal of Tourism Consumption and Practice, Volume 4 No.2 2012, ISSN 1757-031X 3)

Well, I’ve never thought of myself as a “cool hunter” but hopefully there’ll be more of us soon :) see: learning how to make Pisco Sour, a famous Latin-American drink, in Chile!

Cultural tourism …

” … a honeypot with ants (or ‘ads’) crawling all over it”, that’s how creative & cultural tourism research expert Greg Richards described the situation of cultural tourism as a mass market activity in the opening of this year’s world-first Creative Tourism Webinar organized by the City of Santa Fe: http://santafecreativetourism.org .

Cultural tourists “go away without being changed by the experience”. The “amount of disillusionment” among a growing number of travelers has led many to “look for more engaging forms of consuming culture … such as those offered by [creative tourism] and individual experiences that give a real connection.” Thanks Greg, for sharing these interesting thoughts with us today!

On June 1, the “Coalition Internationale pour un Tourisme Responsable” (www.coalition-tourisme-responsable.org) gathered for the sixth time this year in order to discuss matters of great importance: How can tourism be, and can it be, after all, become a more sustainable form of development? Is creative tourism as a more active and engaging form of cultural tourism in the mix? And what do the French say or do about sustainable development, enfin?

Laurie Buchet, of Ardennes Luxembourgeoises Regional Tourism Board, first told me about the conference event two months ago. We immediately decided we had to come, to listen and to join the debate, as well as using the opportunity to enjoy an interesting weekend in Paris from a “local point of view” (interactive cooking course offered through the Creative Paris network, tour with a Greeter - “Meetingthefrench.com” - Couchsurfing, etc.).

… however small the actual percentage of creative travellers may be, there is definitely a growing demand, and a growing interest, for creative tourism.

Only recently, we have been visiting the Austrian National Tourist Board (ANTO) in Vienna for a presentation talk with some of our members from Kreativ Reisen Österreich: Kunstmuseum Waldviertel (Creative Art Museum), Die kleine Werkstatt in Waldviertel, Lower Austria, TALCUS offering stone carving workshops in Styria, Lucie from Shopping with Lucie! in Vienna, Hotel Am Konzerthaus who have developed a creative Swarovski city experience package, Altenmarkt-Zauchensee and their .NATURA.in di Berg Creative Weeks during the summer, plus Künstlerdorf Neumarkt an der Raab (an artists’ village dedicated to creative exchange among guests and (inter)national artists offering workshops, too).

The feedback from our colleagues working at the ANTO holiday service office is: “People are looking for (what they call) ‘the special thing’ (about Austria). They want to know where to go in order to find hidden gems and unique experiences.” This is where creative activities such as those offered by Creative Tourism Austria stand a chance to meet this very demand by (inter)national travellers.

Umbria, located in the central highlands of Italy, squeezed in between its well-known neighbours Tuscany and Rome, has a lot to tell its visitors. Alright, there are other regions, too, that specialize in olive oil production, truffle hunting, medieval festivals, cooking lessons or ancient crafts workshops. But where else can you experience all these, within a few kilometres from each other, in a truly Italian local kind of way? The secret triangle for creative tourism experiences in Italy lies between or near the towns of SPELLO, BEVAGNA, FOLIGNO & VALTOPINA.

Supported by an international EU project on developing socio-cultural tourism in rural areas of Europe called CULTrips, the local organizers or “greeter guides” made it a point to welcome us as pilot travellers to experience this form of interactive, meet-the-locals kind of tourism.

WHAT A GREAT IDEA :-) This form of travelling should actually be offered all over Europe. Here’s what we experienced in the course of just three days !