Tourism - Spring 2007 - issue 131 by Tourism Society

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TOURISM The Journal for the Tourism Industry Quarter 1 Issue 131 Spring 2007

ASSESSING CULTURAL AND HERITAGE TOURISM SITES • WORLD HERITAGE SITES • THE FUTURE OF CULTURAL TOURISM • CONSERVATION, PRESERVATION AND DEVELOPMENTS IN HERITAGE TOURISM

People in all the right places

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Contents Culture and Heritage: Presentation, Representation, Re-presentation

Editorial

Stuart Barrow BA MA MTS | Public Affairs Manager | Visit Britain

World Heritage and Tourism: Sustainable tourism Enhancing and protecting our shared heritage

6 Cultural and Heritage Tourism, the single biggest draw to Britain, is for

Francesco Bandarin | Director | UNESCO World Heritage Centre

The importance of World Heritage Site status for the Jurassic Coast

component of a more complex mix. In this edition of the journal our

Julia Pulman | Marketing Officer | Jurassic Coast World Heritage site

Britain’s heritage and cultural visitor attractions are back on track

contributors consider its evolution, the importance of engaging the

stakeholder and the conservation implications of cultural tourists “loving heritage to death”. We discover how digital technology and online

Robin Broke MTS | Director | ALVA

The impact of tourism on cultural attractions and the impact of cultural attractions on tourism

some the very ethos of tourism while others consider it to be just one

promotion is successfully applied and the benefits of the Jurassic Coast’s

UNESCO Heritage Status or of associations such as the Historic Homes Association. While there is a cry for museums to broaden their horizons

Alan Love FTS | Director | BDRC

the English Historic Towns Forum emphasises the challenges of

Culture, Heritage & Digital Technology

Sally Empson | Creative Director | Cities in Sound Ltd

sustainability. Where does cultural and heritage tourism begin and end? Or indeed does it? Interesting and debatable insights preface the theme

Promoting UK Culture & Heritage Online

Michael Anderson MTS | Managing Director | Web Marketplace Solutions Limited

of the 2007 Tourism Society Conference. Join the debate. Don’t miss the book reviews.

National Trust: Pressures for our tourism industry

Olivia Morris | Policy and Campaigns Officer, Communities and Development The National Trust

Cultural Tourism in a Changing World

Alison Cryer MTS | Editor 18

Melanie Smith | Author/Editor | Senior Lecturer in Cultural Tourism University of Economic Sciences, Budapest

Cultural and Heritage Tourism in Italy

Pio Trippa MTS | Italian State Tourist Board

Cultural Tourism in Latvia

Eva Staltmane MTS | Director | Latvian Tourism Bureau in London

Museums need to broaden their horizons

From the Chairman’s Desk

Ylva French FTS | Director | The Campaign for Museums

Engaging businesses in cultural and heritage tourism 23

I was delighted to represent The Tourism Society on the Management

Anthony Climpson OBE FTS | Tourism Destination Manager New Forest District Council

Council of British Tourism Week and for us to be associated with this highly successful “first.” Flo Powell was also involved on the committee

TSCG Survey - Results and Analysis

Chris Wikeley FTS | Chair | TSCG

and Board member Bernard Donogue’s role was significant, before and during the week. Having HRH Charles Prince of Wales as Patron was

Historic Towns - Modern Tourism

Brian Human FTS | Chair | English Historic Towns Forum

undoubtedly a tremendous achievement and the launch at The Tower will prove hard to follow. But follow we must. During the next year I believe

Heritage - boosting tourism in the 21st century

Nick Way | Director General | Historic Housing Association

we must build on this year’s event and get the message across even more, that tourism is critical to the UK economy and to engender pride

Book Reviews

2007 Events Calendar

Membership News

and professionalism at all levels. One of the panel at the excellent Tourism Society “Question Time” at BTTF encouraged us to smile more and improve the welcome we offer. That shouldn’t be too difficult, should it?

David Curtis-Brignell FTS | Chairman of the Tourism Society The Tourism Society

Trinity Court, 34 West Street, Sutton, Surrey SM1 1SH T: 020 8661 4636 F: 020 8661 4637 Email: journal@tourismsociety.org Web: www.tourismsociety.org Registered in England No.01366846. ISSN: 02613700

Tourism is the journal of the Tourism Society. The views expressed in Tourism are those of

Designed and produced by Sycamore. Contact Paul Wells MTS IT Centre, Science Park, Heslington, York YO10 5DG T: 01904 567670 Web: www.sycamore-uk.com E: paul@sycamore-uk.com

individual authors and not necessarily those of the Tourism Society. Whilst unsolicited material is welcomed, neither transparencies nor unpublished. articles can be returned. The Tourism Society cannot be held responsible for any services offered by advertisers in Tourism. All correspondence must be addressed to the Editor. Tourism is only available to members of the Tourism Society and on subscription, it is distributed quarterly to 1500 professionals working in national and regional tourist boards, local government, travel agencies, and tour operators, visitor attractions, accommodation and catering, entertainment, information services, guiding, consultancies and education and training.

The Tourism Society Journal

Website: www.tourismsociety.org

Quarter 1 ISSUE 131 Spring 2007

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Culture and Heritage

an old technique called ‘Pepper’s Ghost’ with new projection and filming

stronger than most on being a good place to research ancestry. Church

technology to re-present an excitingly “real” view of Wimbledon’s past. In

records are useful research tools, gravestones reveal final resting places.

a recreation of the 1980s Gentlemen’s Dressing Room, a ghost-like image

This 400th Anniversary year of the first permanent English settlement in

of John McEnroe appears and takes visitors through a tour of the

Jamestown, North America, is a focus for promoting ancestral and

normally off-limits area. McEnroe reminisces about the Dressing Room, Jimmy Connors and emotional preparation for matches.

Founding Fathers tourism to the UK - through visitbritain.com/ancestry and partnering with ancestry.co.uk. We are also working with DCMS, the

So how is VisitBritain capitalizing on our culture and heritage appeal this

Church of England, the Churches Conservation Trust and others to

year? First of all, we have analysed it. Last August, the Anholt-GMI

promote Sacred Britain. At the Churches Tourism Association conference

nations Brand Index measured perceptions against our core brand values:

launch the Bishop of Norwich emphasised that he loves to see tourists,

Depth, Heart and Vitality. Depth - our cultural complexity and rich

even during services. (He takes it as a sign of success if visitors sit down

heritage - is clearly our nation’s trump card.

and stay during his sermon!) Liverpool Capital of Culture 2008 is little over half a year away, the

Presentation, Representation, Re-presentation

Cultural Olympiad barely a year away. Fantastic work from and for Liverpool has seen visitor numbers up 45% at the Walker Art Gallery and 71% at the Lady Lever Art Gallery in 2006 from 2005 in the run up to

Heritage (as relics) and culture (as religion) invented British tourism (as

semiotics (the ‘science’ of signs). His book “Faith in Fakes: Travels in

Capital year (ALVA figures). Work continues to ensure that the event has

pilgrim’s progress). Taken together, heritage and culture still provide the

Hyperreality” discusses a certain desire within tourist sites, not for the

a sustainable legacy for the visitor economy. Similarly, the Cultural

single biggest draw to Britain today.

real, but for the hyper-real - the more real than real, ‘authentic’,

Olympiad aims to focus minds on improving the visitor experience in the

heightened experience - “the philosophy of immortality as duplication”.

run-up to (and years after) 2012.

