Author(s)

Niccolò Costa, Marxiano Melotti

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The increasingly widespread use of digital media and “virtual reality” in archaeological areas seems to confirm the passage from the traditional tourist gaze to a new hyper-tourist gaze. Archaeological areas, incessantly re-presented in virtual reality, are already part of an ageographical city, characterized by new kinds of flows. The “virtual reality” of archaeological areas helps to “mark” a new phase in the economic and cultural history of tourism. A comparative presentation of some important activities carried out in these areas and the forms of multimedia communication related to archaeological tourism illustrates this trend. Notwithstanding the sceptical or conservative attitude of many institutions, this use of digital media does not generate cultural perplexity in the general public, which instead seeks and rewards the most innovative initiatives that best combine entertainment and educational aspects.

Archaeology; Authenticity; Digital Media; Edutainment; Museums; Tourism; Virtual Reality

Costa, N. & Melotti, M. (2012). Digital Media in Archaeological Areas, Virtual Reality, Authenticity and Hyper-Tourist Gaze. Sociology Mind, 2, 53-60. doi: 10.4236/sm.2012.21007.