Arrivederci

Looking back on this last month, I am grateful for every experience and friendship made along the way. Every day was met with some form of entertainment and laughter, whether it was because we were enthusiastic about the day’s activities or completely exhausted from a long day of travels. I had no idea what I would learn about Italian economics this j-term, but as we wrap up our final nights here in Sicily I realize how much we did learn… early banking economics in Florence, economics of the Catholic Church, economics of wine pricing, economics of alpine resource management, economics of heritage, etc. Could we really learn everything we did in a classroom in such a short amount of time? The diverse activities and lessons were the chance of a lifetime. Not only did we learn economic theory and ancient history, but we learned what cultural tourism means to us as consumers, far beyond what can be learned in a classroom.

The last article that Anna and I discussed was titled “The Heritage Game”, and it discussed the experience of tourism to heritage sites. Museums and galleries differentiate themselves by the types of artifacts and services they have to offer. The less specialized the museum, the greater number of substitutes available for alternative consumption. Thus, managers make decisions to supply and promote services that are only available at their specific museum. However, management decisions are heavily influenced by the preferences of professional experts: preferences which may not be consistent with consumer preferences. The article suggests that public interest is best served by the artistic judgment of MG (Museum and Gallery) professional staff and therefore the choices the latter make in preserving national heritage. Further, the article discusses cultural tourism and what it means to the consumer. Generally consumers value cultural tourism as an experience in order to drive peer-to-peer relations and gain social prestige. It is not necessarily important to the consumer what the experience entails, but rather the experience itself is what has value to the consumer.

As I think about the museums, galleries, and sites of cultural heritage that I visited over the last month, I have recognized what types of experiences I value as a consumer of heritage goods. I prefer heritage sights off the beaten path where overwhelming crowds of people are absent. The experiences of greatest value to me were places like the sheep farm, the ski resort in Cavelese, and the Path of the Gods where I was not expecting to learn and retain so much history and economic theory. Perhaps these sites appealed to some intrinsic value such as a love for the outdoors and appreciation for rural areas. This is the main reason I value this course: I have been able to identify in what ways I prefer to consume heritage goods. It has provided me with a foundation of how to approach my tourism in other parts of the world. This idea is consistent with the thoughts of our Italian guide, Alessio: tourism that relates to the consumer’s passions will be the most valuable and memorable experience of all.