Indexing by the US market research agency GMI and British academic Simon Anholt places Britain as the world’s premier ‘brand’ nation based

We might say that unlike cultural-anthropological tourism - where

on overall perceptions of the cultural, political, commercial and human

visitors who seek to experience how the visited population actually live

assets, investment potential and tourist appeal of 35 developed and

can simply be immersed in the contemporary context (multitudinous

developing countries. Specifically in tourism appeal we rank 5th. For

cultures or closed community) - heritage tourism will for the most part

culture, however, we rank 1st.

necessitate revival and reproduction of the authentic past juxtaposed

Domestically, England Rocks! presents England’s rock and pop heritage destinations and was launched with much publicity at Abbey Road studios beside possibly the most famous, most photographed pedestrian crossing in the world. Check out the re-presented juke box on the website! www.enjoyengland.com/rocks

with a depreciated present asset. Or we might put it more bluntly: it’s

The presented

easy to show how people live; live with them. If you want to attract

Last February, respondents rated Britain for each activity presented on a

people for your heritage, you have in some way to re-create it at its

scale of 1-7, (1, “poor” ; 7, “excellent”). The results are shown below:

height in often rarefied surroundings.

(Simplified diagram: relative strengths on different brand attributes using a scale of 1-7 (1=poor and 7=excellent). As nobody rated below 4 or above 6, the diagram has a mid-point of 4 and an outer rim of 6. The closer the shading to the outer rim, the better the perception of Britain on that attribute!)

“And finally…” the Eurovision Song Contest. In May, host Finland will beam tourist-friendly images to a staggering 100m viewers (‘American Idol’ final managed just 36.4m). The UK last won in 1997. Kevin Bishop,

The re-presented This could mean the re-presentation of sword-fighting in castles, reproduction costumes, scale-models or dioramas to convey the attraction’s most authentic reality. (Eco says “primarily the diorama aims to establish itself as a substitute for reality, as something even more real”.) Corfe Castle, for example, a popular ruin, can also be seen ‘as it really was’ in model form in a nearby visitor garden. You can sit in stocks there to experience (and be photographed experiencing) the “reality” of castle life. VisitBritain’s Visitor Attraction Quality Assurance Service (VAQAS) Best Practice Guide says “the layout of the attraction should be designed to (Overall, 25,903 participants from 35 countries rated Britain on a range of mean scores from “sightseeing monuments” (5.84) to “going to the beach” (3.79) across 17 activities. The appeal of heritage and culture is clear.)

executive producer of Eurovision 1998, chose then under-visited Working primarily with other non-departmental public bodies like English Heritage and national museums and galleries - and organisations such as The National Trust and small niche operators - VisitBritain’s Culture and Heritage Sector Club will develop new culture and heritage microsites, conduct research into new Passes, publish a new Cultural Tourism Advisory Guide, organise information-sharing workshops and participate in key culture and heritage sector conferences and meetings.

Birmingham as host city telling the BBC “Some people were expecting the worst but they have all been pleasantly surprised.” And this October’s 2nd ‘Birmingham Bash’ indicates continuing event-legacy to Brum courtesy of Eurovision fan club, OGAE-UK. Let’s hope it’s “Royaume Uni, douze points” all round, another go hosting the world’s biggest interactive TV culture show and more Boom Bang-a-Bang for our Bucks Fizz…!

A particular insight from the Nation Brands Index is that 61% of potential visitors to Britain would be most likely to visit a place of worship (pilgrims progressing and secular sight-seers alike!). Britain is also

Stuart Barrow BA MA MTS Public Affairs Manager | VisitBritain

allow practical access to all areas whether by free or directed flow, as appropriate, and assisted by clear and well maintained signage; the range of content should be appropriate to the accepted broad theme of the attraction; and, where applicable, all exhibits or features should be accurate interpretation”.

There is potentially a challenge to fuse further the psychological-link between culture and its touristic identity; to ensure that the product

An excellent example is Castle Cornet in Guernsey. Centuries of active

presented is properly represented. We will probably not convince those

history, eclectic architectural changes and reinforcements (including

for whom the sign ‘tourism’ refers only to the tropical sun, but for those

concrete ones from the Nazi occupation) are brought ‘to life’ with

who admire our culture but, perhaps, think it inaccessible we can

effective displays and waxwork figures.

Sword-fighting in castles, reproduction costumes, scale-models or dioramas to convey the attraction’s most authentic reality

Corfe Castle, Britain on View

effectively presented with the use of appropriate media, ensuring

The represented

represent British tourism differently (not impenetrable Royal mystique, Recently, technological advances have vastly increased the scope of

but Summer opening of Buckingham Palace, for example).

ambition for re-presentation at visitor attractions. The multi-awardPost-modern theorist, Umberto Eco, has insights into representation and

winning Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum, for example, brings together

The Tourism Society Journal

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management personnel to use tourism as a positive force in protecting World Heritage site values and to help mitigate site threats.

World Heritage and Tourism

In general, the Tourism Programme connects key actors in the sustainable

The 10 selection criteria for sites to be inscribed on the World Heritage List:

tourism and conservation chain, and develops tools and methods for

broad tourism applications for World Heritage sites are being developed,

ii.

to exhibit an important interchange of human values, over a

including processes for determining visitor limits, World Heritage theme

span of time or within a cultural area of the world, on

presentation, facilitating the involvement of the private sector,

developments in architecture or technology, monumental

developing tourism-related activities in communities, and exploring

arts, town-planning or landscape design;

methods to aid sites with their operational costs.

