Creative cultural tourism as a function of competitiveness of cities

Abstract

The globalized and decentralized world we live in is simultaneously the arena for the competition of cities belonging to the global network. Striving to secure a better position on the international scene, responsible managements turn to entrepreneurial activities aimed at finding new forms of competitive capitalism. Within a thus defined context, tourism is an important sphere. In these latest decades more and more attention is devoted to cultural tourism and creative cultural tourism, which are becoming an important sphere of global tourism. Reasons for this trend are evident in an economy based on knowledge and that which is experienced, in the fact that tourism is a branch of the economy with a huge potential, as well as in sustainability of investments in culture and human resources. Having in mind the hedonistic character of a place as a product and tourism as an activity directed toward the acquisition of new experiences and events, this paper will analyze those elements of the offer which contribute to increased competitiveness of cities. The subjects of this paper are the social space of the city, local products, mental space of the city, and material space of the city. A special accent is placed on creative tourism and its role in the process of regional economic development of cities in Southeast Europe.