Culture as a component of the hospitality product

Abstract

Present the most important consumer trends observed and outline the major characteristics of cultural tourist behaviour.

The growth cultural tourism has undergone since 1980 is a result of the rising interest in art, culture and history which can be explained by demographic, social and cultural changes. These changes are, at the same time, the direct force behind the emergence of the lifestyle hotel. As a counterpart of the standardized box hotel, this new hospitality concept constitutes a cultural tourism product in itself as appears from the analysis of two main types of lifestyle hotels: the historic establishment and the design hotel. Both intend to provide an identity-fit to the guest contributing to the cultural tourism experience as a whole. An analysis of the main threats and the determining success factors is undertaken in order to give insight into the future of the lifestyle hotel as a player on the international cultural tourism market.