Sustainable tourism: Enhancing and protecting our shared heritage

to represent a masterpiece of human creative genius;

practical tourism applications. Management policies and processes for

iii. to bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a

Since its creation in 2001, the Tourism Programme has initiated a

cultural tradition or to a civilization which is living or which

number of tourism-related projects. These have involved activities to

has disappeared;

train site staff, educate local people with skills to enter the tourism industry, build awareness in the local communities through conservation

iv. to be an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which

campaigns and involve the tourism industry in these efforts. An important lesson learned has been the need to develop, in tandem

illustrates (a) significant stage(s) in human history; v.

with the industry, systematic approaches to working with site managers

to be an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement, land-use, or sea-use which is representative of a

and communities and in aiding destination management. One

culture (or cultures), or human interaction with the

recommended approach is to maximize engagement with tour operators

environment especially when it has become vulnerable

and hotels to contribute to tourism-related community enterprises and

under the impact of irreversible change;

support site management staff. This would facilitate increased conservation opportunities, including industry involvement in planning

vi. to be directly or tangibly associated with events or living

workshops and resolving destination management issues.

traditions, with ideas, or with beliefs, with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance. (The

Working with local community-based tour operators is seen as essential

Committee considers that this criterion should preferably be

to begin to develop and adopt policies that help to strengthen local

used in conjunction with other criteria);

tourism products so that local communities can benefit more from tourism. This could be done by companies playing a role in improving

vii. to contain superlative natural phenomena or areas of

community tourism enterprises by providing long-term in-kind services in

exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance;

business skills training, product development and service quality. Companies could also be engaged to foster better coordination with their

L-R: Venice, Stonehenge, Cologne Cathedral

viii. to be outstanding examples representing major stages of

ground operators on visitor management polices and visitor awareness-

earth's history, including the record of life, significant on-

raising activities that promote sustainable tourism practices and local

going geological processes in the development of landforms, or significant geomorphic or physiographic features;

community involvement. Tour operators could be recruited to jointly To date, 183 countries have adopted the World Heritage Convention,

Currently there are 830 sites on the World Heritage List. Each site is

develop materials to raise visitor awareness of World Heritage and the

committing to protect heritage sites around the world regardless of

proposed by the country in which it is located, who submits a

fragility of the sites.

where they are located. The goal of the Convention is to identify and

nomination file to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre. The site is then

preserve the outstanding universal value of cultural and natural heritage-

evaluated by UNESCO’s advisory bodies (ICCROM, IUCN) for its

the most exceptional heritage around the world. What is unusual about

potential outstanding universal value, and that appropriate management

this Convention is that it includes both cultural and natural heritage,

mechanisms are in place. Recommendations are sent to the World

recognizing the most unique and extraordinary natural and man-made

Heritage Committee, made up of countries that are signatories to the

sites around the world. Therefore, Australia’s Great Barrier Reef,

World Heritage Convention, which meets once a year to update the List

Germany’s Cologne Cathedral, the city centre of Venice, Italy, Machu

and review the state of conservation of sites already inscribed on the List.

Picchu in Peru and Africa’s Serengeti are all on the same List, and receive the same consideration.

Not surprisingly, tourism is a key management issue at the majority of World Heritage sites. Increased attention brought to sites inscribed on

To be included on the World Heritage List, sites must be of outstanding

ix. to be outstanding examples representing significant ongoing ecological and biological processes in the evolution and development of terrestrial, fresh water, coastal and

Since tourism is expanding 4-5% annually, innovative solutions have to

marine ecosystems and communities of plants and animals;

be found to balance tourism’s clear benefits with the need to preserve the sites and their values. We believe working together can be mutually

habitats for in-situ conservation of biological diversity,

maintaining a rich and varied visitor experience that provides long-term

including those containing threatened species of

tourism industry benefits.

outstanding universal value from the point of view of

Francesco Bandarin | Director | UNESCO World Heritage Centre

science or conservation.

the World Heritage List, combined with the dramatic general growth of the tourism industry, mean that many properties are heavily impacted by

universal value and meet at least one out of ten selection criteria (see

The goal of the Convention is to identify and preserve the outstanding universal value of cultural and natural heritage the most exceptional heritage around the world.

visitors. Trends indicate increasing demand worldwide for travel

box). These criteria are explained in the Operational Guidelines (http://whc.unesco.org/pg.cfm?cid=5) for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention which, besides the text of the Convention, is

associated with cultural and natural heritage. The importance of tourism to World Heritage - both as an opportunity,

the main working tool on World Heritage. The protection, management,

or a threat if poorly managed - was recognized by the World Heritage

authenticity and integrity of properties are also important considerations

Committee in 2001 when it authorized the development of a World

when evaluating the potential of a site for inscription on the World

Heritage Sustainable Tourism Programme. The mission of the Tourism

Heritage List.

Programme is to support the World Heritage Committee and site

The Tourism Society Journal

Quarter 1 ISSUE 131 Spring 2007

to contain the most important and significant natural

beneficial and profitable, contributing to site conservation and thereby

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Jurassic Coast

The Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site is a 95 mile stretch of the south coast of England, running from Exmouth in East Devon to Studland in Dorset

The importance of World Heritage Site status for the Jurassic Coast

The conservation of the geological interest of the Site would not

•

sustainable transport by the creation and provision of the

physically be at risk without the status. Only a physical barrier i.e. coastal

Jurassic Coast Bus service, to compliment and promote the use

defences could prevent the continuing erosion of the cliffs. Erosion is the

of the South West Coast Path National Trail and to provide easy

process that exposes the strata and fossils which so clearly showcase 185

access to boat trips along the coast.

million years of life on earth - the very reason the coast was awarded World Heritage designation.

Winning the Tourism for Tomorrow Award in 2005, recognised the Jurassic Coast as one of the world’s leading examples of best practice in

Was it difficult to gain? Preparation for the nomination of the Dorset and East Devon Coast took about 8 years and involved Dorset and Devon County Councils working in

responsible tourism - this is testimony to the responsibilities taken and subsequent actions implemented, following World Heritage Status designation. Actions include promoting out-of-season tourism, offering

partnership with a wide range of organisations, landowners and voluntary groups, and consulting with residents and visitors alike.

visitors and locals real alternatives to using the car and providing quality information on the Jurassic Coast.

An extensive range of initiatives was already established prior to the

In the last 5 years alone - since designation was awarded - an impressive

submission for World Heritage Status, which strengthened the credibility of the Management Plan being an integral part of the nomination. These included Heritage Coast Policies, Heritage Coast Management Plan, The Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site is a 95 mile stretch of the south

What would happen if the status was lost?

