engleski

The Cultural Politics of Tourism, Identity and Heritage: A View of a Multicultural Istrian Region (Croatia)

Over the last 10 years what European cultural policy makers understand by ‘culture’ has changed in very significant ways. It is now commonly argued that culture is not just a marginal activity but necessary and integral to the creation of European identity, and that it includes both tangible and intangible cultural heritage. Culture is now recognised as a drive for creating the sense of identity. At the same time culture and cultural heritage have been recognised as one of the major sectors of the European economy and an essential part of tourism. More and more countries are making strenuous efforts to present themselves as desirable destinations for foreign visitors. In order to be visible on the global market, these countries undertake various promotional activities to represent their cultural heritage by drawing not only on the pre-existent resources, but also on the public discourses implemented in creating and maintaining the national identity. On the other hand within the context of globalisation, regional cultures are increasingly pressured but become more important in making a distinctive offer to the tourist markets. The question of how to translate a local site into a global/European or national site, and how to translate European heritage into local diversity becomes crucial, as selections of what to present often conceal contestations of cultural values and heritage traditions. This paper adresses the impact of these policies on cultural tourism of a multicultural heritage city of Pula in the Croatian region of Istria. Through the analysis of the discursive space of intersectionality within this city’ ways of responding to the contemporary European issues on multiculturalism, it attempts to explore whether the current trends in cultural policies regarding the construction of European and national identity/culture are trying to homogenise multiculturalism, and if so, how this homogenisation reflects on cultural tourism through manipulating cultural heritage for short-term economic, political, or cultural advantage.

anthropology; culture; identity; cultural tourism

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