"Пътят на коприната" като туристически продукт: Интегриране на историята, културата и икономиката

Abstract

The paper summarizes the significance of the Silk Road in integrating history, culture, and economy and its importance in boosting the East – West dialogue and relations. It analyzes the place and role of the Silk Road which emerged in the last century B.C. under the Han Dynasty as a bridge between Eastern and Western civilization and economy. Special emphasis is placed on how the Silk Road, which begins in China and reaches North Africa across Central, South, and Western Asia, became an opportunity to spread the achievements of ancient Chinese civilization to the rest of the countries.
The paper presents several initiatives of the UNESCO and the World Tourism Organization, such as the Silk Road Destinations, the Silk Road Transatlantic Alliance, and others, which are aimed at turning this unique ancient route into an opportunity to enhance international cooperation in the fields of culture, trade, tourism, and science. Is it possible to offer the Silk Road as a tourist product in the global marketplace and how should it be done? What countries are investing today in marketing, advertizing, and new technologies to attract an increasing number of tourists and what do they do to achieve this goal? What are the tourism routes along the Silk Road today, and how are they promoted? How can tourism develop but also preserve the unique tangible and intangible heritage of the countries along the Silk Road through the integration of history?
The development of cultural tourism today is illustrated by some examples of how China and other countries successfully invest in the development of an international tourist industry, capitalizing on the Silk Road and its ancient wealth. Part of these countries’ marketing, advertising, and PR activities aimed at image-building and branding of their tourism product as a whole are also analyzed. The paper outlines the tangible results of the development of a tourism product based on the Silk Road such as upgrading the infrastructure, generating new jobs, integrating economy and culture, and increasing the international tourist flow to a unique and very promising project.