Shoreline Management Plans, Site Management Statements for SSSIs

coast of England, running from Exmouth in East Devon to Studland in

The loss of World Heritage Status would no doubt instigate a reduction

located along the coast and The Jurassic Coast Project which included the

Dorset. The Site was granted World Heritage Status because of the

or deterioration in the following:

fossil collecting code of conduct.

internationally important geology, fossils and geomorphology of the

•

international recognition of the Site;

•

further development of international educational projects; and

•

the promotion of geo-tourism.

coast, with rocks recording 185 million years of the Earth’s history affording an exceptional record of the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods.

amount has been achieved, for example: •

Jurassic Coast •

designations such as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Areas

From a tourism perspective, World Heritage Site status has put the

of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) pre-dating its World Heritage

Dorset and East Devon coast firmly on the global map. Combined with a

Status. These designations would ensure the continuation to a degree, of

strong branding of its own, the marketing opportunities this status has

the conservation and interpretation work carried out along this stretch of

brought, have resulted in the successful communication of messages of

coast.

conservation and sustainability to a worldwide audience. This global

interest

Was it worth it? World Heritage Status was sought as a means to not only further protect

•

- part of a coast-wide funding agreement for £7.1m with the

development. Successful examples of this post designation include:

South West Regional Development Agency

•

the provision of visitor information and interpretation through the development of high quality visitor centres;

The figures add up, but more importantly, World Heritage Site status makes the vision:

•

promotion of sustainable tourism through training schemes for local businesses;

‘to inspire people to celebrate, appreciate and enjoy the World Heritage

publicity related to the site (including the use of the World

Site and safeguard it for future generations in the best possible condition’ a reality.

Without World Heritage status, it is likely that the strong branding of the

Heritage logo and name) by producing an award-winning

recognition means that visitors to the Jurassic Coast are more likely to

Jurassic Coast would continue to work well in the UK, although overseas’

guide book, a good range of free literature promoting a

arrive with the respect and understanding deserved of any World

visitor numbers might well decrease without the backing and world-wide

sustainable approach to visiting the coast and an acclaimed,

Heritage Site.

marketing powers of the World Heritage Site/UNESCO organisation.

dedicated website; and

Quarter 1 ISSUE 131 Spring 2007

£750,000 of support from the Heritage Lottery Fund for projects

the coast, but to provide opportunity to support local sustainable

Julia Pulman | Marketing Officer Jurassic Coast World Heritage site

The Tourism Society Journal

An average of 35 articles per month (20% national broadsheets) have been published in the press due to extensive media

The Dorset and East Devon coast already had protection from a range of

How important is World Heritage Status?

More than 300 local businesses have received training about the

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Visitor Attractions The enduring value of Britain’s heritage and cultural visitor attractions is back on track following 2005 London bombings The List of Visits to Attractions that is reproduced below shows a marked

Impact of Cultural Attractions on Tourism The impact of tourism on cultural attractions and the impact of cultural attractions on tourism The culture and tourism sectors are good for each other. Culture draws

London sites had twice the incidence of overseas visitors as regional sites.

tourists to destinations, and tourists are a key element of the audience at

Most staying visitors at ALVA sites were in serviced accommodation.

cultural venues.

Staying with friends or family and self-catering absorbed most of the rest.

increase for most attractions compared to their 2005 performance; this is partly explained by the effect of the July bombings of that year. In June 2006 some attractions were affected by the World Cup football keeping

What does culture mean? Culture is a word with many meanings. VisitWales’ “Cultural Tourism Strategy for Wales” includes “Performing, visual and literary arts, museums, built and social heritage, historic landscapes and gardens, crafts

Private studies commissioned from BDRC by a world-class metropolitan

however, even this was not enough to prevent further uplift on the back

architecture, design, film, religion, broadcasting, food, and sport”.

art gallery and by a renowned regional garden measured expenditure in

of some exceptionally strong exhibitions - and the Carsten Holler slides

Verbatim quotations from BDRC focus groups illustrate the diversity:

shops, bars, restaurants and on complementary activities. Clearly

So where else could you find such a feast of Heritage and Culture, both

•

entertaining and educating the visitor? However, we really must not be

“I like going where locals go, getting to local bars and enjoying

therefore, cultural and heritage sites contribute significantly to the wider

local hospitality”

economy through their visitors’ ancillary expenditure.

“One of the main reasons I wanted to go was because of Gaugin and his paintings”

the “Jewels in the Crown” of our tourism industry. Thus it is very pleasing to note that figures published recently by the Association of Leading

“emanations of the state” and in receipt of public funds. There is a real danger that they may be starved of investment, like VisitBritain, and their ability to be innovative and to make essential acquisitions will be eroded

Interaction of culture and tourism

have massive implications for the individual attractions, but I suggest it

achieving a million visitors a year, showed that Britain’s tourist

•

proportion. More numerous are tourists who participate in cultural activity on holiday.

“First of all you come to Britain and you visit the big sites. Only in the second round you think about other things”

Tourists motivated primarily by cultural interests form a relatively low

Culture helps destinations develop unique, compelling market positions: •

reducing them, over time, from world-class to second eleven. This will

Visitor Attractions (ALVA), which has in membership those attractions

Conclusions Culture can encourage repeat visits to destinations:

complacent as most of these top attractions are in one way or another

make to international visitors is our world class Visitor Attractions - truly

used public transport. In London the proportions reversed.

many at home, especially as it coincided with some very hot weather;

at Tate Modern!

We all know that the most important and enduring offer that Britain can

Two-thirds of visitors to ALVA regional sites arrived by car. A minority

BDRC survey participants were shown unbranded pictures of a northern

“Food markets are the strong local character - locally produced food”

city and asked which of twenty activities what they would do on a visit

will be even more serious for Britain’s overall tourism offer with a

there. Seven of the top eight - historic streets, museums, parks &

detrimental effect on our balance of payments deficit of some - £17bn

gardens, historic buildings, art galleries, restaurants and bars - meet

and also of our quality of life in this country.

VisitWales’ definition. Only shopping falls outside the definition.

Robin Broke MTS | Director | ALVA

Authenticity

Culture can demonstrate the quality of British holidays and provide vivid

plans of many North American visitors. It is good to see that this sector

A recurrent theme in tourist motivations is authenticity. The world-wide-

memories that tourists carry home. This generates traditional word-of-

has staying power and has managed to remain vibrant and to continue

web can deliver detailed information to ever-wider audiences. The culture

mouth recommendation and credible content on twenty-first century

to be a significant contributor to the British economy.

and heritage sector can provide the experiences that enrich those facts.

channels - comparison websites, blogs and social network software:

attractions are back on track following a troubled year in 2005. This achievement is particularly notable in the light of disruptive security

Culture presents appealing imagery: •

“I like the idea of the lifestyle of punting - I wouldn’t actually want to go punting”

alerts and dense fog producing severe airport delays during the summer and December respectively, and the weak US Dollar affecting the travel

•

However, enhanced support for the marketing of Britain’s tourism

“The only difference between looking at the internet and being

•

stories. Those are the sort of things you remember rather than

there is actually having a hands-on experience of some sort”

industry is still required if this country is to compete globally, not least significantly increased funding being urgently needed for VisitBritain to market the industry both internally and abroad. It is hard to understand

just reeling off dates and times and places. And they interacted •

“Put yourself back into that time and live in it”

with the people they were showing around. So that made it a lot more interesting”

Culture and tourism - wider impact

the logic of a government that raises Visa charges and Air Passenger Duty at the same time as it leaves VisitBritain on effectively the same level of

Spillover spending between tourism and culture is demonstrable.

