Exploring Growth, Conflicts & Promotion in Heritage Tourism

This report provides an overview of heritage and cultural tourism management, examining its growth, development, and potential conflicts. It traces the historical evolution of heritage tourism from ancient pilgrimages to modern-day travel, highlighting key periods and events. The report discusses conflicts arising from the conservation of heritage sites due to increased tourism, using examples like Venice and Barcelona. It assesses the purpose of heritage and cultural attractions in meeting diverse customer needs, including educational, research, and entertainment purposes, using examples like the British Museum and National Maritime Museum. Finally, it explores various media used to promote heritage tourism, such as brochures, social media, and documentaries, emphasizing the importance of effective communication strategies to attract tourists and preserve cultural integrity. The study shows the importance of balancing tourism growth with the preservation of heritage and cultural resources.

Heritage and Cultural Tourism Management
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Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................3
Task 1:........................................................................................................................................4
Task 2:........................................................................................................................................8
Task 3:......................................................................................................................................11
Task 4:......................................................................................................................................14
Conclusion................................................................................................................................17
Reference List:.........................................................................................................................18
Appendix..................................................................................................................................21
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Introduction
Heritage in the terminology of psychology refers to typical characteristics and traits, which
are exhibited by an individual. These traits and characteristics often can be witnessed and
understood through which a person behaves or reacts to certain situations. But, it has to be
noted that the scope of heritage is not at all constricted to human psychology. When it comes
to the travel and tourism sector, the meaning of heritage undergoes a slight change. Under
this, the term heritage implies to specific components, be it tangible or intangible. These
components often consist of major historical relevance and significance. The scope of
heritage is usually associated to any particular place, a man made monument or pieces of
architecture. Not only has this, but the scope of heritage also included any particular cultural
scenario or lifestyle techniques employed by people residing in the various corners of the
globe.
In this project, the main aim shall be to essentially deal with various insights and topics
related to the scope of heritage and cultural tourism. In order to do so, certain case studies
and references from the current tourism sector have been incorporated. The growth and
development of the heritage and cultural tourism industry, the various conflicts that arise in
this sector and the purposes of the heritage and cultural sites shall be dealt with in details.
Further, the various media used to promote the growth and development of the travel and
tourism sector shall be discussed as well.
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Task 1:
1.1 Analyze the growth and development of the heritage and cultural industry
Even though the travel and tourism industry is one such sector, which is still prospering, the
scope of heritage and cultural tourism has been taking place from a long time back. The
inception of heritage and cultural tourism can be traced back to a time when the pilgrims used
to visit and check out certain places in order to acquire experience and religious knowledge
associated to certain places and cultural sites (Coale and Hoover, 2015). From then onwards,
the people have been extensively visiting various religious and cultural sites in order to gain
enriching experience and values. Be it the famous funeral spots or places of mythological
places, these sites have become extensively popular among the tourists (Graham et al., 2016).
After this, the scope of renaissance brought in huge developments for the heritage and
cultural based tourism sector. With the implementation of renaissance, the scope of moving
in and out of the nations became easier for the tourists and visitors. The credit of heritage and
cultural tourism can be provided to UK based company Thomas Cook. In the year 1841, it
organized a conducted world tour for more than 500 people (Becker, 2016).
Today, the travel and tourism has been experiencing huge increments and increase in its
business (Xiang et al., 2015). Today, the movement of people from their native areas to the
places of heritage and cultural sites have increased by a huge margin. A timeline of the
various occurring and happenings in the heritage and cultural tourism has been provided
below:
Time Period Place Events and Happenings
3000 BC Babylonia/Egypt For the purpose of business
and trade, individuals started
moving out to distant
locations
1500 BC Egypt During this time, the
pyramids gained hype and
much significance. Hence,
people flocked to this area
for experiencing it
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6 BC Egypt Due to this sudden hype, the
scope of travel and tourism
flourished
5 BC Greece Due to the prime significance
and religious values of the
likes of Athens, Panthenon,
and Acropolis, people started
vesting this area
Middle Ages Europe For various internal and
domestic reasons, people
started moving out of their
native places
14th – 16th Century Europe This was the time when
Renaissance took place. Due
to this reason, the travel and
tourism sector gained huge
momentum
1830 – 1980 United Kingdom Period of post renaissance,
tourists and visitors started to
visit the likes of Stonehenge
and the city of bath
1880 – 1910 United Kingdom During this period,
mythology oriented tours and
travel took place. People
started to visit the churches
and various mythological
sites.
1920 - 1940 United Kingdom Edinburgh Castle,
Westminster Abbey were
extensively visited by the
tourists and visitors during
this time.
