Music provides an important and emotional narrative for tourists as an expression of culture, a form of heritage, and a significant place. Indeed, it is becoming increasingly difficult to imagine tourism in silence. Music defines and transcends the boundaries of destinations, while emphasizing and even challenging the concepts of tradition and helping to define the identity of visitors. Traditional music is part of the identity of each region and a global artistic language, while its wide appeal enables it to nurture the richest dialogues between different cultures. As a symbol of cultural identity in relation to the past, traditional music is used by many cultural groups and individuals, including nation states, for political empowerment and cultural diplomacy. The cultural tourist identity of a country includes traditional music, traditional dances, improvised street entertainment, tours in concerts, watching music festivals; these are what accompany the visitor-tourist.
TopIntroduction
Culture is a point of reference for collective identity, as it simultaneously performs basic functions for society as a whole, such as recognition, integration and participation. Through it the members of a group or larger groups are recognized and acquire their collective identity. Every cultural identity is hybrid and dynamic, as it incorporates a variety of diverse elements and determines the basis of a claim for difference rather than a timeless and absolute differentiation (Paschalidis, 2002). The elements that make up a cultural identity can be real, ideological or symbolic or a combination of multiple elements from the cultural space. In addition, cultural identities and heterogeneities are two-way systems adopted by the individual in a particular group or group of groups. Cultural identity also includes artistic identities, such as dance and music. Music, song and dance at the level of identity play an important role, as they are used by members of a group or a wider group, such as the nation, as a means of promoting their cultural identity (Anholt, 2010).
Goal of the Article
The aim of the article is to assess the connection between traditional music and identity and how these two can be used as a strong strategic means for enhancing the cultural tourism experience.
Methodology
The article makes use of the descriptive review of the literature, which aims to investigate the issue under consideration through different perspectives, and to try to assess the overarching questions keeping in mind the future research perspectives and the application in practice.
Definition of Terms
National identity: The inhabitants of a state who share common myths, common historical memories, common language, common geographical place, are defined according to Smith (1991) as persons with a common national identity. These concepts have turned the interest of the social sciences in clarifying national identity. Individuals perceive themselves as members of a national group where everyone has in common, their national identity
Cultural tourism: Cultural tourism is one of the special and alternative forms of tourism (Kokkosis and Chartas, 2001). One of the oldest forms of travel, it is today emerging as one of the most important and rapidly growing fields of the tourism phenomenon (Krajnović and Gortan-Carlin, 2018).
Traditional music: Traditional music is the music of a people, a nation or a region which is spread orally, evolving through the variation of melodies created by the people themselves (Smith, 2000)