Travel broadens the mind - perhaps. Travel broadens the audience certainly. And without doubt, culture and tourism in Britain are good for

funding since 1997, which represents a cut in real terms of some 17% at

c.11,000 visitors to 38 ALVA sites surveyed by BDRC in 2005-6 split

a time when there is a need to do so much more to ensure the potential

about evenly between day-trippers and overnight stayers. Day visitors

benefits of holding the 2012 Olympic Games in Britain are realised.

form the majority at regional sites; staying visitors at London sites.

each other.

Alan Love FTS | Director | BDRC

The Tourism Society Journal

Quarter 1 ISSUE 131 Spring 2007

“The Tower guide was really charismatic and told you the gory

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Culture, Heritage & Digital Technology Free audio walks, friends and fun Alternatively, they can be uploaded onto a visitors’ own MP3 player from any computer in a TIC or personal computer and/or laptop. Pre-loaded MP3 players or audio wands can also be hired out. And the latest mobile phones often have MP3 capacity, so people can download walking tours

Artavia mock up 16-8-5.indd

onto their phone, or simply dial up and listen.

So who is doing it already? Well, unsurprisingly perhaps, the BBC on their website for the highly

More and more people are interested in discovering an area’s history,

successful culture/heritage series Coast (www.bbc.co.uk/coast) they

culture and heritage. Tourist Information Centres (TICs) and the visitor marketing organisations address this in various ways including promoting

have created free audio walks for various sections of coastline and

sites and walks in their areas.

coastal towns. As you would expect, they are full of music, sounds and interviews all helping to bring history alive.

Many TICs organise guided tours, which can be hugely enjoyable and informative when led by a professional guide. However, for many people,

What are the benefits of digital audio walks?

guided tours are not always convenient or may not be ‘their thing’. So, most TICs and visitor marketing organisations also provide paper or printable trails or walks. And they have been doing this for years.

•

More fun than printed walk leaflets

•

More convenient than organised walking tours, it’s up to you

However, leaflets with the walking route do little to stimulate young

when you decide to do the tour - when to start it and when

people, the next generation of historical and cultural enthusiasts, or even

to stop it

the current ones.

Digital technology: an exciting new opportunity for the future.

•

More information than a written walking trail.

•

They can promote aspects of culture and heritage which cannot be communicated through the printed word

Technology has progressed rapidly with MP3 players (now in phones too),

(e.g. music and sounds)

SIGHTS, SOUNDS

AND SECRETS! AUDIO CITY WALKS

music downloads rather than CDs and handheld GPS positioning kits •

becoming widely available and affordable. With the increase in use of

Huge scope to make them sensual with atmospheric music,

MP3 players (such as iPods) a new medium is available for tourism: the

interviews and sounds, which could appeal to people who

Top quality MP3 audio city walks

downloadable audio walk. This is very much an emerging business with

prefer hearing to reading

some of the existing site audio tours (such as those used by Historic

•

Royal Palaces, English Heritage and others) showing how places can be brought alive with exciting professional production using relevant music,

High quality audio productions can help stimulate people’s

imagination to capture the atmosphere of how life once was

in the area

sounds & interviews. This makes the most of technology and takes the •

best of the in-site audio quality onto the streets.

The “walking with a friend” atmosphere develops a trust which will make the listener more likely to visit

How do we access audio walks?

recommendations made along the route, thus promoting an

Audio walks could be offered as downloads from organisations’ websites

area’s attractions and businesses more effectively

(e.g. Visit London, Visit Scotland, Visit Cardiff Bay) or any town or city could offer them on their websites. Evidence from visitor attractions show that if they are free, many more people will take advantage of them.

Sally Empson MTS | Creative Director Cities in Sound Ltd

Services for travel companies and destinations:

Promotional vouchers Licences for existing walks Sponsorship of new walks Custom walks

See our website for audio clips and route maps of walks in London, Edinburgh, Paris and Rome (more coming soon!).

Artavia Artavia

- Market Leaders in UK Tourism

For truly effective advertising solutions speak to a specialist nobody understands your market quite like Artavia. A wealth of experience enables us to provide professional and considered service to companies both large and small. Creativity, commitment and unbeatable value come as standard. In today’s fast paced and ever changing world, knowledgeable advice is paramount. To ensure your advertising delivers results contact Jane Anderson

t 01392

495529

e janeanderson@artavia.co.uk

For more information contact: Bob Empson, Commercial Director bob@citiesinsound.com +44 (0)20 8822 3320

www.citiesinsound.com • London • Manchester • The West Country • Southern England • Yorkshire The Tourism Society Journal

Quarter 1 ISSUE 131 Spring 2007

Email: journal@tourismsociety.org

Website: www.tourismsociety.org

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Website Review

visitbritain.com

visitscotland.com

Site Purpose: ★★

Site Purpose: ★★★★★

To promote Britain as a short break or long holiday destination.

To promote Scotland’s culture and events through tourism.

Homepage: ★★★

Homepage: ★★★★★

The initial splash page allows visitors to choose their country and language, which gives international visitors tailored content. The splash page has strong inspirational imagery. However, we were frustrated that we had to scroll to find the link for UK visitors. Once on the homepage, there are no clear promotions or indication that content is updated regularly, making it less likely that repeat visitors will look at this page twice.

This site is easy to navigate from the home page with many choices presented to visitors (including a quick search, a clickable map and also contextual links organised by topic).

Promoting UK Culture & Heritage Online

The top portion of the page is not used to its best advantage - much of the space is devoted to banner advertising and site search. This valuable real estate would be better suited to clearly stating the site’s USP’s, a consistent navigation system, seasonal promotions and strong calls to action - all of which would make the homepage both more useful and engaging.

We critiqued four of the top UK culture and heritage tourism websites to

maps and video. It must be extremely obvious to visitors what

Accessing Information: ★★

measure how effective each were in inspiring their audience to learn

the site wants them to do, why they should do it and where

more about a particular destination and ultimately visit in person. For the

they should click. Get this wrong and you’ll confuse visitors,

purposes of this article, we have focused on answering the following five

ultimately resulting in higher exit rates.