1950 – 1970 United Kingdom With the travelling costs
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coming down by a significant
margin, tourists started to
travel more and more
1980 – Present Day United Kingdom Today, the travel and tourism
sector has been experiencing
exponential growth. In
addition, visitors do not come
to these places for the sole
purpose of leisure and
entertainment. They do so,
for various purposes such as
research and education
Table 1: Timeline highlighting significant developments and occurring in travel and
tourism sector
Source: (Created by the author)
1.2 Discuss potential conflicts in the conservation of heritage and cultural resources
The main aim of the travel and tourism
sector remains to bring in people from the
different corners of the globe to the places
with heritage and cultural significance
(Eugenio-Martin and Inchausti-Sintes,
2016). However, it has to be understood
that in order to do so, it becomes a tough
task for the local people and authorities to
maintain and preserve these sites. For
instance, in the case of Venice, the
population of the country is very less.
Compared to it, the numbers of tourists
who come to the place in order to visit the
various attractions such as the lagoons of
the country are huge (Seraphin et al.,
2018). Hence, it can be stated that it
becomes a tough task for the authorities to
keep a check on various issues such as
erosion of the soil and pollution of the
various cultural and heritage sites.
In the case of Barcelona, it has to be
known that the city, which represents the
Catalonia sector of Spain is one of the
most frequently visited places in the globe
(Marine-Roig and Clave, 2015). Every
year, due to various heritage and cultural,
as well as sporting events, large numbers
of foreign visitors and tourists come to the
city to enjoy the exquisite galore taking
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place almost regularly. While this is highly
beneficial for the economy of the city and
in turn, the nation, but the locals residing
in the city finds it extremely difficult to
cope up and fail to mix properly with the
foreign tourists and visitors. For instance,
the number of people who visit the likes of
Casa Vicens and Casa Mila are huge. It
also increases the scope of damage to these
heritage sites, as well as increase the level
of pollution.
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Task 2:
2.1 Assess the purpose of heritage and cultural attractions in meeting the needs of
different customers
It can be stated that the heritage and cultural attractions are such that today, it is of prime
significance to not only the leisure seekers, but also to the individuals who visit these places
for various academic purposes. Hence, it can be said that these sites serve to a consumer base,
which is very diverse and cater to each one of them individually.
It has to be understood that the scope of heritage and culture in the tourism sector is such that,
it provides a lot of learning opportunities to one. As mentioned above, the heritage and
cultural sites offer the provision of witnessing and getting to know about its historical value
and significance. On the trip to the British Museum, the National Maritime Museum and
the Queen’s House, I developed a clear understanding of the cultural and heritage value
associated to these places. For instance, the British Museum is one such heritage and cultural
site, which helped me to acquire a lot of relevant knowledge and information related to the
values and lifestyles of the people right from the inception of British Empire.
The museum, which has been into existence since the late 1700s, is among the largest
museums in the globe (Harris, 2015). Due to the fact that this cultural site has been into
existence since a long time, it comprises of one of the largest collection of works of human
history. I got to know that the museum has been serving as a major source of research works
and studies related to the history and culture associated to the people of Britain. Not only this,
but the museum also has collections of various significant and relevant global cultural
insights. As of today, the museum comprises of an infrastructural setup, which is one of the
largest when it comes to the heritage and cultural sites (Thompson, 2015). It can be stated
that these historical places comprise of the aesthetics, which is required for the better
understanding of the past and its values. Not only this, but places like the National Maritime
Museum and the Queen’s House very much important in order to gain the required
knowledge and valuable information regarding the lifestyles of people of the past era.
From the above section, it has been made evident that the scope of heritage and cultural sites
are such that they provide utmost information related to the various places, cultures and
methods of lifestyles led by individuals belonging from the past. Visiting places like these
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and inculcating the knowledge and information from there guides an individual and helps him
or her to develop a better understanding of the value of these sites, as well as issues and
happening of the past (James, 2016). Broadly, the main motives and purposes served by the
sites of heritage and culture are as follows:
Educational purposes
I understood that one of the main reasons for an individual to visit these heritage and cultural
sites is for the purpose of education. For instance, the British Museum is one such heritage
and cultural site that provide a lot of useful and relevant information to the individuals who
visit the place. The school students are taken to places such as the British Museum, the
National Maritime Museum and the Queen’s House in order to help them have a clear idea
about what exactly the scenario was in the past. Also by visiting places like these, I
developed a proper understanding of certain components such as the typical ancestral values,
beliefs and justification to certain actions that have been taking place from a long time back.
Precisely, it was possible for me to check out the evidences of the past and in turn, relate
them to the world today where I am living in. Not only the students, but the adults and people
belonging to the older age groups also visit these places in order to improve and brush up
their knowledge and ideas about these heritage and cultural sites (Timothy, 2017).
