Presentation for the IV Scientific Conference at the International University College, Bulgaria, 2008

2. Expanding the Geographies of Cultural Tourism Through Internet Social Networking
and the Possible Economic Impact for the Bulgarian Cultural Heritage
Definitions:
Cultural Tourism:
Cultural tourism is defined as 'all movements of persons for essentially cultural
motivations such as study tours, performing arts and cultural tours, travel to
festivals and other cultural events, visits to sites and monuments, travel to study
nature, folklore or art, and pilgrimages because they satisfy the human need for
diversity, tending to raise the cultural level of the individual and giving rise to new
knowledge, experience and encounters.'
[WTORossitzaand Richards, Cultural Tourism in Europe, 2000: 23].
2008 1985 Ohridska-Olson
Rossitza Ohridska-Olson definition for cultural tourism:
Cultural tourism is all movements of persons outside of their place of residence
with the goal to learn, experience and contribute to the cultural and religious
heritage and the heritage of ideas, as well as to learn, experience and creatively
contribute to the live culture of the host destinations with the motivation to widen
their cultural understanding, emotional pleasure, and creativity as a consequence
of encounters with cultures, different or similar to theirs.
© 2008 Rossitza Ohridska-Olson

3. Expanding the Geographies of Cultural Tourism Through Internet Social Networking
and the Possible Economic Impact for the Bulgarian Cultural Heritage
Definitions (continued):
Internet Social Networks:
…a social network is a set of people (or organizations or other social entities)
connected by a set of social relationships, such as friendship, co-working or
information exchange. [Laura Garton, Caroline Haythornthwaite, Barry Wellman]
Definition for Cultural Heritage:
2008 Rossitza Ohridska-Olson
''cultural heritage'' means movable or immovable objects of artistic, architectural,
historical, archaeological, ethnographic, palaeontological and geological importance
and includes information or data relative to cultural heritage… This include
archaeological, palaeontological or geological sites and deposits, landscapes,
groups of buildings, as well as scientific collections, collections of art objects,
manuscripts, books, published material, archives, audio-visual material and
reproductions of any of the preceding, or collections of historical value, as well as
intangible cultural assets comprising arts, traditions, customs and skills employed in
the performing arts, in applied arts and in crafts and other intangible assets which
have a historical, artistic or ethnographic value. [Cultural Heritage Act 2002]
© 2008 Rossitza Ohridska-Olson

4. Expanding the Geographies of Cultural Tourism Through Internet Social Networking
and the Possible Economic Impact for the Bulgarian Cultural Heritage
Study Goals:
To observe the changes, if any, of the territorial expansion for the Bulgarian cultural tourism
as a consequence of presence and interaction on Internet Social Networks
To assess the possible economic impact for the Bulgarian cultural heritage as a direct
consequence from the eventual increase of the geographical boundaries of the cultural
tourism to Bulgaria
2008 Rossitza Ohridska-Olson
To recommend further actions to the Bulgarian Agency for Tourism (BAT) in order to
increase positive economic impact on the Bulgarian cultural heritage
To create a framework for effective dialogue between all stakeholders in the creation of
cultural tourism product to further develop Web 2.0 programs for marketing of the cultural
heritage as main component of the product of the cultural tourism
To serve as a departing point for further studies on cultural tourism 2.0 and its economic
impact on the Bulgarian cultural heritage.
© 2008 Rossitza Ohridska-Olson

5. Expanding the Geographies of Cultural Tourism Through Internet Social Networking
and the Possible Economic Impact for the Bulgarian Cultural Heritage
Methodology:
An online survey conducted between October 24 and November 24 (results to be updated
in the final paper)
Data collection from tripadvisor.com, flickr.com, and youtube.com
Analysis of the statistics issued by OTTI for U.S. Residents traveling overseas
Analysis of the findings of 2008 Country Brand Report, issued on November 6 by
FuturreBrands.com
Preliminary assumptions:
2008 Rossitza Ohridska-Olson
Only focused and structured information leads to:
Increase of the brand awareness of destination,
Rise in the visits to this destination
Sizable income increase from tourism
Importance of Internet Social networking
Increasing the wealth and scope of travel destinations information content
Is the most accessible information sources for cultural destinations
Increases the geographic reach of information and interactions between people.
Becomes a platform to merge creative and cultural tourism, leading to income increase for
remote and/or less popular destinations
© 2008 Rossitza Ohridska-Olson