One drawback to depth of content was the difficulty in finding our way through the site - we found we had to rely heavily on the breadcrumb navigation. Once we got into the lower levels of the site we found there is some great content – unfortunately this is not communicated on the higher levels as well as it could be.

key sets of questions for each site:

5. Natural Search Optimisation - There are now over a billion

1. The site’s purpose - How effective is the site in delivering the

internet users across the globe. Over 80% of us access a site through searches alone - sites which are not built in compliance

organisation’s aims and objectives?

Although the site search is given prominence at the top of every page, the results returned are not as useful as they could be.

with search engine requirements loose a significant number of 2. The homepage - Does the site communicate its Unique Selling Proposition (USP) from the home page and primary entry

prospective visitors. Summarised below is an indication of

Calls to Action: ★★ The homepage lacks strong calls to action, although there are many links to choose from. There are almost too many choices presented, which may overwhelm some visitors.

demand in this area.

pages? You only have a few seconds to ‘capture’ a visitor. It is essential at this stage that you effectively communicate brand, product/services and provide strong calls to action; get this

Although we have done this study on behalf of the culture and heritage

wrong and you could lose 30% of your visitors in less than

tourism market, these are universal website concerns and what we have

30 seconds.

learned here can be applied to any website that is trying to promote an idea or service.

The Destination Guides section is much more successful as there are only a few options presented to visitors and different methods to access the same information.

Natural Search Optimisation: ★★★

3. Ease of accessing information - Is the site easy to navigate? Is it easy to find information and is the content presented both interesting and engaging? Visitors spend more time on sites that fulfil these requirements successfully and are more likely to return again and again, while sites that are difficult to use lose 10-20% of visitors with every click.

The animated banner at the top of the homepage communicates the site’s purpose very effectively in just three simple, but engaging, frames. The top header not only introduces the main navigation structure but the naming conventions contribute to communicating the sites proposition. The top portion of the page is not used to its best advantage - much of the space is devoted to banner advertising and site search. This valuable real estate would be better suited to clearly stating the site’s USP’s, a consistent navigation system, seasonal promotions and strong calls to action - all of which would make the homepage both more useful and engaging.

Accessing Information: ★★★★ The site is easy to navigate at the higher levels, however there is a lack of a consistent site structure on the lower-level pages, with some pages opening in pop-up windows (not recommended for SEO or usability). Although the site acts as a portal for various Scottish tourism businesses, content is presented within a single framework, providing a consistent feel and appearance.

Calls to Action: ★★★★ There are strong, clear calls to action throughout the site. Buttons, images, icons and text links are both obvious and make sense. Overall we found this site to be the most enjoyable to use.

Natural Search Optimisation: ★★★★★

The site utilises basic practices of Search Engine Optimisation, however, fails to target any specific categories of keyword. The site is also dominated by search forms. As a result, fails to maximise keyword placement opportunities that the content provides

Consideration has obviously been given to Search Engine Optimisation in abundance. The site is well structured featuring keyword-rich URLs with targeted page titles to compliment. As a result, the site records first place for ‘accommodation in Scotland’, and second place for ‘holidays in Scotland’ in the search engine results pages of Google.

TOTAL SCORE: 12 OUT OF A POSSIBLE 25 STARS

TOTAL SCORE: 23 OUT OF A POSSIBLE 25 STARS

nationaltrust.org.uk

miss altogether. The number of different page layout styles places a burden on visitors to have to re-learn how to navigate each time a different style is presented to them. That said, we thought the ‘Find a Place to Visit’ section is excellent feature that is easy to use and provides very useful results.

4. Calls to action - Does the sites utilise a range of different methods to engage their visitors, including inspirational imagery, Keyword

Monthly Searches

english heritage society and culture culture and society heritage open days heritage culture scottish natural heritage world heritage sites national heritage english heritage membership heritage weekend english heritage sites european heritage coach tours heritage hotel torquay

heritage hotels english heritage cottages heritage week heritage days

3090 840 510 510 330 210 210 120 120 120 90 90 60 60 60 60 60 60

Current

Number One

English Heritage Society and Culture in the Yahoo! Directory Theory, Culture & SocietyTheory, Culture & Society Heritage Open Days Heritage Foundation Wikipedia Scottish Natural Heritage UNESCO World Heritage Centre Scottish Natural Heritage English Heritage Heritage Open Days English Heritage European Heritage Tours The Heritage Hotel Macdonald UK Hotels English Heritage Heritage Week 2006 Heritage Open Days

URL www.english-heritage.org.uk dir.yahoo.com/Society_and_Culture/ tcs.sagepub.com/ www.heritageopendays.org.uk/ www.heriatge.com/ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture www.snh.org.uk whc.uneso.org www.snh.org.uk/ www.english-heritage.org.uk www.heritaheopendays.org.uk www.english-heritage.org.uk www.europeanheritagetours.com www.english-riviera.co.uk www.macdonaldhotels.co.uk www.english-heritage.org.uk www.heritageweek.ie www.heritageopendays.org.uk

Site Purpose: ★★★ To encourage people to visit and enjoy their national heritage – and as a result show a concern for conservation.

Homepage: ★★★★ The homepage is strong with a clear, timely promotion (in this case for Mother’s Day). Content is obviously regularly updated on this page, which will encourage repeat visitors. We found it would be helpful if all the imagery on the homepage linked to lower level pages. The three main areas of the site are not immediately obvious links from the homepage.

Accessing Information: ★★★ There is a wealth of tools and in-depth content which is used to help visitors understand the charity’s vision – however, because the site has an inconsistent navigation structure, it was hard to find this content. Some sections use a left navigation, while others do not. Many pages had key links and content below the ‘fold’ which visitors could potentially

Calls to Action: ★★★ The navigation at the very top of pages is cluttered in its nonconventional layout These top links would better served if they were reorganised with a stronger emphasis on the ‘Find a Place to Visit’ content.

Natural Search Optimisation: ★★★ The site’s URL lacks keyword structure and is interlaced with characters which dilute the weighing of the keywords which exist. Although consideration has clearly been given to SEO on the National Trust site, it appears to lack structure and targeting.

TOTAL SCORE: 16 OUT OF A POSSIBLE 25 STARS

The Tourism Society Journal

Quarter 1 ISSUE 131 Spring 2007

Email: journal@tourismsociety.org

Website: www.tourismsociety.org

Quarter 1 ISSUE 131 Spring 2007

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Page 16

With such a wealth of information, it would be helpful to have featured

english-heritage.org.uk

content presented to visitors.

Site Purpose: ★★★★

The breadcrumb navigation at the top of pages is useful to help visitors figure out where they are within the site at any time.

Calls to Action: ★★

Homepage: ★★★★

Text links are styled similarly to plain text, which makes them harder to see.

The density of information on the homepage is overwhelming. Less content and simple but strong calls to action would be more effective at driving visitors deeper into the site. There is currently too much of a burden on the visitor to wade through information in order to make a decision of how to next proceed. We did find the 1066 promotion very engaging.