Research based purpose
I understood that the heritage and cultural sites are of the main providers of useful and key
information to the individuals who undertake research related to these heritage and cultural
sites. The individuals who are studying for the purpose of PHDs and higher qualifications are
the ones who need to undertake and implement research projects. Often, they are the ones
who visit these sites of heritage and culture in order to effectively conduct their research
study (Throsby, 2016). I understood the fact that only when an individual has a clear
understanding and concept of the happenings of the past, shall they be able to critically
analyze the present scenario and in turn, predict the expected outcomes in the future.
Entertainment purposes
It can be stated that the main aim of travel and tourism is to provide the consumers with sheer
entertainment and experiences to cherish forever (De Groot, 2016). While it is a fact that the
heritage and cultural sites serve as a study material for the visitors, those who visits these
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places also get the essence and experience of joy and recreation. The reason being these
places often comprise of various cultural entertainment aspects such as dance, music, and
interesting exhibitions. The visitors get to witness these events and get to be a part of it as
well.
Recreational purposes
Alongside the various informative aspects and the provision of knowledge, the sites of
heritage and culture do not compromise on the recreational factors as well. It has to be
understood that due to the presence of various components such as places of attractions, bars
and restaurants, the visitors hugely enjoy visiting these places (Timothy, 2017).
Due to the significance of these heritage and cultural sites, there is a wide range of consumers
who visit such places. According to demographics, there are more women than men who tend
to visit these places. Mostly, middle-aged people roughly in their 30s to 50s tend to be
frequent visitors of these places. Occupation wise, the visitors of the cultural and heritage
sites are mainly managers of certain companies. Apart from the tourists who visit these
places, the local residents are frequent visitors of the heritage and cultural sites. Lastly, the
students and individuals undertaking studies and higher-level degrees visit these places on an
extensive basis as well (Forno and Garibaldi, 2015).
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Task 3:
3.1 Evaluate the impact of different types of ownership on the management of heritage
and cultural sites
The heritage and cultural sites, which are of high historical values and significance, have to
be properly managed and looked after. These sites are the ones which symbolizes the past
events and happenings. The types of ownership and their impact in the heritage and cultural
sites have been discussed below:
Public based Ownership
Under this format of ownership, the government or the local bodies own all the heritage and
cultural sites. The government, mainly with the aid of public generated revenue systems, does
the maintenance of these sites (Buckley, 2018). This form of ownership is considered as
relevant and helpful for the maintenance and development of the heritage sites. For instance,
the government can invest the tax generated from the public into the development of the
various heritage and cultural sites.
Private based Ownership
Contrary to what public ownership is, under the scope of private ownership, there are certain
individuals or organizations, which take up the responsibility to maintain and develop the
heritage and cultural sites (Forno and Garibaldi, 2015). It has to be noted that unlike that of
public ownership, the money bring in development of the heritage and cultural sites arrive
from the revenue of the company itself. Under this type of ownership system, the main
authority and owner of the sites are the companies and not the members of the public. A
negative aspect of the private based ownership is the fact that the dissolution of the
companies might negatively affect the maintenance and development of the sites.
Commercial based ownership
Under this, the form of ownership can be both, public ownership as well as private
ownership. However, the heritage and cultural sites are provided on a commercial basis.
Commercial ownership ensures the fact that the money the owning firm is supposed to
contribute towards the development of the heritage and cultural sites, is generated from the
money, which the visitors spend to enter the site or inside it (Hampton et al., 2018). This sort
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of ownership is only undertaken if the heritage and cultural site is economically beneficial to
the organization or public sector, which is thinking of owning the site.
Voluntary based ownership
Voluntary ownership means that certain organizations, which are mainly non-profit
organizations own the cultural and heritage based sites. It has to be noted that the revenues
and funding required by them to bring in development and provide maintenance to the sites
are extracted from various measures such as entry fees, memberships and bequests (Hampton
et al., 2018). Since they are not much focussed on the scope of profit making, they often
incorporate various charitable trusts to support them to maintain and develop these sites.
3.2 Analyse roles and responsibilities of organisations in the heritage and cultural
industry
As mentioned above, the heritage and cultural sites of a particular place symbolizes the
historical value it has had (Graham and Ashworth, 2016). Hence, it becomes an absolute
necessity for the organizations who own these sites to maintain, develop and look into it that
these places are restored to the fullest and preserved. From the section above, it has been
observed that these heritage and cultural sites are usually owned by public organizations,
private organizations and also voluntary organizations (Hampel and Tracey, 2017). However,
for the owners and developers of these places, there remains certain roles and responsibilities
they need to fulfill. The roles and responsibilities of the organizations are as follows:
Roles of the English based heritage:
Generation of Income
It has to be noted that the main aim of travel and tourism related organizations is to generate
income and revenue for the area where the heritage and cultural site is located. The number
of tourists who visit these places contribute towards the betterment of the economy of the
area or nation where the site of heritage and culture is located (So et al., 2016). In addition, it
has to be noted that alongside the generation of income, these heritage and cultural sites also
generate various employment opportunities for the locals who reside in such places.
Serve as educational subjects
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