Fonte: Journal of Tourism & Development; v. 1, n. 21/22 (2014); 159-169
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Resumo: The evolution of tourism from a standard model to segmented, flexible and tailor-made forms has resulted in a growing interest in the rural environment and what it can contribute to a return to genuine ways of life. The Spanishregion of Andalusia has a highly recognized potential in rural tourism as it preserves a rich natural and cultural heritage closely linked to local communities, mainly in the broader rural context. The purpose of this paper is to show how intangible heritage could contribute as an effective and strategic tool for the promoting of the economic, social and environmental development of rural tourism in the province of Cordoba. This descriptive work has been completed using qualitative methodology that includes ethnographic observations and interviews, together with local newspapers and a review ofmunicipal archives. The detailed study, focusing on the province of Cordoba, shows how expressions of intangible heritage, herein also referred to as festive rituals or fiestas, are closely linked to seasonal patterns and nature through thesurrounding landscape of every town and village; furthermore it preserves both the identity of the local community and the collective memory, at the same time reducing the risk of acculturation. The conclusions aim to provide a benchmarkfor decision making in the promotion of sustainable development for rural tourism in Cordoba based on expressions of intangible heritage.
