Time, Cognition, and Approach: Sustainable Tourism Strategies for Abandoned Vernacular Landscapes

Abstract

The main objective of the study is to challenge previous approaches to heritage, both in terms of management and conceptualization. It aims to highlight the importance and articulation of the different attributes in abandoned vernacular landscapes in search of a sustainable approach. To do so, the study focuses on a specific landscape in the Mediterranean basin where three areas of intensity have been selected for an eventual assessment of the principles of integration and consistency of the landscape. These areas have helped to establish the importance of distance and cognition in determining strategies for sustainable tourism. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have allowed us to ascertain the extent to which values, previously acquired from participatory fieldwork, can be detected depending on proximity or remoteness, as well as their application in the three cases for assessment. Thus, five criteria have been established to analyse these values: (1) overview of the landscape, (2) dominance or intensity of elements, (3) the aesthetic composition of space, (4) the selective interpretation of the visual variables, and (5) the fragility of specific areas in the landscape. Finally, the discussed criteria provide new insights into the dynamic and static realms of authenticity and integrity, which have helped in the analysis of previous rigid conventions on values, time, perception, and approach.