Corso di geografia turistica

Unit D1

p.141

• France, Great Britain and Spain have made use of their national artistic heritage for tourism in different ways.
• In France, the celebrated Renaissance castles built along the length of the Loire have been the inspiration for new tourism proposals to open up the cultural and natural beauties of the whole region, and neighbouring ones also. The initiatives include a stay in historic lodgings and slow itineraries to discover villages, monuments and natural beauty excluded from the international circuits.
• In Great Britain themed itineraries have been put together that have as their theme the life and works of famous writers and artists. The buildings where they lived or set their masterpieces, often located in quaint villages or regions that are rich from the point of view of landscape, have been restored with scientific thoroughness and opened to the public.
• Spain has restored around a hundred historic buildings, castles, monasteries and palaces distributed throughout its territory, turning them into the highest quality hotels. The Paradores chain (from parada, stop), in addition to saving these ancient structures from decay, promotes various holiday packages that combine a stay with themed itineraries.

Unit D2

p.145

• From early times the management of the lighthouses was entrusted to men who were occupied full-time in keeping them working. Mechanics, electricians, firemen and their families lived in isolation for months, giving birth to little villages built around the lighthouse tower.
• Today, several coastal countries have renovated these buildings, now supplanted by modern technology, transforming them into holiday apartments and bed & breakfasts of great fascination for their history and the surrounding landscapes.
• Norway, which has always been linked to navigation, counts more than 200 lighthouses, many of which are protected as cultural and environmental state heritage. Of these, about 30 have been transformed into accommodations, ideal for those seeking a profound encounter with nature and the environment.
• A stay in a Norwegian lighthouse enables the reconstruction of the local history and culture thanks to testimonies collected by the volunteers of the associations that manage them, and museums that are often situated in a part of the same building.

Unit D3

p.149

• Portugal, a country that has always been the subject by significant numbers of tourists, has recently initiated a policy of support and promotion for rural tourism.
• The interventions have resulted in the recovery of ancient villages and historic buildings, particularly period residences. With the assistance of European Union funds, these ancient villas have been restored and opened to the public as elegant accommodations.
• Also in the countryside, cottages and rustic homes have been restored that offer accommodation similar to those of agritourism. Particularly in the region of Minho, in the north, it is possible to enjoy rural hospitality in a green land, amongst gentle slopes and landscapes that have been little altered by human intervention.

Unit D4

p.155

• Greece boasts a wealth of artistic, historical and natural beauty that makes it a tourist destination of the first order.
• In the past, the inadequacy of the transport network, the lack of initiative by local businesses and the inaccessible nature of the area blocked the development of tourism.
• Today, Greece has improved its infrastructure, particularly those related to transport, and is able to offer destinations and flexible solutions capable of matching all expectations, for a tourism fit for every demand.
• Beyond the usual formulas of hotels, resorts and residences, hospitality tourism, revolving around niche tourism, is offered on the islands, where the restoration of traditional architecture has allowed more sustainable accommodation options.
• In particular, rural tourism finds its best expression in the hospitality offered by many owners of country houses that combine a stay with proposals for activities related to the land.