Heritage and Cultural Tourism: Growth, Conflicts, and Management in the UK

This assignment explores the growth and development of the heritage and cultural tourism industry in the UK, highlighting its economic significance and the challenges it faces. It examines the purpose of heritage attractions in meeting the needs of diverse visitors, analyzes the impact of different ownership models on management, and discusses the roles and responsibilities of organizations involved. The assignment also delves into the conflicts arising from overtourism in destinations like Venice and Barcelona, exploring potential solutions for sustainable tourism practices. Finally, it examines the various media used for interpretation within the heritage and cultural industry, showcasing how museums and attractions engage visitors through interactive experiences and digital platforms.

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................................3
LO1...................................................................................................................................................4
1.1 GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE HERITAGE AND CULTURAL INDUSTRY...................4
POSTER.............................................................................................................................................5
1.2 CONFLICTS IN THE CONSERVATION OF HERITAGE AND CULTURAL RESOURCES.................7
LO2.................................................................................................................................................10
2.1 PURPOSE OF HERITAGE AND CULTURAL ATTRACTIONS IN MEETING THE NEEDS OF
DIFFERENT CUSTOMERS................................................................................................................10
LO3.................................................................................................................................................13
3.1 IMPACT OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF OWNERSHIP ON THE MANAGEMENT OF HERITAGE AND
CULTURAL SITES.............................................................................................................................13
3.2 ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF ORGANISATIONS IN THE HERITAGE AND CULTURAL
INDUSTRY.......................................................................................................................................15
LEAFLET......................................................................................................................................15
LO4.................................................................................................................................................17
4.1 MEDIA USED FOR INTERPRETATION WITHIN THE HERITAGE AND CULTURAL INDUSTRY.....17
CONCLUSION.................................................................................................................................19
REFERENCES...................................................................................................................................20
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INTRODUCTION
Heritage and culture tourism has a major contribution to the UK's economy. Last year, domestic
and overseas tourists made over 200 million trips to various natural and historic heritage sites
of UK. According to a study conducted by Heritage Lottery Fund, heritage sites like Tower of
London, Edinburgh Castle and Westminster Abbey are attracting huge revenues for the UK
economy and there has been a continuous increase in the number of international tourists
every year (Ashworth, et al. 2013).
The current assignment highlights the growth and development of the heritage and cultural
tourism industry over the years and the purpose of the visitors for visiting these tourist
destinations. The assignment also highlights the conflicts in the heritage and cultural tourism in
the tourist destinations like Venice in Italy and Barcelona in Spain. These tourist destinations
are experiencing a negative impact of these travel and tourism activities on their society and
ecology (Hiltunen, et al. 2013).
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LO1
1.1 GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE HERITAGE AND CULTURAL
INDUSTRY
Heritage is the places of historic importance, archaeological sites, sculptures or monuments.
Heritage also includes natural landscapes, forests, national parks, wildlife and natural habitats.
The culture of a country, traditional dances, music, costumes, myths, legends, foods are also
included in the heritage of a country (Iossa, et al. 2015).
These heritage sites are a great wealth of the UK and genuine efforts should be made to
preserve these ancient and natural sites. These sites are also a medium to introduce the history
and culture of the country to the present generation.
The UK has a large number of heritage sites, millions of tourists visit the UK to experience these
beautiful sites of art and culture and natural beauty. The UK is the fifth most visited tourist
destination in the world. There are 31 UNESCO world heritage sites in the UK, like Giant's
Causeway Coast, Cathedral and The ruins of Fountain's Abbey. The recent addition in the list is
Lake District in London.
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POSTER
NATURAL SITES
Natural sites include the coastline, forests, wildlife and other natural habitats. The natural
heritage sites in the UK include the Inaccessible islands, Giant’s Causeway and Causeway
Coast.Durham coast is the home to a large variety of flora and fauna and the seabirds.
CULTURAL HERITAGE
Cultural heritage is the songs, dances, food, stories and myths that existed in the past and are
present in the life and culture of the people for a long time. These cultural identities are a part
of country’s most important wealth and need to be preserved for the upcoming generations
(KolarandZabkar, 2010).
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CONSTRUCTED SITES
These are manmade siteswhichinclude the historic buildings, museums, monuments and
archaeological sites. Edinburg and London have a number of such traditional sites like Tower of
London in England and castle and festival organized at Edinburg.
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1.2 CONFLICTS IN THE CONSERVATION OF HERITAGE AND CULTURAL
RESOURCES
VENICE
Venice is a world famous tourist destination
for its art and culture and beautiful homes
surrounded by water. It has a number of
tourist attractions like La Sagrada church,
Ponte degli Scalzi, and Ponte di
Calatrava.The three bridges while crossing
river Novo is one of the main tourist
attractions at Venice.
Figure: Venice
[Source:
https://www.atlasobscura.com/things-to-
do/venice-italy]
REASONS FOR CONFLICT
The present conflict in the travel and
tourism industry is the over tourism that
has created environmental problems in the
ecosystem of the city. Due to the increased
popularity of the city through movies and
media, foreign tourists are buying homes in
the city which has exorbitantly increased
the prices of property in the city and the
local people are moving out to the city to
countryside areas which provide more
affordable accommodation.
