Heritage Tourism

Description: Heritage tourism has become an increasingly significant component of the global tourism industry, particularly in countries striving to diversify away from sea, sand and sun. This growth has had profound influences on the presentation and representation of both tangible and intangible heritage within tourism context. The concept of heritage continues to evolve with its fast-changing political, economic and socio-cultural surroundings. Therefore it is essential that heritage tourism engages with the new form of globalised communities and societies, which have become more assimilated to each other but yet strive to sustain their own distinctive locality. This book aims to offer a thorough critical examination and systematic evaluation of the unique dynamics of heritage and tourism development from both social sciences and management perspectives. It incorporates both global and local perspectives in theorising and managing heritage tourism. While focusing on reviewing and analysing key academic concepts and debates including authenticity, commodification, globalisation and heritage interpretation, this book also discusses and evaluates topical issues such as sustainable development, marketing strategies and digital technologies including social media. It theoretically locates heritage discourses in the analysis of heritage tourism development and management drawing on various perspectives, from tourism, heritage studies, sociology, anthropology, politics and geography to management and marketing studies. Including case studies of topical concerns, controversies and challenges it will encourage readers to develop a new and insightful understanding of the dialectical relationship between heritage and tourism development. This book is essential reading for students studying tourism, heritage studies, cultural studies as well as related disciplines.

Review: 'Intelligently written, with topical case studies and pertinent research questions, this is a very useful, comprehensive and accessible text for all students of heritage and tourism studies.' Professor Kevin Hannam, International Centre for Research in Events, Tourism & Hospitality, Leeds Metropolitan University

Contents: Introduction 1. Heritage 2. Heritage Tourism Supply and Demand 3. Managing Heritage Tourism 4. Authenticity and Commodification 5. The Politics of Heritage 6. Heritage Tourism and National Identity 7. Heritage Tourism and Globalisation 8. Heritage Marketing 9. Heritage and Sustainable Development 10. Heritage Tourism and Cities 11. Museums and Tourism 12. Contemporary Issues in Heritage Tourism

Author Biography: Hyung yu Park is Senior Lecturer of Tourism Studies at Middlesex University, UK. Her main area of research and teaching is cultural heritage tourism, particularly its dialectic role in the reconstruction of national identity, social memory and nationhood. Other research interests include: qualitative (ethnographic) research methods in tourism studies; heritage management; heritage interpretation and consumption; sustainable development of cultural and heritage tourism; and the politics of heritage tourism.