Cross Cultural Aspects of International Guidebooks

Abstract

This chapter analyzes the recent increase in tourists traveling from Asia to South Central Europe. The work specifically examines the cross cultural communication about religious works of art in popular guidebooks. Since tourism represents a widespread global phenomenon, the guidebook descriptions of religious contents should be objective and accessible for all potential users/tourists, regardless of their cultural, historical, religious, and ethnic background. The analyses of the description of four Catholic cathedrals in South Central Europe in 12 well-known guidebooks demonstrates that the in-depth religious explanations in the literature published in English are minimal and arguably inadequate for the growing Asian market.

Citation

Koderman, M. and Gosar, A. (2016), "Cross Cultural Aspects of International Guidebooks", The World Meets Asian Tourists (Bridging Tourism Theory and Practice, Vol. 7), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 199-212. https://doi.org/10.1108/S2042-144320160000007012