Every day, an estimated 90,000 tourists are
present around the streets and canals of
Venice. This figure far exceeds the
population of local residents which is
50,000. The local residents are getting tired
of looking at the sea of tourists on daily
basis, clicking pictures of everything and
everyone. This is the reason a number of
local residents chose to flee the city.
The fragile canal system of Venice is
experiencing a great pressure due to
movement of a large number of cruise ships
and boats. These activities are affecting the
delicate structure of the city and the local
people have started protests to regulate
these tourism activities in the city. In 2013
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the large cruise ships were banned from
entering the city.
Barcelona
Barcelona is the most visited tourist
destination in Spain. The great artworks
ofAntoni Gaudí and Lluís Domènech i
Montaner, are included in the UNESCO
world heritage sites. The city also hosts
anumber of international sports events.
Barcelona is known for its beautiful beaches
and there are a large number of beach bars
around these beaches which attracts
millions of tourists every year (Bakıcı, et al.
2013).
Figure: Barcelona
[Source:
https://www.happycow.net/blog/vegan-
in-barcelona/]
An anti-tourism campaign ‘Tourists go
home’ was started by the youths of
Barcelona in August 2017. The tourism
activities have caused overcrowding and the
city and recent years alarge number of new
hotels and restaurants opened in the city.
The locals are experiencing a problem of
rising in rent of the apartments in
Barcelona.
Many incidences have been observed
where the visitors caused damage to some
important historical sites. These incidences
cause great harm to the original structure
of thebuildings. The government has
started the refurbishing process to restore
the original structure which causes huge
expenses and complete restoration is also
not possible.
PROBABLE SUGGESTIONS
United Nations world tourism organization
(UNWTO) has given many suggestions
regarding sustainable tourism and reducing
the ill effects of over tourism on theculture
and traditions of the local community.The
tourists should be encouraged to buy items
like purse and bags which are made by the
indigenous community and it helps to
support the local economy (McKercher, et
al. 2012). The government accepts that the
tourism is creating large revenues for the
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city's economy but the main problem is the
over tourism activities which need to be
regulated. The government has banned
opening of any new restaurants in the
city.The government should ensure that the
local population is receiving the benefits of
the tourism activities
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LO2
2.1 PURPOSE OF HERITAGE AND CULTURAL ATTRACTIONS IN MEETING
THE NEEDS OF DIFFERENT CUSTOMERS
PURPOSE OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM AND VICTORIA & ALBERT MUSEUM
According to Association of leading visitor attractions (ALVA), British Museum is the favourite
tourist attraction for the tourist since last 11 years. In the year 2017, around 5,906,716 tourists
visited the museum. Victoria and Albert's museum is the fifth most visited tourist destination in
2017.
Both the museum haslarge number books onart, history, cultural heritage of the country. The
British Museum has also started digitization of these works in order to preserve these great
artworks for the future generations (Mei, et al. 2012).
Victoria and Albert's museum has a vast collection of Jewelry, furniture, costumes, glass and
wooden items from many European, Asian and North American countries.A variety of tourists
like student scientists families, mediavisit these places for different purposes like recreation,
education or research, which are discussed below:
EDUCATION
A large number of students visit British Museum to understand the culture and the history of
the UK. Along with knowing the history, customs and traditions of the country, students can
also know the science and the technological development.
The Britishmuseum allows the students to conduct experiments which help the students to
increase their knowledge about the culture and history in a practical way.
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RESEARCH
Victoria and Albert own a large collection of ceramics, drawings and furniture. Antique pieces
which are more than 5000 years oldand are collected from various archaeological sites are a
great attraction for researchers. These masterpieces provide deeper insights into the human
history and the journey of art and cultural development from ancient to the modern period.
Large numbers of historians and research scholar visit the museum every year to observe the
art pieces and monuments in a subtle way (Parry, 2013).
RECREATION AND ENTERTAINMENT
British Museum organizes a variety of recreational activities like dance and music shows,
drama, acts, role plays, festivals and picnics which attracts a large number of families.To
increase the number of visitors, Victoria and Albert's museum organizes light shows, dance and
Music shows and food festivals which serve the purpose of entertaining the tourists (Robertson,
2015).
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Figure 1
[Source: http://www.alva.org.uk/details.cfm?p=423]
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LO3
3.1 IMPACT OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF OWNERSHIP ON THE
MANAGEMENT OF HERITAGE AND CULTURAL SITES
LEAFLET
13

PUBLIC OWNERSHIP
The public ownership includes those organisations which are owned and managed by the
government.These organisations function with the government funding and their primary
purpose is to conserve the natural and historical sites. These organisations aim to educate the
people about the value of the heritage and cultural sites. In The UK the public organisations like
Historic Scotland and English heritageare working for renovating and the maintenance of the
natural and historical sites. These organisations ensure that the tourism activities are being
carried out in a responsible way (Simpson, 2012).
