Short answer

Design tourism products and experiences that authentically showcase traditional skills and knowledge, emphasizing their cultural and environmental significance to foster appreciation and support for their continuation.

Field: Classic Design
Source: Sustainability (2024)
Method: Mixed-methods research combining surveys and expert interviews (Delphi method).
Sample: 102 tourists and 26 experts
Evidence: Moderate effect

Integrating intangible heritage, such as traditional shepherd's practices, into sustainable tourism experiences can significantly enhance its perceived value and foster its preservation. This classic design research insight is drawn from a 2024 study published in Sustainability. Using Mixed-methods research combining surveys and expert interviews (delphi method). with 102 tourists and 26 experts, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Design tourism products and experiences that authentically showcase traditional skills and knowledge, emphasizing their cultural and environmental significance to foster appreciation and support for their continuation.

Study

Classic DesignRecentModerate effect

Traditional Shepherd's Trade: A Model for Sustainable Value Creation Through Experiential Tourism

Integrating intangible heritage, such as traditional shepherd's practices, into sustainable tourism experiences can significantly enhance its perceived value and foster its preservation.

Sustainability · 2024

Key Findings

01Tourists can identify the educational and cultural significance of pastoralism.
02Agritourism experiences foster increased curiosity, empathy, and environmental awareness in tourists.
03Sustainable tourism is a suitable vehicle for disseminating the heritage and educational value of traditional practices.
04Preserving ancestral knowledge through tourism can revalue these practices and contribute to their survival.

Application

Design takeaway

How to apply

Develop agritourism packages that include hands-on demonstrations, storytelling, and opportunities for interaction with practitioners of traditional crafts.

Project actions

01Consider how to make traditional crafts or skills engaging for a modern audience.
02Explore how tourism can provide economic incentives for preserving cultural heritage.

Method & Evidence

AimTo analyze how agritourism experiences focused on traditional shepherd's trade can educate tourists and increase their appreciation for intangible cultural heritage, thereby contributing to its preservation.

MethodMixed-methods research combining surveys and expert interviews (Delphi method).

ProcedureA survey was administered to 102 tourists visiting cheese dairies offering agritourism. Additionally, 26 experts, primarily shepherds and shearers, were interviewed using the Delphi method to assess the current state, benefits, threats, and solutions for preserving the traditional shepherd's trade.

Sample102 tourists and 26 experts

ContextRural tourism and heritage preservation in the Extremadura region, Spain.

Variables

IV["Type of agritourism experience (focus on traditional shepherd's trade)","Educational components of the experience"]

DV["Tourist awareness and appreciation of intangible heritage","Tourist curiosity, empathy, and environmental awareness","Perceived value of the traditional shepherd's trade"]

CV["Location of the agritourism experience","Demographics of tourists","Expert background (shepherds, shearers)"]

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

+Combines quantitative tourist data with qualitative expert insights.
+Addresses a relevant issue of cultural heritage preservation.
+Utilizes established research methods (surveys, Delphi).

Limitations

The success of such experiences depends heavily on authentic representation and avoiding over-commercialization, which could dilute the cultural value.

Reliability & validity

The use of surveys with tourists and the Delphi method with experts provides a degree of triangulation. However, the generalizability of findings may be limited by the specific regional context and the subjective nature of 'appreciation'.

Think critically

To what extent can the 'value' of intangible heritage be objectively measured, and what are the ethical considerations when commercializing traditional practices for tourism?

Design Principles

"Heritage-informed experiential design can drive cultural preservation and economic sustainability."

This research highlights how traditional crafts and knowledge systems, often overlooked, possess inherent value that can be unlocked and sustained through thoughtful design of visitor experiences. By connecting tourists with these practices, designers can create opportunities for cultural preservation and economic viability.

What This Means for Your Design

Making traditional jobs, like sheep herding, into tourist experiences can help people appreciate them more and encourage them to keep these old ways alive.

How to use in your project

1.Use this research to justify the importance of preserving traditional crafts in your design project.
2.Reference the findings on tourist engagement to support the educational aspects of your design.

Add to My Project

Quick Cite

Paragraph starter

This study by Guillén Peñafiel et al. (2024) demonstrates that integrating intangible heritage, such as the traditional shepherd's trade, into sustainable tourism experiences can significantly enhance its perceived value and foster its preservation. By connecting tourists with these practices through agritourism, designers can create opportunities for cultural preservation and economic viability, as tourists reported increased curiosity, empathy, and environmental awareness.

Source

Sustainability

Intangible Heritage, Education and Tourism as a Strategy for the Enhancement of the Value of the Dehesa and the Traditional Shepherd’s Trade

journal · 2024

View source

Questions About This Research

What does the research say about traditional shepherd's trade: a model for sustainable value creation through experiential tourism?: Design tourism products and experiences that authentically showcase traditional skills and knowledge, emphasizing their cultural and environmental significance to foster appreciation and support for their continuation. Evidence: Sustainability (2024).
Why does "Traditional Shepherd's Trade: A Model for Sustainable Value Creation Through Experiential Tourism" matter for design?: This research highlights how traditional crafts and knowledge systems, often overlooked, possess inherent value that can be unlocked and sustained through thoughtful design of visitor experiences. By connecting tourists with these practices, designers can create opportunities for cultural preservation and economic viability.
How can designers apply this research?: Design tourism products and experiences that authentically showcase traditional skills and knowledge, emphasizing their cultural and environmental significance to foster appreciation and support for their continuation.
What were the main findings?: Tourists can identify the educational and cultural significance of pastoralism.. Agritourism experiences foster increased curiosity, empathy, and environmental awareness in tourists.. Sustainable tourism is a suitable vehicle for disseminating the heritage and educational value of traditional practices.. Preserving ancestral knowledge through tourism can revalue these practices and contribute to their survival.
What research method was used?: Mixed-methods research combining surveys and expert interviews (Delphi method). with 102 tourists and 26 experts.
How strong is the evidence?: Evidence strength is rated Moderate effect, based on a 2024 journal from Sustainability.
What should I do differently in my next project?: Develop agritourism packages that include hands-on demonstrations, storytelling, and opportunities for interaction with practitioners of traditional crafts.
What are the limitations?: The study is specific to the Extremadura region and may not be directly generalizable to all intangible heritage or tourism contexts. The Delphi method relies on expert consensus, which can be influenced by group dynamics.