**2.1. The concept of cultural tourism**

Generally, cultural tourism is classified according to motivational factors that indicate the dominating motif which promotes travelling. Based on the literature, the following six types of tourism are distinguished with regard to the goal of a trip: business tourism, professional tourism, leisure and entertainment tourism, cognitive-cultural tourism, sports tourism, rural tourism and wellbeing tourism [1].

Cultural tourism is especially closely related with special demands of tourists because the desire to explore, "test out" other authentic cultures, explore artefacts of extinct cultures, and the goal to familiarise with "other" cultures are an especially important motif [2]. This encourages developers of heritage tourism and heritage to create a complex outlook towards cultural artefacts: an object itself cannot function without its target environment because together they form cultural landscape, e.g., the urbanist landscape of Vilnius Old Town (Lithuania). In 2009, it was included into the UNESCO heritage list. The Kernavė (Lithuania) archaeological site is a unique territorial complex of archaeological and historical values (194.4 hectares) included in the UNESCO heritage lists in 2004.

Cultural tourism is equally important in aiming to preserve cultural and historical heritage: the higher number of tourists interested in cultural heritage, the more financial support it attracts. Cultural tourism remains important in creating a positive image of a country or city on a global scale.

Culture has always been the main goal of any trip since the Great Travels in the sixteenth century. In the twentieth century, a notion that culture was no longer the goal of tourism appeared. In any case, however, cultural values play a very important role on the scale of both heritage tourism and the entire tourism industry.

Over a certain period of time, the types of tourism became more concentrated and oriented towards a certain area. Traditional mass tourism which Hall [3] describes as a temporary, shortterm trip to and from a certain place where the traveller does not live faces an alternative – tourism that satisfies specific needs of travellers, i.e., cultural, educational and other. Accord‐ ing to McKercher [4], cultural tourism is undoubtedly the oldest type of the 'most modern' types of tourism: people have been travelling for the so-called cultural reasons from the Roman times; the difference is that they were not treated as exceptional travellers until today. Pilgrim travels, visits to historical locations, special events, festivals, and rituals have been known for ages. Today it is called alternative tourism (**Figure 1**).

**Figure 1.** Types of tourism. Source: created by the author based on reference 5.

According to Newsome, Moore and Dowling [5], alternative tourism is responsible or specific interest-related tourism that includes small numbers of tourists under authentic, natural or cultural conditions, and that encompasses natural tourism (i.e., tourism in a natural environ‐ ment), cultural tourism (i.e., heritage, religions, etc.), event tourism (i.e., sports, festivals, etc.), and other (i.e., educational, farm tourism and so on).

By the end of the twentieth century, cultural tourism becomes one of the main fields of academic research and topics of discussion.

The concept of new tourism can be described by employing one of Craik's [6] statements about the recently popular forms of tourism that are more flexible, often complemented by the terms 'communication-enriching', 'satisfying', 'adventurous', and oriented towards individual needs. Satisfaction of cultural needs becomes not only a component of holidays, but also the main catalyst of travelling. Due to different conflicts in the world and xenophobia based on misunderstandings, cultural tourism may often help cultures to communicate and encourage mutual understanding. Knowing the culture of other nations, we understand each other better and experience a rising wish to cooperate. This promotes communication and integration [7].

It is easier to find descriptions of various activities of cultural tourism in scientific literature than the conception of it itself. These activities are often described as visiting historical structures and localities, museums, galleries, heritage territories, castles, churches, etc., and observing modern arts, sculptures or visual arts [8].

**Table 1** introduces more definitions of cultural tourism.


**Table 1.** Definitions of cultural tourism.

UNESCO and the World Tourism Organisation describe cultural tourism as a trip that includes cultural and cognitive purposes. It is a way to know, improve, preserve and use cultural resources, landscape, architecture, artistic activities and unique features of a certain place. Creative tourism also aims at familiarising with a country yet creating immediate communi‐ cation and cooperation with local citizens by obtaining experience of a certain kind.
