Creative Destinations and the Rooster of Barcelos (“Galo de Barcelos”)

Creative Tourism: A Theoretical Framework

The concept of Creative Tourism is defined by UNESCO (2006, p. 3), within the scope of the “Creative Cities Network”, as a new generation of tourism stating: “creative tourism is travel directed toward an engaged and authentic experience, with participative learning in the arts, heritage, or special character of a place, and it provides a connection with those who reside in this place and create this living culture”. Creative tourism is perceived as a form of cultural tourism, but different, because while cultural tourism is based on observing, watching and contemplating (visiting museums and art galleries), in turn, creative tourism is based on experience, participation and in learning. It satisfies self-actualization needs focused on developing skills based on intangible resources, including processes such as dancing, singing, producing handicrafts, painting, participating in festivals, but avoiding negative impacts generated by the consumption of the built space. It goes beyond the idea of tourism as an agglomeration of businesses and activities and moves into the concept of tourism as a holistic activity that calls for emotions and self-enrichment (Jelinčić and Senkic, 2019) capable of creating memorable experiences (Sterchele, 2020). It emerges in the context of the emergence of new phenomena, namely the experience economy, the sharing economy, globalization, the concept of intangible cultural heritage and the emerging paradigm of tourism as an instrument for the sustainable development of territories. In this sense, the concept of co-creation and the need to value creativity and innovation as critical factors of development and distinction of tourist destinations were brought to the centre of the debate (Ferreira, 2014).