Keynote given by Dr James Kennell, University of Greenwich, at the 2020 World Culture and Tourism Forum in Xi'An, China.

1. Dr James Kennell
Business School
Tourism Research Centre
Cultural
Tourism and the
Silk Road
Corridors

2. Deputy Head of Department of Marketing, Events and
Tourism
50+ publications –cultural tourism, urban tourism and
events management
Recent work:
• Dark Tourism
• Tourism policy and governance
• Tourism Entrepreneurship

3. The oldest “new” form of tourism
(McKercher, 2020)
Tourism
Experiences
Cultural
Heritage
Assets
Products

4. (UNWTO, 2018)
Intentions vs Activities
How important is culture, really?

5. Asia Pacific Economic
Community countries – c.50m
jobs
In the UK – Cultural Heritage
Tourism - £20.2bn GVA
40% of all visitors to Europe
choose their destination based
on culture
(MyTravelResearch, 2020; Oxford Economics, 2018; European Commission, 2020)

6. Silk Road Cultural Tourism
OpportunitiesOpportunities for smaller or
emerging destinations
Cultural Events and Festivals
Outside of traditional
dominance of tour operators
A route AND a destination
• Route 66
• Via Dinarica

7. Traditional
cultural
tourists
COVID-19
Future
cultural
tourists

8. Non-Western – tourists,
destinations and host communities
Technology everywhere – not just
Wi-Fi in attractions
Mobility – E-Visas and open
borders
Post-COVID
• Multi-generational, small-
group trips
• Novelty, Excitement AND
safety

9. 谢谢
j.s.kennell@greenwich.ac.uk

10. References
European Commission. (2020) Cultural Tourism. Available from:
https://ec.europa.eu/growth/sectors/tourism/offer/cultural_en#:~:text=A%20joint%20study%2C%20between%2
0the,image%20of%20Europe%20in%20general.
McKercher, B. (2020). Cultural tourism market: a perspective paper. Tourism Review, 75(1), 126-129.
MyTravelResearch. (2020). How Culture and Heritage Tourism Boosts More Than A Visitor Economy. Available
from: https://www.mytravelresearch.com/culture-and-heritage-tourism-boosts-visitor-economy/
Oxford Economics. (2018) The Impacts of Heritage Tourism for the UK Economy. Oxford Economics. Oxford
UNWTO. (2018). Tourism and Culture Synergies. UNWTO. Madrid