As an Alternative: Cultural Routes Education for Tourism Guides – A Model Suggestion From Turkey

1. Introduction

Tourist guidance training/education is different in many countries of the world. The tourist guide profile that countries need varies according to the geography, culture and the share of the country in the tourism pie. Tourism types or tourism choices of tourists affect the specialization areas of tourist guides. The changing world, the same as a result of globalization, has pushed individuals to search for originality and differentiated them in holiday preferences as in many choices. In recent years, the increase in the number of people who adopt the motto of healthy living, the philosophy of turning to nature and turning to one’s self has increased the demand for nature walks. Trekking, which is difficult for rural people to make sense of, is preferred as an escape therapy from stress by citizens. Even the meaning of the word trekking has been differentiated by the perception that has changed over the years. Merriam-Webster Dictionary, trekking is used in Africa to migrate with a cane or by foot, whereas in the process it has evolved into a long walk in nature that has changed in use. In nature, brisk walks to go from one point to another within a specified time period have also diversified over time and the concept of route has emerged. It has gained an economic dimension in alternative tourism activities. When the ancient cities, ancient roads and the roads passed by the important people on the routes are considered, the names of the route were called “cultural routes”. When the demand for cultural routes, the main starting point of which is trekking, is not intense, those who walk on individual routes have received support from locals, climbers and other hikers from time to time. Today, this type of tourism, which includes both solo-hikers and groups, has become a professionalization area and the need for tourist guides has increased. If cultural routes are not seen as a specialty, the gap of this need will quickly be filled with other alternatives. The most important objective in the preparation of this section is to create a substructure related to this area of expertise, which is not yet known even among the tourist guides, and to prepare an auxiliary resource. Tourist guides that should be one of the components of an ecologically based integrity are not yet included in all routes. This area, which is not included in the tourist guidance curriculum, has been proposed as a training module for specialization in this study. In this context, the aim of the study is to contribute to the field and literature by creating the infrastructure of the cultural routes education program as a module.

If the travel contains a purpose and date such as hiking, mule path, faith, trade, or following the old paths, it can be defined as a cultural route (if it is suitable for walking by nature). According to different organizations, this concept was developed by the Council of Europe. According to the European Council, the purpose of the Cultural Routes Program is to demonstrate that Europe's different countries and cultural heritage is a common cultural heritage, and to show the way to travel in time and space. The basic principles of the European Council are human rights, cultural democracy, cultural diversity and identity, dialogue, mutual exchange and enrichment that transcend time and space (Tanrısever, 2016).

In this context, the components of cultural routes are;

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  Historical cities,

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  Rural Settlements,

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  Traditional life,

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  Ancient settlements,

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  Singular historical buildings,

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  Natural environment and wildlife.

Common features of routes are;

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  Having a theme (Culture, History, Nature, Ecology, Geology, Belief, etc.),

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  To be marked (Road signs, road start signs, maps, etc.)

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  Documentation (web page, guide book, GPS coordinates, web page) (Robert & Eryurt, 2013).