6. Expanding the Geographies of Cultural Tourism Through Internet Social Networking
and the Possible Economic Impact for the Bulgarian Cultural Heritage
Results:
Part I
Expanding the Geographies of the Cultural Tourism through Internet Social Networking
General information about Bulgaria obtained through social networks
Persons who didn’t visit Bulgaria:
2008 Rossitza Ohridska-Olson
© 2008 Rossitza Ohridska-Olson

7. Expanding the Geographies of Cultural Tourism Through Internet Social Networking
and the Possible Economic Impact for the Bulgarian Cultural Heritage
Results:
Part I
Expanding the Geographies of the Cultural Tourism through Internet Social Networking
Will visit Bulgaria because somebody from a Internet Social Network recommends it
Persons who didn’t visit Bulgaria:
2008 Rossitza Ohridska-Olson
© 2008 Rossitza Ohridska-Olson

8. Expanding the Geographies of Cultural Tourism Through Internet Social Networking
and the Possible Economic Impact for the Bulgarian Cultural Heritage
Results:
Part I
Expanding the Geographies of the Cultural Tourism through Internet Social Networking
Cultural Tourism share in the event of visiting Bulgaria | Persons who didn’t visit Bulgaria:
2008 Rossitza Ohridska-Olson
© 2008 Rossitza Ohridska-Olson

9. Expanding the Geographies of Cultural Tourism Through Internet Social Networking
and the Possible Economic Impact for the Bulgarian Cultural Heritage
Results:
Part I
Expanding the Geographies of the Cultural Tourism through Internet Social Networking
Country of residence | Persons who didn’t visit Bulgaria:
From survey answers:
2008 Rossitza Ohridska-Olson
© 2008 Rossitza Ohridska-Olson

10. Expanding the Geographies of Cultural Tourism Through Internet Social Networking
and the Possible Economic Impact for the Bulgarian Cultural Heritage
Results:
Part I
Expanding the Geographies of the Cultural Tourism through Internet Social Networking
Bulgarian Tourism Data - Percentage of tourists by country of residence
Source: National Statistics Institute, Bulgaria, Bulgarian Agency for Tourism
2008 Rossitza Ohridska-Olson
© 2008 Rossitza Ohridska-Olson

11. Expanding the Geographies of Cultural Tourism Through Internet Social Networking
and the Possible Economic Impact for the Bulgarian Cultural Heritage
Results:
Part 2
Possible positive economic impact for the Bulgarian Cultural Heritage
U.S. Residents Travel Percentage Total Number
Characteristics - Travel to To all destinations Traveling to traveling to
East Europe overseas Eastern Europe Eastern Europe
All U.S. Residents traveling
overseas 31,228,000 4% 1,249,120
Leisure & VFR 25,888,000 4% 1,035,520
Business & Conv. 8,151,000 4% 326,040
U.S. Residents Traveling Overseas Characteristics
Average Expenditure
outside of the U.S.A
Per Visitor $1,467
Average Annual Household Income
Per household $114,400
Source:
U.S. Department of Commerce
International Trade Administration
Manufacturing and Services
Office of Travel and Tourism Industries
© 2008 Rossitza Ohridska-Olson

12. Expanding the Geographies of Cultural Tourism Through Internet Social Networking
and the Possible Economic Impact for the Bulgarian Cultural Heritage
Results:
Information about Bulgaria in tripadvisor.com
Social Media Network characteristics: 32 million unique visitors per month, 9 million
registered users, 20 million articles and opinions about hotels, destinations and attractions
Tourist attractions by region and Bulgaria
Europe Bulgaria USA Asia South America
2 506 17 5 868 691 209
Cultural tourism attractions by destinations(most popular cultural tourism destinations)
Europe Bulgaria
London - 458 Sofia - 23
Paris - 295 Plovdiv - 7
Rome - 306 Varna - 7
Source: tripadvisor.com, Rossitza Ohridska-Olson online research October 2008 for Buditeli
Conference presentation. Paper in press for II Buditeli Conference Proceedings Book
© 2008 Rossitza Ohridska-Olson

