An Urban Tourism Experience - Essay Example

? Rome: An Urban Tourism Experience Table of Contents 3 An Introduction to Urban Tourism 4 1 Research Questions 5 2. Literature Review 5 2.1 Urban Tourism 5 2.2 Rome 6 2.3 The Coliseum 7 2.4 The Sistine Chapel 8 3.5 Poverty in Rome 9 3. Methodology 9 3.1 Data 10 3.2 Data Analysis 11 3.3 Limitations 11 4. Results and Discussion 11 4.1 Field Research Narrative 12 5. Conclusions 16 Bibliography 17 Abstract The following research study was conducted using a field study in order to create an understanding of the impact that urban tourism has on the traveller. The topics of the Coliseum and the Sistine Chapel were used as examples of how a nation can use existing architecture and art in order to create transformative experiences. Through the development of a narrative of the experience of being out in the field, the study uses thematic descriptions in order to define the way in which the experience of Rome can be brought into context with the modern experience. The themes that emerge in the development of the case are defined by the overall Roman culture through which an understanding leads to a sense of pride in the Italian lifestyle. Rome: An Urban Tourism Experience 1. An Introduction to Urban Tourism A definition of urban tourism can simply be made by stating that it is tourism that has a city or cities as a destination for holiday. A more complex version of the definition, however, involves the desire to seek out other cultures and explore social meaning and context through first hand experiences. While urban tourism needs an additional amount of information in order to have real meaning, the ability to go to an urban center and taste the nature of the culture through experience can expand the understanding that one has about that locale. Understanding what the buildings, the development of roads, and the nature of the artworks within a city is just a fraction of how urban tourism can begin to be of benefit. The culture of a city comes from the incidental and unintentional things that are encountered. The development of an urban tourism encounter is based upon the development of a conglomeration of disciplines so that the holiday creates a sense of the environment, not just the concept of the outsider who is looking in on a culture as if it were a zoo. Many travellers see the world as if it is a zoo for their observation, but not a place in which to immerse oneself in the culture of a city is to discover something more than just what can be observed. Urban tourism types of travel have the ability to create a connection to the observed culture that is based upon seeing their world through eyes that have been taught to look. Through information from outside sources, through learning a bit of the language of the city that is the focus of the travel, and through looking for aspects of the city that are not intended for the eyes of the traveller, the culture begins to emerge. 1.1 Research Questions The following research questions have been developed in order to frame the inquiry that this study has endeavoured to create: What is the cultural experience that defines the urban tourism event in Rome? What appears to be the hidden culture that the facade created for tourists has tried to dissuade tourists from observing? What are the cultural meanings that the urban tourist can readily observe within the experience of the city of Rome? What experiences in the city of Rome can become part of a profile of its identity? 2. Literature Review 2.1 Urban Tourism Buhalis and Darcy (2011, p. 123) discuss the nature of tourism by writing that “Travel involves the movement away from home with its gendered responsibilities and expectations, as well as the movement towards other worlds and possible selves experienced within a relation to difference”. The experience of immersing oneself into another culture is defined both by the lived experiences of the indigenous population, combined with the public identity of the locale that has been created through carefully cultivated perceptions about the regions. Urban tourism has unique capacities for placing the identity of the city into context with globalization. Placing a city into a framework that identifies its meaning in the greater context provides the tourist with the ability to use observation and participation in order to explore the nature of a city and its attributes (Selby 2004, p. 23). According to research done by Bridaa, Meladdub, and Pulinac (2012) the nature of the attraction is in conflict with the costs entailed in visiting the attraction within a city and often means that there is only one visit per lifetime of both local and foreign populations. While economic earners, large, expensive attractions alienate local people and attract foreign visitors, but limit the accessibility through high costs. Urban tourism locations act as a gateway into the rest of the nation. They are centres of accommodation, bases from which excursions can be taken, and valuable destinations all by themselves (Nagle 2002, p. 68). Rome fits these criteria perfectly and is a place from which the rest of Italy can be accessed. Rome has a long list of attractions which means that the city need never be left to have a complete experience. Urban areas have unique identities which mean that leaving those areas will be a completely different set of experiences rather than a mere extension of that regional culture. 