Abstract
In today's world, digitalisation, as a process that results from the adoption of digital technologies and application systems built on those technologies, holds an important place in business functions and processes. Digitalisation is considered to be the engine of transformation and has significantly affected the tourism industry. China, one of the leading countries of digitalisation, launched the ‘New Silk Road Project' to revive the Silk Road, which is of great historical importance from an economic, cultural, and political point of view. Since the New Silk Road Project planned for the improvement of land and railway routes connecting China to Europe through Central Asia is of critical importance for countries along the road, it will also contribute to the revival of Silk Road tourism. This type of tourism is instrumental in protecting and preserving cultural heritage values located across the Silk Road and thus can be given a new perspective with opportunities brought by digitalisation. This study sought to discuss the reconstruction of Silk Road Tourism through digitalization.
TopThe Silk Road In History
The Silk Road is a network of trade routes including overland and maritime routes, which is aimed at the transportation of goods from the East to the West and thus named after the major trade item silk (Bakırcı, 2014; Bozkurt, 2000). As a trade route that starts in China, passes through Anatolia and the Mediterranean and ends in Europe, the Silk Road played an instrumental role in the transport of not only trade goods but also people, cultures, and ideas (Karagöl, 2017, p. 1). Tabakoğlu (2005) noted that the Silk Road has a history dating back to the 1st century CE and spanning 1500 years until the end of the 15th century when geographical discoveries started (as cited in Atar et al., 2018).
Although the influence of the Silk Road lasted for centuries, the Silk Road acquired its name not so long ago (Atar et al., 2018). The name Silk Road first went down to history as the name of the journey route followed by the Chinese traveller Zhang Qian in 138 BC (Balcı, 2018, p. 1). However, the first published usage of the name Silk Road is associated with the well-known geographer Ferdinand von Richtofen (1833-1905) in 1877 and it was only in the 20th century that the name achieved widespread popularity (as cited in Whitfield, 2007, p. 202). The name Silk Road also evokes images of exploration, adventure, and fearless travellers such as Marco Polo and Ibn Batuta and has been etched on minds thanks to myths, legends, songs, and films. Samarkand, Bukhara, Yarkand, Kashgar, and Khiva, for example, are only a few of the attractive names of the intermediate stops on the Silk Road (Bhoothalingam, 2016, p. 45).
China had a monopoly on the world’s silk production nearly until 200 BC. Although first reserved for the Chinese imperial, silk spread through Asian culture both geographically and socially. Silk became an easily transported and highly demanded luxury fabric (UNWTO, 2019, p.16).
Key Terms in this Chapter
Digital Silk Road Tourism: It refers to a set of practices aimed at introducing the countries on the route, keeping the cultural heritage alive and promoting touristic attractions in digital environments.
Virtual Tour: It refers to virtual environments that allow watching any product in a touristic destination with the help of video and photography.
Digitalization: It refers to the development and/or transformation of business processes using technologies such as the Internet of Things, big data, augmented reality, virtual reality, robots, etc.
Digital Tourism: It refers to the improvement of the quality of tourism services through digital technologies.
Silk Road: The Silk Road is a network of historical trade routes extending through China, Anatolia and the Mediterranean and ending in Europe.
Smart Destination: It refers to destinations that have state-of-the-art technology, ensure the sustainability of tourism destinations, facilitate the communication of tourists with the environment and enhance the quality of life of local people.
Silk Road Tourism: It is a type of tourism that offers historical, cultural, and natural heritage and/or recreational activities in destinations located across the Silk Road.