The potential of literature in creating tourist experiences in Portugal (Atena Editora)

Abstract

Tourist destinations tend to bet more and more on niche products that attract visitors who want to live a unique, enriching and differentiating experience. Art, culture and literature are intrinsic elements of each destination, with the potential to be explored, either independently, or in conjunction with other endogenous products, such as gastronomy or wine. In any case, learning and immersion in the local culture are at the base of the motivations of the visitors who seek them out. In Portugal, several regions bet on the uniqueness of their endogenous products, allied to literature, organizing itineraries, events or festivals. The house-museums of a particular author, the literary hotels, the cafes that evoke memories of literary gatherings are stages for these initiatives. This article explores the relationship between tourism and literature, based on the assumption that both the work and the life of a writer can serve as a basis for the creation of itineraries and literary places capable of enhancing tourism in the places where they will be developed, promoting an intercultural experience and the perpetuation of the memory of works and authors. Combining literature with endogenous products, such as gastronomy or wines, is another potential explored in Portugal, in the sense of providing a differentiating, sustainable experience that stimulates the senses of its visitors, which will be addressed in this article.