2.2 Rome Rome is considered a cultural capital in the state of Italy (Nable 2002, p. 68). Cities like Sydney, Chicago, Houston, and even New York all draw from relatively new treasures to entice tourists. A city like Rome would take months if not years to fully explore (Spirou 2010, p. 74). Tourism requires an organized effort, even with an immense amount of treasures, to have the elements necessary to hold and grasp the attention of tourists. The existing structures require infrastructure to make them usable and safe, security forces to protect them, and the use of tourists both intelligent and troublesome. 2.3 The Coliseum Figure 1 The Coliseum One of the great monuments to architecture exists in Rome. The Coliseum is a large structure within which games were played with the lives of men and women (see Figure 1). Garwood (2002, p. 58) writes of the great monument that “the Coliseum is the most thrilling of Rome’s sights. A monument of raw, merciless power, it was here that the gladiators met in mortal combat and condemned prisoners met wild beasts in front of baying, bloodthirsty crowds. The Coliseum is host to over 10,000 visitors per day, but it once hosted more than 60,000 soldiers, citizens and others at games that were bloody and without remorse. The entertainment was tremendous as the people clamored to get inside (Levin, 2009, p. 17). Dinnie (2011, p. 29) writes that there are three types of urban centres that have focal points for tourists. These areas of interest, like the Coliseum, are called image carriers. The three types of image carriers are “the built environment ( this would be like Disney World), hallmark events (the shooting of President Kennedy in 1963), and famous personalities (the grave of Jim Morrison in France). The Coliseum has been a focal point and an image carrier for the identity of Rome for over 2,000 years. 2.4 The Sistine Chapel Figure 2 The Sistine Chapel The Sistine Chapel can also be considered an image carrier, creating a unique attraction as it is in the Vatican and is a part of the seat of Catholic governance. The Catholic religion has its own state within the city of Rome, a nation that is protected by the Italian government and its allies and an entity that is outside of the jurisdiction of all other states. The Sistine Chapel and many of the other sites at the Vatican, are image carriers, not only for Rome, but for the Vatican city (Blech and Doliner 2009, p. xii). The Sistine Chapel was built with the intention that Pope Julius II had in regard to expressing the extravagance and success of the papal power (Blech and Doliner 2009, p. xiii). The paintings that were done by Michelangelo were magnificent and worthy of a show of extravagance. Michelangelo hated the work. In order to show his contempt he painted his own face on the skinned flesh of St. Bartholomew who was also holding the skin, but sported the face of a harsh critic of Michelangelo’s work (Cuskelly 2011, p. 154). 3.5 Poverty in Rome Nicassio (2009, p. 74) writes that poverty is thick in Italy and that begging was once considered a legitimized business. Shame was typically not ascribed to the beggar, but to the person who fails to respond to the need that the beggar is expressing. 3. Methodology The method of studying the urban environment for this paper was done through a qualitative method of experiencing the city and reporting on observations about that experience. The use of field research is a method of gathering a firsthand account of encounters with other cultures in order to create observed notations on the experience (Phillimore and Goodson 2004, p. 293). In order to create the results for this paper, the research took a great number of notes on the experiences that could be attained in Rome and then placed them into a narrative in order to find themes and concepts that could frame the experience. One of the ways in which a field report that comes from field experiences can be assessed is for sensitivity of context. There are two reference points from which to create sensitivity of context for this study. The first is through a sensitivity of context for the culture that is being visited. Understanding how the culture moves, why certain things exist within it and putting experiences into context with the life of the city are ways in which to create sensitivity of context (Uysal and Perdue 2012, p. 55). The second perspective that must be considered for sensitivity of context is that of the tourist. The city as it is experienced through tourism is very different than the city as it is lived. The duality of contexts provides for a deeper examination of the regions, the city belonging to both its citizens and to the tourists who are spoon fed a specific diet in order to create the appearance of culture within the existence of lived culture. 