Tourism and archeology. A historical look t o a silenced relationship

Abstract

The Nineteenth and early Twentieth Centuries saw the development of the professionalization of archaeology and also the emergence of government interest in the tourism industry. Researchers have analyzed these two phenomena as if they were separate processes; the first centered on increased knowledge of the national past and the second focused on the economic benefit brought by leisure activities. This paper analyzes whether these two developments, archaeological tourism and the professionalization of archeology, have actually evolved independently of each other. Preliminary research suggests that they have not, at least in some countries, especially in those with monumental ruins. This paper analyzes the possible relationship between these developments and the extent to which they are connected, first to nationalism and more recently to commodification.