Accessing Information: ★★★★

The site would benefit from a simpler approach with less possible actions on each page, thus presenting links with both more emphasis and purpose. We found it helpful that on lower level pages sub-section links are paired with imagery, giving visitors clues to the content behind the links.

Natural Search Optimisation: ★★★ The site’s structure is the least SEO friendly site of the four. With

Like The National Trust, this site also colour-codes its three main sections to aid orientation. The layout is consistent and so sections are easy to scan for key information. No clear hierarchy is evident within the page structures. As a result, visitors are likely to be confused how to proceed through the site.

exception of the domain name, the site’s URL doesn’t contain any keywords. The site titles appear to be dynamically generated, as a result,

Communicating and providing access to such diverse and rich content is a challenge for organisations not least Culture and Heritage sites in this review. The most successful implementation in our view is Visit Scotland.

While the other sites have rich content they suffer mainly from either

In addition to our duties as the

domestic tourism would generate £6 billion in additional revenue, whilst

largest conservation charity in

the same rise in international would result in just £1.2 billion.

Europe the National Trust is a

poor/confusing navigation which may simply be down to the

significant player in the tourism

evolutionary manner in which many sites have been forced to develop.

industry with a turnover of

Search Engine Optimisation is generally poor which is a shame given the richness and relevance of the content to the public as a whole.

£300m each year. We annually welcome some 13 million people to our-pay-for-entry

It inspires the web Visitor, while providing easy access in a consistent manner to key information and provides plenty of reasons to return.

Pressures for our tourism industry

lacks targeted keywords.

TOTAL SCORE: 17 OUT OF A POSSIBLE 25 STARS

Overall Summary

National Trust

properties and an estimated 100

Michael Anderson MTS | Managing Director Web Marketplace Solutions Limited

million visits to our coast and

£bn in tourism revenue generated

English Heritage exists to protect and promote England's history and also ensure that its past is researched and understood.

countryside properties.

16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0

Tourism is expected to continue to grow as an economic sector for the

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

Increase in tourism

foreseeable future and the Government’s Tourism Prospectus Graph: Office of National Statistics

Tomorrow’s Tourism - established a target to grow the UK market to £100 billion by 2010. However, the tourism sector faces a number of challenges that without action this target will be undermined - namely the tourism deficit and the rise in visitor car based travel.

We would like to see a Government target to reduce the current deficit by placing a greater emphasis on the domestic market, especially in marketing and promotion lessening the pressure for further significant expansion of an environmentally damaging aviation sector.

The tourism deficit has grown dramatically in the last 10 years, with UK holiday-makers now spending £17 billion more abroad than visitors to

Another key concern of the National Trust, amongst others, is the high

the UK are spending here. This growth has been fuelled by the rise in UK

dependency of the tourism sector, particularly in rural areas, of visitors by

residents taking foreign holidays, especially short breaks, and is denying

car and the impacts these visits have on the quality of the experience,

the UK much needed tourism spend. Fuelled by falling air fares and rising

the state of the assets the industry is based upon and the wider

incomes demand for airtravel has soared promoting a Government policy

economic, social and environmental costs of growing visitor and rural

to expand airport and runway capacity to meet demand - threatening

traffic. The National Trust are trying to change this culture in relation to

many beautiful and historic properties owned by the National Trust such

our own properties, by developing a toolkit to help properties find green

as the effect of noise and pollution on Hatfield Forest near Stansted,

transport solutions for their visitors and investing in a number of

damage from vibrations Speke Hall suffers from on the edge of Liverpool

schemes such as the Greenway case study mentioned.

and the loss of tranquillity on the North Downs.

But persuading people not to visit by car is both difficult and costly,

Rather than questioning the environmental and economic impacts of

particularly so now that the chunk of funding though the Countryside

growth the current emphasis on tackling this imbalance has been on

Agency which supported many car free leisure schemes allowing access

encouraging more overseas visitors to the UK with VisitBritain spending

to the countryside finished in 2005 resulting in the folding of vast

£35.5 million on international marketing, compared to £13.3 million on

swathes of these initiatives. We need to see Government policy recognise

marketing England to the domestic tourist in 2005/6. However, in terms

the detrimental effect a further rise in visitor traffic coupled with a lack

of tourism revenue, the domestic market far out-strips the international

of alternatives have for the tourism sector of this country and to focus

market with UK residents contributing over £60 billion a year compared

more on promoting the improving of public transport and car free

to just under £12 billion from international visitors.

tourism opportunities.

This is especially important in rural areas where, for example, in the

Olivia Morris | Policy and Campaigns Officer, Communities and Development The National Trust

south-west of England domestic visits account for 14 times the number of those from overseas. As the graph below shows, a 10% rise in

The Tourism Society Journal

Email: journal@tourismsociety.org

Website: www.tourismsociety.org

Quarter 1 ISSUE 131 Spring 2007

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Page 18

Cultural Tourism in a Changing World

regenerated cities that have used unique cultural icons, activities or

intrepid. The new cultural tourist is just as likely to be a stressed

events to enhance their image, for example, Bilbao, Glasgow.

executive with only a few days spare. S(he) may seek diverse cultural

In the past, cultural tourism was seen as a predominantly educational

experiences in a short space of time, combining entertainment and

activity and researchers demonstrated that cultural tourists tended to be

escapism with recreation and relaxation. S(he) may have a penchant for

better educated than the average visitor. Although this may still hold

unique, interactive, high-tech attractions. Anthropological pursuits are too

true, even educated visitors seem to favour locations that also offer

time-consuming and discomforting. This kind of tourist prefers to soak up

entertainment and relaxation. Visitors are increasingly interested in

local atmosphere in a café or bar. However, in other ways, s(he) may be

experiences that are more active and creative than cultural. They are not

more active, engaging in creative or expressive activities which develop

content simply to view heritage sites or museum collections in a static way, and therefore welcome dynamic interpretation. They may want to participate in festivals and carnivals, rather than watching from the sidelines. They can learn to cook dishes and make wine as well as

Facets of cultural tourism

consuming them.

the self. The table suggests a polarisation between those cultural tourists who are traditional and those who are new. Of course, the reality functions more like a spectrum, with tourists making different choices at different times,

The ability to truly escape is becoming more difficult. The long hours

sometimes within one holiday. The following diagram gives an example

working culture of capitalist societies leave precious little time for leisure

of the spectrum of products, locations and activities that cultural tourists

Culture has always been one of the most contentious words in the

or travel. Sociological research suggests that many people are finding it

English language, with theorists and philosophers arguing about what

increasingly hard to differentiate between what they do during their

should or should not be included. Culture has variously been defined as

everyday leisure time and what they do on holiday. Ubiquitous

relating to the arts and activities of an élite in the nineteenth century, to

technological gadgets and communication devices mean that we are

being about the whole way of life of societies in the twentieth. Culture in

rarely completely disconnected, even when we are thousands of miles

the twenty-first century appears to be defined as not only

from home. Many people are so used to the sophistication and comfort

anthropological and sociological, but commercial and creative, active and

of ‘new leisure technologies’ that traditional destinations and

experiential, tangible and intangible.

entertainment forms can seem uncomfortable and boring in comparison.

might engage in.

