Journal Articles
Journal article:
Urban heritage and cultural tourism development: a case study of Valletta’s role in Malta’s tourism.
Journal of Tourism and Cultural Change, 17(3), 306-320.
This paper evaluates Malta’s potential for cultural tourism with a focus on Valletta. Valletta’s rich urban heritage and historic narrative makes it ideal for the development of a culture-oriented tourism. For many decades, culture and heritage retained a secondary role as beach holidays remained a priority for Malta’s tourism. Public and private investment brought about changes in Valletta that made it more amenable to cultural activity. For destinations with an established form of tourism, this Valletta case study shows the development of cultural tourism meets with difficulties, in spite the presence of a rich urban heritage.
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Journal article:
The tourist experience of heritage urban spaces: Valletta as a case study
Tourism Planning & Development, 17(4), 458-474
This article provides an understanding of how tourists experience heritage urban spaces by investigating features that influence tourist experiences most. It is framed within urban design literature which refers to three elements of urban space namely physical setting (or form), activity, and meaning. These elements are used to explore how urban spaces are experienced by tourists. Its findings are derived from an in-depth qualitative analysis of interviews with tourists to Valletta, Malta. The research suggests that the intrinsic qualities of the space are relevant to the tourist experience but what is even more relevant are the interactions of the tourist with different elements within that space, namely interactions with surroundings, interactions with others, and interactions with self/meaning.
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Journal article:
A critical debate of the cultural and social effects of Valletta 2018 European Capital of Culture
Journal of Tourism and Cultural Change, 19:1, 97-112
The paper considers the hosting of the European Capital of Culture in Malta in 2018 in the light of the cultural and social effects on Malta's capital city, Valletta. Governance and impacts on Malta's tourism are also debated. The cultural sector was positively impacted with a varied and innovative programme. The expectations for Valletta 2018 was that the cultural scene in Malta would be taken to a much higher level. This did not happen largely because politicisation undermined the overall governance of the event. In the last two decades, ECoC was one of many projects and initiatives that brought about a process of Valletta's regeneration. There are concerns, however, that excessive commercialisation has reduced liveability.
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Journal article:
Values as a base for the viable adaptive reuse of fortified heritage in urban contexts
Museology and Cultural Heritage, 11(2) 41-72
There are various approaches to the conservation of fortified heritage and adaptive reuse is one of them. The values associated with a site should constitute the departure and arrival point for any type of intervention. An essential part of the process therefore should be the appropriate identification of these values to base on them contemporary actions. Fortified heritage has values similar to other forms of urban heritage but it also possesses values that are unique to this form of architecture and landscape. This paper sets out the values that should be taken into consideration when carrying out an adaptive reuse project on fortified heritage. The paper identifies seven values and makes a distinction between two groups of values, namely: intrinsic (history, memory and identity; scientific and technical; territorial and architectural) and extrinsic (landscape and aesthetic; environmental sustainability; social and cultural; economic). While intrinsic values of fortified heritage are usually well described, less explored are the issues of extrinsic values. The paper presents two case studies, Zamość Fortress and Fort St Elmo, and considers how these values were taken into account in the respective projects.
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Journal article:
Outward versus inward orientation of island capitals: the case of Valletta
Current Issues in Tourism, vol. 15, no. 1-2, 137-152
Many cities, but particularly capitals, are torn between emphasising their international relevance, and their local significance. This issue is explored in this paper via an in-depth analysis of Valletta, the Maltese capital. The issue of inward versus outward orientation is particularly interesting with reference to island capitals as they are often seen as more insular or introverted. This paper explores these issues by focusing on a controversial development project: Renzo Piano's reconfiguration of Valletta's City Gate. The paper analyses the debates surrounding this project by analysing viewpoints submitted to Maltese newspapers by expert commentators and by members of the public. The findings suggest that different attitudes towards the project can be partly understood by acknowledging competing outward/inward-looking perspectives. But divergent attitudes also reflect differences between those who want Valletta to reflect the past, and those who want Valletta to confront its present/future
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