Establishing a rational World Heritage tourism strategy

The origin of tourism in the modern world is closely linked to recognition and appreciation of cultural heritage. When the Roman civilization was "rediscovered" by the culture of the Renaissance, the Italian peninsula, and especially Rome, became a destination for those who wanted to take direct contact with the relics of the Roman past, which was taken as a source of inspiration for the artistic production of the time. In the 18thand 19thcenturies, the "Grand Tour" consisted in trips of aristocrats and wealthy people from different European countries to the Italian peninsula in order to visit historic monuments, archaeological sites and museums. (Párrafo extraído a modo de resumen)