Cultural Tourism and Heritage in Northern Portugal

Book excerpt: This book presents a narrative of both an opportunity and a challenge. The opportunity is to develop routes of cultural tourism in the North of Portugal, while empowering and engaging communities in the protection of their cultural heritage. The challenge is promoting sustainable tourism, with an impact on economic growth, poverty reduction, environmental protection and the preservation of authenticity in culture and heritage. This book appears at a pivotal moment, given the increased interest for the use of literature, arts, crafts, heritage, and traditions, as well as tangible and intangible cultural products, to promote places and destinations, while safeguarding the identity of social-cultural territories. The current cultural turn in tourism and related research methodologies has led to the development of business strategies where culture and creativity play a relevant role in the branding of competitive cities, regions and countries, using innovation and technology to promote their international image.