What is the tourist landscape? Aspects and features of the concept

Abstract

This paper will present a systematic review of the main publications for landscape and tourism research in Scopus and polish language databases. These were used to identify papers on landscape and tourism published from January 2003 to September 2013. A total of 382 articles and 37 other sources were identified, but 116 analysed. The analysis, focusing on the explicated relation between landscape and tourism, shows that it is a new but growing concern for geographers, ecologists, and landscape architects contributing to the debate. The result is a veritable smorgasbord of definitions and approaches. The objective of this paper is to systematise the current knowledge on tourism and landscape, review the existing definitions of the term “tourist landscape”, and determine its aspects and components in the context of proper functioning of regions. The paper concludes with a tentative definition of a tourist landscape and proposals for further scholarly research and some policy advice.

Toward understanding tourist landscape. a comparative study of locals’ and visitors’ perception in selected destinations in Poland and Greece

“…Subsequently, they were asked to justify their opinions and point to three landscape elements/associations which determine its tourist nature. In the following part of the questionnaire, the respondents specified the influence on the attractiveness of the tourist landscape of 17 factors (elements), which had been selected by the authors on the basis of our preceding theoretical framework (Skowronek et al 2014(Skowronek et al , 2018, culminating in the formulation of our model of tourist landscape constituent elements (Fig. 1).…”

“…Since the first attempts at its definition (1970s-1990s), the emphasis has shifted from highlighting the functions of a landscape aimed at meeting tourists' needs, to its internal systemic mechanisms, its genesis and contextual and tourism development potential (2000s) (Skowronek et al 2018). Diverse approaches to the tourist landscape have also been changing.…”

“…Other definitions also given to the tourist landscape are as follows: -a natural or natural-anthropogenic system, with potential for tourism function, which generates or can generate tourist movement (Wall in Jafari 1982, Richling 2010) -an area where tourism has, at least temporarily, a predominant role (krzymowska-ko-strowicka1999, Richling 2010) or -an area where tourism development constitutes an important component of the landscape (Richling 2010, kowalczyk, Derek 2010. Only few publications, however, are of particular analytical significance in constructing the definition of the tourist landscape, based on the operationalization of the main elements that constitute it (Gkoltsiou, Terkenli 2012, Skowronek et al 2018. The constituent elements of a tourist landscape are such that: a) ascertaining that they define a landscape, b) differentiate it from other types of landscapes, on the basis of its connection to tourism, and c) are amenable and applicable to as broad a range of tourist landscape conceptualizations, as possible.…”

“…Furthermore, the processes indicated in this model are not just one-way; as is the case in most tourism models (Pearce 1995), all linkages shown here are reciprocal and multi-directional. Nonetheless, the model purports to stand as a condensed conceptualization of the basic key element groupings turning a landscape into a tourist one (for a more developed discussion on this, see Skowronek et al 2018). As implied above, a series of other factors play a significant role, here, such as tourists' knowledge/ perceptions/imagination, informed by the tourist industry, the media -including new ICT'sand the local supply and tourism management context.…”

“…Tourists choose destinations according to their personal goals, interests and preferred forms of activities and experiences. Thereafter, during their stay there, their destination landscapes are contrasted with expectations that had been shaped by social environments and the media, and a final imaginary version of the landscape is formulated through sensual stimuli, experiences and emotions (Terkenli 2014, Norton 1996, Skowronek et al 2018.…”