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This thesis contributes to the understanding of the collaborative economic model and its applicability in the development of heritage tourism in rural areas. It does so by examining the conceptual and operational attractiveness of the collaborative economy and by proposing a new collaborative model for tourism development. The first part of the research provides a broad theoretical contextualisation of the collaborative economic model. The main assumption is that the duality between individual and collective values lies at the core of all social interactions, and is essential in understanding the conceptual appeal of the collaborative model. The study draws upon concepts and paradigms from a wide range of academic disciplines to frame this assumption: moral philosophy, religion, history, national and political narratives, neuroscience, evolutionary biology, psychology, anthropology and World Heritage discourses. It continues with an analysis of this duality within various theoretical models in the history of Western political economy, and argues that the search for an ideal model of economic policy represented a constant balancing act between individualist or collective goals. The thesis further investigates this duality at the microeconomic level, in relation to specific aspects of economic behaviour: motivation, interaction, ownership, and modes of consumption. The research continues to examine the key characteristics of the collaborative economy, as an emerging model that challenges the structures of the dominant market economy. It demonstrates how the collaborative economy provides an ingenious manner to reconcile individual interests with a sense of community and cooperative action, developing a narrative that rehabilitates the social nature of economic activities. The second part of the thesis investigates the operational attractiveness of a potential collaborative tourism model. It explores the perspectives of both the providers (hosts) and the consumers (tourists) of travel experiences. With the help of data collected from a survey conducted at four selected locations in Romania (Hrabusna, Breaza de Sus) and India (Bhavikeri, Gokarn), the study identifies a high level of acceptance from potential hosts towards a small-scale collaborative tourism model. Similarly, data collected from an online survey offers valuable insights into the tourists’ acceptance of a collaborative tourism model and the functional aspects of its implementation. Finally, the thesis proposes a new collaborative model for small-scale heritage tourism in rural areas – sharitage. The findings of this research provide a good basis for the elaboration of new socio-economic practices that would generate development opportunities and transparent benefits for vulnerable communities in rural areas, respond to the growing tourist demand for immersive, locally contextualised travel experiences, and contribute to the safeguarding of traditional knowledge and practices.
Scale dissonances between local and world heritage : the rural landscape of the Palladian villa
(2021)
This research critically analyses the visual representation of the Palladian villa landscape as UNESCO World Heritage. I bring to light certain dissonances around the understanding of this landscape as heritage between global and local perspective. I have explored the ways in which the rural landscape of the Palladian villas is produced by ICOMOS experts, local institution and inhabitants in the contemporary context of the suburban areas of the Veneto region in Italy. Dissonances are arising when the landscape transforms and the visual integrity, or the iconic image of the landscape get lost. I observed that, the loss of the visual integrity, considered as negative by ICOMOS experts, gives space to peculiar heritage social practices from below.
I am problematizing two main aspects of the conservation scheme of this site: the selective visual representation of history and the musealization of agriculture for touristic proposes. I am exploring the potential of reframing and renaming the conservation scheme of the World Heritage Site. I suggest using inhabitant’s visual representation to reframe the UNESCO management plan and considering the peculiar local agricultural practice as a “continuing cultural landscape”. I interpret my empirical and theoretical contribution as a semantic shift in the way the Palladian rural landscape is understood as World Heritage toward an inclusive and situated heritage conservation that extend beyond expert’s conservation philosophies. The research contributes to the deconstruction of modern notions of rural landscape and heritage in the field of heritage studies and landscape conservation especially within the implementation of the World Heritage Convention.