Simion

THE EXPERIENTIAL TOURISM FOR CHILDREN IN THE MEMORIAL MUSEUMS OF SIGHETU MARMAȚIEI. CASE STUDY: THE MEMORIAL OF THE VICTIMS OF COMMUNISM AND OF THE RESISTANCE AND THE ELIE WIESEL MEMORIAL HOUSE – THE MUZEUM OF THE JEWISH HERITAGE FROM MARAMUREȘ

Simona-Alina Simion¹ Mihai Hoteai Gabriela Ilieș¹ Silviu-Vasile Bumbak¹

1 Babeș-Bolyai” University of Cluj-Napoca, Faculty of Geography, Sighetu Marmației Extension, Avram Iancu, no. 6, Sighetu Marmației, Romania, email: simona.simion@ubbcluj.ro, mihai.hotea@ubbcluj.ro, gabriela.ilies@ubbcluj.ro, silviu.bumbak@ubbcluj.ro.

Abstract. The experiential tourism for children in the memorial museums of Sighetu Marmației. Case study: The Memorial of the Victims of Communism and of the Resistance and the Elie Wiesel Memorial House – The museum of the jewish heritage from Maramureș. The XXIst century tourism equals to an ample, continuous and targeted development of all kinds of tourism towards all age groups. Regardless of the type of tourism – either mass tourism or niche tourism – the children represent a delicate and critical target group, one that requires tailor made activities, especially those carried out inside memorial museums. The combination, per se, between the educational tourism and the experiential tourism enriches the educational role and the goal of the activities implemented in museums – the safeguarding and proper transfer of historical and cultural knowledge towards future generations. The experiential side in tourism contributes to the better understanding of the main features defining tourist attractions and often requires practical innovations. As a method of understanding and long term knowledge retention, the touristic services designed for children have to have a content adapted to specific age categories. This paper analyzes and evaluates the touristic and experiential character of the services designed for children and young people under the age of 18 years old offered on the premises of the two memorial museums from the city of Sighetu Marmatiei. The paper also aims, through a series of proposed experiential activities, to enrich the conceptual framework of tailor made activities designed for children.

Key-Words: dark tourism, memory tourism, tourism for children, experiential school tourism, Sighetu Marmației, Elie Wiesel Memorial House, The Memorial to the Victims of Communism and of the Resistance

FULL TEXT

Design by Bilasco Stefan