In the recent years, tourism has become the most dynamically developing branch of the world economy. It is estimated that tourism is responsible for 9% of the world’s GDP and 3% of employment. In Europe, the share of tourism in the GDP is at the level of 5% and in employment - at the level of 5.2%.
The essence of tourist-centred approach is to find and distinguish special, unusual places. Tourists desire diversity and opportunities to find distraction from the daily routine. They wish to experience something extraordinary.
Cultural tourism is considered one of the most important segments of tourism around the world, especially in Europe, the cradle of various cultures. It should be noted that nearly half of the cultural objects from the World Heritage List of UNESCO is located in Europe, which constitutes the key direction for cultural tourism. It is estimated that 70% of revenues of the tourist industry comes from cultural tourism. That form of tourism is based on contacts with local societies and getting familiar with the widely understood culture. The tourists wish to witness extraordinary events: listen to a concert, see a performance, participate in religious ceremonies, folklore festivals, regional celebrations, visit cultural heritage objects or taste the regional cuisine.
While analysing the features of cultural tourism as one of the types of tourism, it should be noted that this branch generates high revenues because of the tourist profile. Cultural tourists are usually people with higher education, consciously choosing the destination points of their travels and becoming the ambassadors of the visited locations.
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