ARCHITECTURE TOURISM TO CITIES IN POLAND AND SPAIN, AN AUTO-ETHNOGRAPHY

• DOI: 10.37572/EdArt_30092567318

• Palavras-chave: architecture tourism; architourism; auto-ethnography; Poland; Spain.

• Keywords: architecture tourism; architourism; auto-ethnography; Poland; Spain.

• Abstract:

  The purpose of this study is to review the concept of architectural tourism (architourism) from the perspective of a tourist’s lived experience. Architourism literature is focused on functions and features of built environments, on interdependencies between tourism and buildings and on (cultural) buildings as strategic tourism resources. Attention to and understanding of architourists’ motives and experiences is limited. An auto-ethnographic study is selected to shed light on architourism practices. After a literature review, the method of auto-ethnography is explained. Auto- ethnography is employed as an analytical tool for exploring concept linked to architourism. This means that I (the researcher) performed as an architourist, reflecting on behaviour and experiences, and relating practices and reflections to conceptual aspects of architourism. The empirical part concerns seven vacation trips to contemporary cultural architecture in Polish and Spanish cities (2020 – 2025). The findings of the study describe the researcher’s architourism practice and show the significance of tourist experience for architourism studies. Topics for further research include the needs to better understand architourists’ motivation and experience, to deepen the concept of architecture experience and to broaden architourism to places rather than buildings.