Traditional Cultural Typical Activities Tourist

Typical Destinations

Visiting tribal groups

African or Asian villages

Visiting World Heritage Sites

Pyramids, Taj Mahal

Visiting historic towns

Venice, Oxford, Kracow

Thus museums struggle to attract visitors unless they are fully In terms of cultural tourism development, the definitions we use as both

interactive; theatres have far more difficulties getting bums on seats than

academics and practitioners are of considerable importance. Generally

cinemas; art installations increasingly replace drawings and paintings in

speaking, those attractions and activities that could technically take place anywhere in the world are not usually categorised as cultural tourism. The fact that Disneyland could be established in Paris (albeit with mixed success), World Cup football is multi-locational, and one shopping mall is very like another, demonstrates this fact well. The following diagram shows the different facets of cultural tourism, exclusive of global entertainment attractions:

It is often assumed that cultural tourism is something that is inherently local and geographically specific rather than global, e.g. visiting historic

Attending arts festivals Edinburgh, Avignon

galleries; and whole worlds are being simulated in shopping malls and entertainment centres (e.g. in Dubai).

Attending carnivals

monuments that are unique to a specific location. However, the reality is

The table below summarises the main characteristics of the ‘new’ cultural

somewhat different. Most cultural forms travel extremely well, for

tourism as opposed to more traditional forms:

Attending mega-events EXPOS, Olympics

example, the performing arts, festivals and events, gastronomy and wines,

Engaging in creative or holistic activities

and visual arts in the form of travelling exhibitions. Even creative Traditional Cultural Tourism

New Cultural Tourism

anywhere. Indeed, do we need to travel at all for the purposes of cultural

Cultural

Creative

Passive

Active

Educational

Experiential

Location-based

Activities-based

purpose was influenced by colonisation or other global forces. More

Indigenous cultures

Travelling cultures

anthropological forms of cultural tourism also require visitation to

Monoculture

Cultural diversity

Tangible resources

Intangible aspects

locationally specific. Although we will still travel in order to enjoy unique

end and sells better if it takes place in a location that is famous for its

Anthropological

Technological

experiences, cultural excitement is more likely to exist in cosmopolitan

landscapes, cuisine, or dance forms.

Adventurous

Entertaining

locations (e.g. world cities) than in small villages. Perhaps it will actually

The more intangible aspects of cultural tourism locations need to be

Arduous

Therapeutic

taken into consideration, such as sense of place, character and

Culturally distinctive activities

Culturally unique activities

Perhaps locations matter less than activities. This can be true of the arts and events, but arguably less so of heritage. World Heritage Sites are always geographically bound, even if their original construction and

specific locations. It could equally be argued that a watercolour, cookery or dance holiday can take place almost anywhere, but it is enhanced no

Visiting culturally Bilbao, Rotterdam, regenerated industrial cities Glasgow

New Cultural Tourist

Visiting simulated worlds

Dubai, Las Vegas

This takes us back to the original debate about definitions of culture and the extent to which some of the new destinations and activities could even be said to constitute cultural tourism. It seems that cultural tourism of the future will be more globalised, based on new technologies and less

serve the environment and communities better to encourage large scale cultural tourism in locations that can really accommodate it, however displaced or decontextualised the cultural activities may be. This issue is

atmosphere. Many perception studies suggest that visitors enjoy such

as contentious as debates about the meaning of culture, but it is also

elements, even though they can be hard to define or create. They are often a result of unique architectural styles, public art, or local use of

This table demonstrates the way in which cultural tourism is evolving,

space and animation (e.g. street markets, nightlife). Many modern or

partly as a result of changes in society and lifestyles. The cultural tourist

industrial cities are said to be lacking in identity or atmosphere, due to a

of the past may have been a backpacker with many weeks to spare or an

lack of cultural specificity and uniqueness. For this reason, culture and

ardent fan of history keen to tick off a list of must-see World Heritage

cultural tourism are increasingly being used as catalysts for urban

Sites. He or she would have tolerated some discomfort to engage in local

regeneration. There has been an unprecedented rise in the desire to visit

activities and integrate with communities, and would be adventurous and

one of the most pertinent in this rapidly changing world.

Melanie Smith | Author/Editor Senior Lecturer in Cultural Tourism, University of Economic Sciences, Budapest

The Tourism Society Journal

The Tourism Society Journal Quarter 1 ISSUE 131 Spring 2007

Skyros, Cortijo Romero

activities such as painting, photography or pottery can be done almost tourism?

Rio, Notting Hill, Trinidad

Email: journal@tourismsociety.org

Website: www.tourismsociety.org

ISSUE 131 Spring 2007

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Page 20

Cultural and Heritage Tourism in Italy Italy

Cultural Tourism in Latvia Latvia

In the collective consciousness of much of the world’s culture tourists,

As well as traditional hotels, there are many options which make it

CULTURAL tourism is developing fast around the world and Latvia sees

Opera is another major cultural attraction. Riga International Opera

Italy is seen as a tourist destination rich in art and history with a strong

possible to enjoy a stay in these sites of cultural interest: self catering

this as one of its strongest segments.

Festival and Sigulda Open-Air Opera Festival attract significant numbers

historical-monumental-artistic heritage. This heritage is a result of various

apartments, agriturismo farm stays, bed & breakfasts and a new and

Latvia has a rich cultural heritage, UNESCO sites, strong performing and

historical periods which followed one another, beginning with the Roman

original formula which is called albergo diffuso. These are hotel structures

visual arts, distinctive festivals and significant creative industries. Riga has

Empire, followed by The Middle Ages, with its famous university cities

located in various historical buildings of an ancient city centre inhabited

long been the trade and cultural hub of the Baltic region, with periods

Riga possesses many museums, though their level of development for

which attracted students from throughout Europe and frequent

with centralised services. This is a way to recover and give value to small

under German, Tsarist, Polish, Swedish and Soviet rule. Each regime has

foreign tourist requirements varies. There is also an issue with finance in

pilgrimages to the tombs of the apostles Peter and Paul in Rome Then

towns of historical, artistic and architectural interest. Currently in Italy

left its influence. