The holidays of historical origin as an instrument to promote tourism in a peninsular Southeastern border area

Abstract

This article delves into the conceptual bases of cultural tourism that has evolved towards new tourist modalities. The cultural attractions, cultural heritage, history, gastronomy, participation) are taken as a base for the development of their potentialities (music, parades, guerrillas and gunpowder, social innovation, costumes) Festivals of Moors and Christians in Villena (Alicante) and the feasts of the Virgin of Yecla (Murcia). These border municipalities are united by their geohistorical past and, at present, by features of complementarity and spatial interaction that can contribute to generate a thematic or geographical destination brand.