Effective Heritage Tourism Management: Strategies & Planning

Heritage Tourism Management

Definition and Management Plan

Management is a process businesses undertake to achieve organizational performance. In order to achieve this goal, a plan called a ‘management plan’ has to be proposed. However, even the best management plan has to have a legal framework and certain tools must exist:

• Administrative
• Financial
• Conservation
• Social

Setting short and long-term strategies for the protection and enhancement of the cultural heritage leads to specific plans and elements, among which should be:

• Boundary Survey and Description
• Land Use Plan
• Conservation
• Utilities and Services Plan
• Community Development Plan
• Tourism Plan

Such a plan of action would help to preserve the sites for future generations. It would also help to generate income for the national economy.

Heritage Tourism Management (HTM)

Definition

According to Hall & McArthur, "heritage management refers to the conscious process by which decisions concerning heritage policy and practice are made and the manner in which heritage resources are developed."

With more financial autonomy and less subsidy, heritage organizations are learning to run businesses. Heritage management is more effective in the controlled museum environment, and tourism management is most easily achieved in an enclosed resort.

Adoptions of systematic strategic planning approaches for the design and development of heritage attractions are still few if compared to other leisure or tourism provisions.

Minimizing impacts and maximizing gains from tourism depends to a large extent on the organization of tourism and tourism attractions in historic towns, and the management between visitors and the environment.

One of the direct benefits of tourism to building conservation is the reuse of the buildings for tourist functions.

Sustainable Development as a Main Issue of HTM

Sustainable development is the one which meets the needs of present tourists and host regions while protecting and enhancing opportunities for the future.

The basic rules for achieving sustainable development have been listed by Wahab. These basic rules show that sustainable tourism is seen as the only possible way to manage tourism if that legacy is to be passed on to future generations.

Tools of Heritage Tourism Management

Visitor Management

In the context of heritage, visitor management is the practice of ensuring that visitors achieve a quality sustainable experience; it is the management of visitors in a manner which maximizes the quality of the visitor experience while assisting the achievement of the area’s overall management objectives.

Conventional approaches to visitor management largely focus on managing the heritage resource and controlling visitors (the art of spreading people in space and time, which obviously involves a great deal of psychology).

Cunliffe describes Site Management as "a comprehensive planning and management process which ensures that the conservation, enhancement, and maintenance of a heritage site is deliberately and thoughtfully designed to protect its cultural significance for present and future generations.”