Landscapes of Watermills: A Rural Cultural Heritage Perspective in an East-Central European Context

Recent studies in rural heritage tourism have highlighted that watermills could stand as an important part of the pre-industrial tourism heritage. We contribute to rural heritage tourism by basing our study on the perceptions of tourists and local officials on the Rudăria Watermills, Romania. Based...

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Main Authors: Alexandru Dragan, Remus Crețan, Mădălina Ionela Terian
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-09-01
Series:Heritage
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2571-9408/7/9/227
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author Alexandru Dragan
Remus Crețan
Mădălina Ionela Terian
author_facet Alexandru Dragan
Remus Crețan
Mădălina Ionela Terian
author_sort Alexandru Dragan
collection DOAJ
description Recent studies in rural heritage tourism have highlighted that watermills could stand as an important part of the pre-industrial tourism heritage. We contribute to rural heritage tourism by basing our study on the perceptions of tourists and local officials on the Rudăria Watermills, Romania. Based on survey and interview data, we document the strengths and limits of local watermills for tourism and describe the entrepreneurial agents involved in path development. Our findings point to the important role played by a local NGO in developing a path for tourism for the watermills, as well as the active involvement of local authorities and other local cultural leaders in including the mills in national and international tourism circuits.
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spelling doaj-art-7b48e7c29e6c40c7b08d056daf5d49f92025-08-20T01:55:32ZengMDPI AGHeritage2571-94082024-09-01794790481310.3390/heritage7090227Landscapes of Watermills: A Rural Cultural Heritage Perspective in an East-Central European ContextAlexandru Dragan0Remus Crețan1Mădălina Ionela Terian2Department of Geography, Faculty of Chemistry, Biology, Geography, West University of Timisoara, 300223 Timisoara, RomaniaDepartment of Geography, Faculty of Chemistry, Biology, Geography, West University of Timisoara, 300223 Timisoara, RomaniaDepartment of Geography, Faculty of Chemistry, Biology, Geography, West University of Timisoara, 300223 Timisoara, RomaniaRecent studies in rural heritage tourism have highlighted that watermills could stand as an important part of the pre-industrial tourism heritage. We contribute to rural heritage tourism by basing our study on the perceptions of tourists and local officials on the Rudăria Watermills, Romania. Based on survey and interview data, we document the strengths and limits of local watermills for tourism and describe the entrepreneurial agents involved in path development. Our findings point to the important role played by a local NGO in developing a path for tourism for the watermills, as well as the active involvement of local authorities and other local cultural leaders in including the mills in national and international tourism circuits.https://www.mdpi.com/2571-9408/7/9/227watermillspath dependencetrigger momentspre-industrial rural heritagerural tourismRudăria
spellingShingle Alexandru Dragan
Remus Crețan
Mădălina Ionela Terian
Landscapes of Watermills: A Rural Cultural Heritage Perspective in an East-Central European Context
Heritage
watermills
path dependence
trigger moments
pre-industrial rural heritage
rural tourism
Rudăria
title Landscapes of Watermills: A Rural Cultural Heritage Perspective in an East-Central European Context
title_full Landscapes of Watermills: A Rural Cultural Heritage Perspective in an East-Central European Context
title_fullStr Landscapes of Watermills: A Rural Cultural Heritage Perspective in an East-Central European Context
title_full_unstemmed Landscapes of Watermills: A Rural Cultural Heritage Perspective in an East-Central European Context
title_short Landscapes of Watermills: A Rural Cultural Heritage Perspective in an East-Central European Context
title_sort landscapes of watermills a rural cultural heritage perspective in an east central european context
topic watermills
path dependence
trigger moments
pre-industrial rural heritage
rural tourism
Rudăria
url https://www.mdpi.com/2571-9408/7/9/227
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