THE CULTURAL LANDSCAPE: PERCEPTION, KNOWLEDGE, AWARENESS AND SUPPORT TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF A SUSTAINABLE TOURISM

• Published in: Geopolitics, history, and international relations Vol. 6; no. 1; pp. 123 - 132
• Main Authors: Lazăr, Irina, Mazilu, Mirela
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Woodside Addleton Academic Publishers 01.06.2014
• Subjects: Analysis; Brand image; Economic aspects; Economy; Europe; Infrastructure; Landscape; Perception; Pragmatics; Regional identity; Roads & highways; Romania; Scientific research; Social aspects; Sustainable development; Tourism; Travel industry; Romania; durable; tourism; cultural landscape; tourist attraction; landscape
• ISSN: 1948-9145; 2374-4383

Cultural landscapes contribute to local and regional identity and reflect the history and interaction between man and nature. Therefore, they have considerable value, for example as tourist attractions. Maintaining these cultural landscapes is very important, but it should not manifest excessively, that is to make impossible economic, touristic exploitation, etc. In some cases, it is required to protect exceptional sites. In other cases, whole cultural landscapes must be maintained or rehabilitated, because due to overexploitation they show visible signs of degradation. Not incidentally, the use of the two terms landscape and culture/cultural1 semantically was meant to express clearly and in an integrating manner the anthropogenic intervention in the transformation of the geographical landscape, thus recognizing its alarming ability to transform the natural. Over time, both internationally and nationally, its research, definition, analysis and classification2 have stirred beneficial controversy, the multitude of opinions expressed supporting the shaping of the field’s theoretical and practical importance. In the last period, partly under the impetus of socio-economic and political (legislative) factors, the cultural landscape has begun to receive increased attention at both scientific and legislative level, embodied in works with a specific character. Thus, following ratification by Romania of the European Convention on Landscape (2000) and our country’s participation in various community programs of scientific research, considerations and conceptual approaches on this subject were given a new dimension both in terms of individual scientific research as well as in the research employed (integrated) in community projects, the schools and trends researching the landscape (German, French, Russian, Anglo-Saxon) highlighting various theoretical and pragmatic approaches and the outstanding contributions in defining it.