3.1 Data The data that was collected is in the form of notes through which the development of a narrative was established. One of the ways that qualitative studies discuss the data is through looking for the phenomena that have occurred within the experiences (Saee 2006, p. 112). Through developing a narrative, the data is given context in order to explore the various elements of the experience. Richards and Munsters (2009, p. 142) write that “rich narratives give meaning to the wider cultural tourism experience…can provide insight into how lived experiences interact with wider societal processes, and the personal significance of experiences to tourists’ lives”. 3.2 Data Analysis The data has been analyzed in context with secondary research in order to give meaning to the observations and provide for cultural context for the events in the narrative. Meanings that are related to the lived culture, the created culture for tourists, and the implications of the experiences have been analyzed for how they relate to the experience and to the research of the urban tourism experience within the city of Rome. 3.3 Limitations The research study that has been done for this paper is framed by the following limitations: The study will be limited by the singular experiences of the researcher. The study will be limited by the observations of the culture in one specific time and space. The study will be limited by the limited time that the research was allowed to stay in the city. 4. Results and Discussion The visit to Rome that was undertaken for this research occurred over the course of three days. The city was observed from the perspective of a hotel at the top of the Spanish Steps. Although the experience was not long, the feel of the city and the development of a conceptualization of the identity of Rome evolved even in the short visit that was used for this study. Two specific attractions were transformative in the experience of seeing them. The Coliseum was powerful in that the structure was amazing to see as well as the experience of being where such terrible and wondrous events took place. The Sistine Chapel is a powerful piece of artwork, the covering of the interior of the chapel showing talent and dedication that is not matched in any other work in human history. Michelangelo went blind in working on the chapel and spent 16 years working towards getting it done. 4.1 Field Research Narrative I travelled to Rome without doing the proper prior investigation into the city, despite knowing that an urban tourist experience would be enhanced if I had studied different aspects of the city before visiting. Although time was a factor, in truth I wanted to experience the city raw and without any preconceived notions about what to expect. Rome already had enough of a reputation so that I had some expectations. The first thing that I realized as I travelled through the country side was that the amber light, the semi-olive glow that seemed to be a brush of yellowed varnish over the paintings of the Italian countryside was actually a realistic portrayal of the way in which the light fractured into region. The tall olive trees and the agrarian landscapes glowed with a partially amber, partially olive drenched light that gave an uncanny depth. The city was far more urban than I expected with the graffiti stark on the old architecture as it was shocking in neon and black emblazoned across white washed brick. The city was teeming in a modern way, an unexpected rolling motion of people, cars, and motion that had not been a part of the understanding of what waited in this adventure. As the taxi moved along the paths of the streets in the city of Rome, the vision of the Forum as it began to grow in my sight was the indication of the Rome that I expected in this visit. When we came to the street where my hotel sat, I was confused because it seemed to be in an alley, the street slipping past the hotel barely wide enough for two cars. The entrance was unimpressive, but opened into a lovely, but small foyer with fresh flowers in a vase that sat to the right of the desk. I checked in and when I went to my room, found it small, but very well appointed. Space in this impressive city was at a premium. The hotel was costly, but the room held nothing more than a single bed without much room for so much as a room service cart. By the time I could explore the city, it was dark. I exited the front of the hotel and went to the right. What opened up before me was the magnificence of the Spanish Steps, the upper terrace filled with artists and vendors of all sorts of tourist goods. I was awestruck. In the morning, the space was clear, my early morning walk down the steps without meeting another soul as I explored in the half-light of the dawn. In the late morning, I took a walk in the other direction, to the left of my hotel. I found a nice little gelato store and despite the strange hour for eating the cold treat, I bought some and walked along the avenue. Some distance away I turned to the right and before me was the Trevi Fountain, a massive structure that was a chaos of beauty (see Figure 3). The street was teeming with people eating their lunch by this time, and the fountain was a centre of social gathering. Tourists and locals alike ate and enjoyed the ambiance of the magical and wonderful place. The story told is that if you throw a coin in the fountain, you will