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P&B opinion
culture by Andrew Coutts
edutainment
boosts local and regional attractiveness
C
ulture is not for displaying on a shelf, stories (Pedro & Inês).
but rather to be lived and shared. While
destinations throughout the world need Culture is thus being used as a basis for regional
to invent attractions to draw visitors, Portugal identity. This makes it an excellent vehicle to stimulate
has a wealth of highly attractive “raw materials”, cooperation between the private sector, the public
including renowned cuisine, world heritage sites, sector including municipalities and local/regional
and a varied countryside with enough traditions, institutions, and associative or charitable cultural/
stories and legends to fill many a best seller. These historical organizations, as a way of attracting more
need to be developed, and urgently, for not to do so public to a region.
is to neglect a national treasure. The timing is right.
ILM Group: Andrew Coutts, Tourist organizations are trying to find ways to A national cultural hub should be created to link
CEO & president brand destinations by finding unique and authentic into and promote the wide range of Portugal’s
themes for short break holidays, and people are cultural heritage. A priority is establishing a state-
looking for experiences to move the spirit, develop of-the-art online destination providing memorable
the mind, find inspiration and have fun. edutainment experiences. To make it a success
will require the many different parties involved—
Throughout the world, cultural assets are competing including the heritage sector, the accommodation
in the marketplace within the so-called “experience sector and tourist information offices—to work
economy”, defined as the wide range of educational closely together.
leisure experiences, which is why it is crucial that they
are carefully marketed, developed and managed to Tourists want to use their time as effectively as
make them as attractive as possible. Supply and possible. They are looking for a packaged solution,
demand are coming together, because destination preferably guided for added value in terms of safety
marketing is all about finding a distinguishable and information. If a real guide is not available,
identity, and this can be found by analyzing what’s there are virtual guides, tours on MP3 players or
unique and distinct about the destination: its “DNA”. mobile phones, and descriptions in travel books.
The DNA can consist of landmarks, icons, special
places and/or historic events, such as battlegrounds Pre-planned routes are essential to guide tourists
(eg of the Peninsula Wars) or celebrated historical to and within places of interest, because for them
it’s a journey. These routes can make the DNA of
the destination visible. The storyline can be seen
as a thread linking an area’s hidden treasures. The
pieces of the puzzle are gradually joined together,
imparting knowledge to the visitor.
It is vital for destinations and their cultural assets
map of Portugal and
to connect to these routes, or even to create them,
Spain illustrating the
if they want to attract more and different types of
Peninsular Wars
visitors. This cultural journey should start online—
© The Public Schools Historical Atlas
by Charles Colbeck. Longmans, Green;
with the preparation of the visit, and end online—
New York; London; Bombay. 1905 with the sharing of the lived experience.