PRIVATE OWNERSHIP
These types of organisations are owned by private entities or individuals and the primary aim of
such organisations is to earn profit through the travel and tourism activities. The main source of
income is the revenue generated from selling the tickets. No government aid is provided to
these institutions but there are some strict regulations regarding employment laws and
environmental sustainability which these organisations need to follow.
VOLUNTARY OWNERSHIP
The voluntary ownership includesthat organisation which is charitable. These organisations
have similar working style as of public organisations but they manage their funding with the
help of donations and funding provided by the non- government entities.WWF is an
international organisation which is operating in more than 100 countries and working for saving
the biodiversity of the natural habitat. The organisation has initiated many programs related to
saving the local forests. National Trust is also a voluntary organisation which provides the entry
tickets and passes at various historical buildings and castles (Smith,et al. 2012).
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3.2 ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF ORGANISATIONS IN THE
HERITAGE AND CULTURAL INDUSTRY
LEAFLET
15

FU
NDING FOR THE HERITAGE SITES
One of the primary purposes of these organisations is to collect funds for the renovation and
maintenance of the heritage and cultural sites. Theorganisation collects these funds from the
entry tickets and the income from other events in the museum. The funds are also received
from the UK government for the maintenance of historical monuments. These organisations
also have the responsibility of minimising the negative impacts of increased tourism activities
on these sites (Tribe, 2015).
IMPLEMENTING THE LEGISLATIVE CHANGES
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A number of legislation are being enacted to regulate the travel and tourism industry. The
hotel and transportation providers must be educated about the responsible tourism. The
organisation has the responsibility to make them aware of the rules and regulations regarding
environmental sustainability, and the use of sustainable practices in the businesssuch as proper
waste management and reducing energy consumption.
NEW TECHNOLOGY IMPLEMENTATION
The organisations implement the new technological changes in the management of heritage
and cultural tourism. Nowadays people prefer to book their tickets with the help of their
smartphone and make the payments via debit and credit cards. Online maps services are also
used by the tourists which helps them explore new places and to know their exact location
(Timothy, 2017).
LO4
4.1 MEDIA USED FOR INTERPRETATION WITHIN THE HERITAGE AND
CULTURAL INDUSTRY
Interpretation of the historic events in an interesting way can help the audience understand the
importance of natural and cultural sitesin an interesting way. British Museum and Victoria &
Albert Museum have started many interactive learning programmes like role play and audio-
visual presentation to enhance the visual experience of the visitors. The different media used
are explained below:
EXHIBITIONS DRAMA AND ROLE PLAY
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Exhibitions and art gallery show the authentic art pieces of renowned artist, this helps the
tourists know about the great artist of the past. Role play and drama activities are arranged in
the museum where children are asked to play the roles of famous historical figures. The
students are dressed in the same style as the medieval period clothing. These stage programs
entertain the visitors and they become able to connect with the art and culture of the country
in a better way.
FAMILY EVENTS
Various kinds of family events are designed focusing the families, which include dressing
competitions where kids are dressed like historical figures, wearing masks. By the help of these
interactive activities, children can understand the historic events in an interesting way and
increase their imaginative power regarding events of the past (Swarbrooke, et al. 2012).
SOCIAL MEDIA
The social media is the new medium to aware the people about the recent activities in the
museum. Interactive videos are constructed which gives detailed knowledge about the place to
be explored in the museum and the history associated with a specific artpiece. These videos are
then shared on the website and other mediums to connect to the maximum number of people.
Advertising through modern communication media helps the organisations to connect with the
younger generations and attract them to visit the museum.
DIGITAL DISPLAY SCREENS
Digital display screens are installed at the major tourist place. This is avery interactive medium
of communication and the modern techniques of interpretations are used in different
languages. These audio-visual mediums are gaining popularity at various sites and attracting a
large number of visitors. The students are encouraged to collect the photographs of the articles
relating to art and culture. The children can make their collection of digital images of these
artworks and share it with other people.
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PRINTED MEDIA
The advertisement regarding the cultural activities are published in the major newspapers, this
helps the organisation to reach to awider audience. Brochures giving information about special
events like fares and exhibitions are distributed through various mediums. These activities
attract a large number of people to these historical places.
GUIDES
Guides are an effective way of informing the tourist about the history, culture and the
importance of different historical sites. These Guides provide a detailed explanation of the
historical and cultural importance of the place and can help the tourists decide the details of
their tour in a better way. These guides are mainly the local people which give the international
tourist a local feel (Smith, et al. 2012).
CONCLUSION
Heritage and cultural tourism sites in The UK are attracting a large number of tourists every
year and making a significant contribution to the economy of UK.Along with revenue
generation, the travel and tourism industry is also providing great employment opportunities to
the local people and helping them to improve their financial condition. The current assignment
discussed the various tourist attractions in the UK like British Museum and Tower of London,
National Gallery and Tate Modern.
There are a number of public, private and volunteer organisations which are working in the UK
to preserve and maintain these historical and natural sites. A leaflet has been prepared to
describe the purpose of organisations like English heritage.These organisations are using
various mediums like social media, dance, music and cultural programmes to promote these
tourist destinations and attract the maximum number of tourists.
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