Turismo y desarrollo local en la ciudad de Cartagena (España): un paisaje cultural y patrimonial en crecimiento

Abstract

The recovery of the cultural, natural and landscape heritage of the city of Cartagena constitute a key element in the local development of this city, as well as a change in the economic development model traditionally dedicated mainly to the industrial, military and port sectors that entered due to various causes in a deep crisis at the beginning of the 80s of the last century. At present, the preponderance of tourism as a dynamic activity is generating the creation of many jobs both in direct attention to visitors and the need to recover and show a cultural heritage in many cases hidden for centuries that has its origin in the great location of the city of Qart Hadasht founded by the Carthaginian Asdrúbal around 227 BC and then Roman, Byzantine, Arabic and Christian. The present work offers from the statistical use of data and the analysis of indepth surveys clarifying data on the current tourist activity in Cartagena that is contributing to modify the productive system with an intense recovery and enhancement of both the extensive cultural heritage and the creation of great cultural events that contribute to revitalize the city, promote innovative businesses or retain existing ones, creating very prosperous expectations for the future.