A SYSTEMIC OUTLOOK OF CREATIVE TOURISM

Creative tourism distinguishes itself from cultural tourism in two ways. One is its objective, which is to cater for individuals’ cultural interest, and the other is the active involvement of tourists in preparation as well as cultural activities and events for tourism. Thus, development of creative tourism much depends on the initiatives and entrepre neurship of local tourism operators, instead of travel agencies who promote mass tourism. Communal involvement in creative tourism helps in preserving its valuable cultural assets and traditions, and also enhances sustainable economic development, even in communities that lack resources or potentials for industrial development. However, such communal efforts cannot succeed without integration into the national design and system for tourism development. Three developmental issues are critical for its success. They are: (a) communication between individual tourists and destination localities, (b) societal espousal of cross-cultural or inter-cultural education and experience, and (c) societal fabric for promotion of hospitality. This paper elucidates some prospects and pitfalls for viable systemic development of creative tourism.