13. Expanding the Geographies of Cultural Tourism Through Internet Social Networking
and the Possible Economic Impact for the Bulgarian Cultural Heritage
Results:
Information about Bulgaria in flickr.com
Social Media Network characteristics: Focus: Photosharing, 28,5 million unique users
per month, 3 billion photos and videos in the database, 60 million geotagged
photos
Geotagged Photos by regions
Europe Bulgaria USA France Italy
8 847 942 70 210 21 964 527 2 375 530 2 302 457
Cultural tourism attractions - tags by country
Tag Total Bulgaria Europe USA Italy France
History + travel 60 865 473 15 675 3 214 5 178 2 723
Culture + travel 67 617 251 9 755 2 170 1 933 3 286
Cultural 3 286 25 248 129 101 89
heritage
Art + travel 162 854 508 30 789 11 900 11 697 10 748
Source: flickr.com, Rossitza Ohridska-Olson online research October 2008 for Buditeli
Conference presentation. Paper in press for II Buditeli Conference Proceedings Book
© 2008 Rossitza Ohridska-Olson

14. Expanding the Geographies of Cultural Tourism Through Internet Social Networking
and the Possible Economic Impact for the Bulgarian Cultural Heritage
Results:
Information about Bulgaria on youtube.com
Social Media Network characteristics: Focus: Video sharing
Country Videos Youtube.com Videos viewed per month
USA 11 425 890 000 5 044 053 000 142 million total, 82 million youtube
Germany 3 052 670 000 1 590 301 000 26 million total, 16.6 million youtube
UK 3 229 476 000 1 592 477 000 27 million total, 19.4 million youtube
France 2 334 344 000 650 251 000 25 million total, 12 million youtube
Geotagged videos in combination with cultural tourism tags by region and country
Етикет Europe Bulgaria Italy France Greece
Travel + 10 500 957 6 950 5 100 3 010
Art 17 500 994 17 900 34 600 3 600
Ancient Roman 333 64 532 141 706
Ancient Greek 383 200 259 222 4 600
Byzantine 302 165 122 108 1 180
Source: comScore.com, youtube.com, Rossitza Ohridska-Olson online research October 2008 for
Buditeli Conference presentation. Paper in press for II Buditeli Conference Proceedings Book
© 2008 Rossitza Ohridska-Olson

15. Expanding the Geographies of Cultural Tourism Through Internet Social Networking
and the Possible Economic Impact for the Bulgarian Cultural Heritage
Results:
Higher demand in authentic experiences with focus on local live culture and heritage
Visitors are more focused on a county’s essence:
Attractions
authenticity
culture
Ethos
Tourists define as key importance
the country’s physical beauty,
uniqueness,
ability to provide relaxation,
Welcoming people
Source: FutureBrands.com Report on Country Branding, 2008
© 2008 Rossitza Ohridska-Olson

16. Expanding the Geographies of Cultural Tourism Through Internet Social Networking
and the Possible Economic Impact for the Bulgarian Cultural Heritage
Conclusions:
• The potential for expanding the geographies of the cultural tourism of Bulgaria to the
North American market is enormous. Further research is needed to see the possibility
of extending the geographies towards Asia, Australia and Africa
• The North American tourist traveling overseas demands authentic experiences in the
sphere of the cultural tourism
• The expansion to the North American market, being the number one spender in
tourism, can lead to important economic impact for the Bulgarian cultural heritage
Recommendations:
• To create a strong brand for the Bulgarian cultural tourism, based on authentic cultural
experiences
• To promote this brand via digital initiatives among the English speaking Internet users
of Social media networks
• To integrate all components forming the cultural tourism product (heritage, live culture,
crafts, arts, etc.) in the information about the cultural destination Bulgaria
• To continue the research on the economic impact of Social networks with the goal to
identify future markets for the Bulgarian brand of cultural tourism.
© 2008 Rossitza Ohridska-Olson

17. Expanding the Geographies of Cultural Tourism Through Internet Social Networking
and the Possible Economic Impact for the Bulgarian Cultural Heritage
Further information and contacts:
Rossitza.com
Culturalrealms.typepad.com
E-mail:
Rokambur@gmail.com
Skype: rokambur
© 2008 Rossitza Ohridska-Olson