return to Rome someday. I made sure to throw one in. Figure 3 The Trevi Fountain, Rome After having gone to dinner somewhere down near the fountain after a day of exploring the surrounding areas, I walked back towards my hotel only to find a woman crouching in a doorway, so old and wrinkled she looked like she blended in with the cracked paint on the door that was behind her (see Figure 4). She was a part of the architecture, her body almost a part of the city in which she had undoubtedly spent her life, struggling, loving, and in the end asking strangers, mostly tourists, for their kindness. She was speaking rapidly in Italian, sweetly asking for help from everyone who passed her by. I approached and dug out a number of Euros, unsure how many were actually in my hand. I handed her the heavy coins, which must have been a good sum because she wrapped her hands around mine, I would assume thanking me over and over until I thought my heart would break. She was dressed all in black, her grey hair tied back and her body curved into a squat in the corner of the doorway. I cried a little after I passed her, the pathetic and sad episode a comment on the disparity between the poor and the rich in the nation. Figure 4 Old Woman Begging at the Bottom of the Spanish Steps Despite knowing better, I had only learned one phrase in Italian. I knew how to say ‘Il y non capisco l’Italiano’ which meant I did not speak Italian. It didn’t matter. Everywhere in the nation people spoke English. The only person who did not speak English that I encountered, other than the woman begging in the door, was a single taxi driver. We communicated very effectively as I said ‘Vatican’ and we were in business. The two pieces of work that put the city into context with its history and reputation are the Sistine Chapel by Michelangelo in the Vatican and the Coliseum. The Sistine Chapel is a work that boggles the mind. The sound of the guards repeatedly saying in English “no photography please” accompanied by the scattered and consistent clicking of cameras placed an ironic presence over the event of seeing this monumental achievement. The feeling inside the chapel felt like there was a presence presiding over the people who swarmed like ants inside all the while giving disrespect to the work through defying the guards and putting the work at risk through the use of flash photography that could erode its magnificence. The Coliseum was a work that evoked a sense of sorrow for the devastation that occurred in its walls, people pitted against each other and against animals where lives were lost for the entertainment of the crowd. Walking in the terrible and beautiful piece of architecture creates mixed feelings, shadowing the observations on the culture. The graffiti inside the monument was ancient and preserved, in contrast with the garish graffiti in the city that was modern, the crude sketches in contrast to the brightly coloured marks of identity on the white painted brick walls. 5. Conclusions The cultural experience that defines the urban tourism event in Rome is in getting in touch with the ancient monuments and the exquisite pieces of art that exist within the city. The Coliseum and the sheer age of it and the other monuments within the city provide a sense of history that is not available in a city without such age and preserved history. In addition, the Sistine Chapel is a phenomenal piece of work that helps to put the city into context with its religious foundation. The graffiti and the old woman begging in the doorway are examples of the culture of the inhabitants, these elements not framed for the tourist and displaying a reality of the modern world under the facade of the tourist attractions within the city. The city is a canvas on which the socio-economic disparities are painted in vivid and shocking colours. The identity of the city in modern contexts resides in the irony of its ancient monuments against the stark reality of poverty and excess. The urban tourist has a taste of all the elements that make up the identity of the city, transforming the visitor through the influences of the beauty and stark realities that have framed the experience. The transference of power from the object to the viewer allows for an understanding of how the tourist comes away from having viewed such great monuments as the Coliseum and the Sistine Chapel, which were used in this study. The images of the two icons provided transformative experiences for the tourist. In connecting to the history and truths about these monuments provides for an experience that will never be left behind. The tourist is able to form ideas about the identity of the people of the region through the influence of their heritage and history. The study of Rome as an urban centre for tourism can be further studied in context with a great number of art works that dominate in the city. It is likely that the Coliseum and the Sistine Chapel are not the only works that can be assessed for virtue. These two very powerful images, however, have a great deal of power and the use of then to generate interest in the city has been understood. Bibliography Blech, B., & Doliner, R. 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