Read the article below. Think about how to explain the highlighted expressions in your own words. In pairs, compare your explanations and look them up in a dictionary or on the internet to check. 23 a Target group: culture vultures If one is to believe research on leisure, there is an increasing interest in culture worldwide, so much so that culture is expected to replace sports as people’s number one leisure activity. One economic gain of this trend is ‘cultural tourism’, which can be loosely defined as the section of the tourism industry that is concerned with the culture of a country or region. The (1) target group is people travelling in order to visit cultural attractions or participate in cultural activities. Culture is increasingly used to promote destinations worldwide. According to the WTO, cultural tourism has an annual growth rate of 15%, with 40% of all tourists seeking cultural experiences rather than sun, sand and sea. In Austria, this figure is even higher, with every second visitor describing themselves as arts- and culture-oriented. Cultural tourism is concerned with what makes a certain people or region (2) distinctive, its history, lifestyle and arts, and other factors like religion that influence people’s way of life. It comprises both tourism in ■ ■ urban areas, especially in historic cities like Vienna or Salzburg, which offer a rich (3) cultural heritage and cultural facilities such as museums, opera houses, concert halls and theatres, as well as ■ ■ rural areas and the cultures and traditions of local communities, like, for example, the Wachau region with its (4) terraced vineyards and apricot orchards, its world-famous monasteries, and (5) rituals and festivals like the grape harvest or the (6) solstice celebrations along the Danube. On account of its diverse countryside and unique cultural heritage, the European continent as a whole counts as a key cultural tourism destination and magnet for culture lovers from around the world. While tour operators try to appeal to (7) culture vultures by putting together cultural packages, marketing strategists take advantage of Europe’s rich and diverse product portfolio and create ■ ■ national and transnational cultural tourism routes like ‘Südsteirische Weinstraße’, ‘Alpe-Adia-Trail’ or the ‘European Mozart Ways’ and ■ ■ (8) clusters or regions spanning several countries such as the Cultural Landscape Fertö/Neusiedlersee. In an increasingly globalised world, tourists are becoming more interested in (9) authenticity and the distinctive character of a place or community. This is why sustainability and the preservation of (10) heritage sites, typical landscapes and local traditions assume growing importance. Now cover the text and try to remember the most important information. Make notes. Compare your notes with a partner. Media task. Research a town or region that would appeal to cultural tourists, like for example ‘The Amish country’ or Petra in Jordan. Put together a cultural package tour and present it in class. Talk for about 5 minutes. b 24 142 Language skills Extras Explore 11 Tourism Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv
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