A Study on the New Picturesque Tourism Integrating Art and Nature

Abstract

This study examines the potential of “New Picturesque Tourism,” which integrates art and nature to enhance emotional engagement and mutual understanding. In response to declining public interaction with both museums and natural environments in Japan, the research investigates how art can function as an interpretive medium to reconnect people with nature and art. Inspired by the movement of 18th-century British picturesque aesthetics, where landscape painting influenced perceptions of nature, the study conducted an experimental tour combining art appreciation and nature experience at the Morohashi Museum of Modern Art and the Goshikinuma nature trail in Bandai-Asahi National Park in Fukushima. Participants viewed European landscape paintings with expert interpretation before enjoying nature walk. Analyses of photos, questionnaires, and open-ended responses revealed that most participants experienced perceptual changes and increased interest in both art and natural landscapes. These findings suggest that integrating art and nature engagement deepens tourism experiences and that the possibility of other types of New Picturesque Tourism. The study also proposed an evaluative framework linking aesthetic appreciation and nature interpretation, contributing to future models of art-nature tourism.