Digital Representations of Intangible Cultural Heritage: New Experiences in Festival Tours

Abstract

This study examines how leading Turkish tour companies such as Tatilbudur, Jolly, and Tatilsepeti digitally present festival tours within the framework of safeguarding intangible cultural heritage. Using a content analysis method, the research evaluates the role of digital tools—such as virtual tours, augmented reality, and digital guides—not only in marketing but also in the transmission of cultural experiences. From a folklore perspective, festival tours are not merely tourist activities; they serve as cultural stages where rituals, beliefs, oral narratives, music, and everyday practices are reproduced and performed. Analyzing how these elements are represented on digital platforms is crucial for understanding how cultural memory is transmitted, how local identities are made visible, and how social belonging is reinforced. The findings reveal that specific tours inadequately reflect elements of intangible cultural heritage. However, these shortcomings may be addressed by expanding the scope of the tours and integrating folkloric narratives and localized knowledge systems into digital content through a more holistic approach. In this way, digitalization can become not only a tool for promotion and marketing but also a functional medium for the sustainability and intergenerational transmission of cultural heritage.