Revealing, Organizing and Activating the Local Resources in The Framework of Participatory and Cultural Tourism: the Example of Thessaly

The systematic adoption of the conventional mass tourism model by many geographical tourist destinations has undoubtedly contributed to their economic growth. However, it has also caused damage to the natural and social environment due to the high seasonality of the phenomenon and the uncontrolled accumulation of tourist activity. This damage which has contributed to the gradual degradation of the tourism product has led to the diversification of tourism demand and the search for a new tourism product based more on local and cultural values and directly related to the other sectors of economy. The search for the desired restructuring of the tourism product can be integrated into the territorial approach of development, which focuses on the competitiveness and attractiveness of a place through the construction and promotion of its territorial resources. This paper presents a functional framework through the example of Thessaly for the activation of unique tangible and intangible resources as goods and services, which can ensure distinctiveness in the final tourism product offered by a place. The functionality of this framework requires the existence of a central management coordination, flexible supporting infrastructures and initiatives, as well as the planning of innovative participatory and cultural tourist activities.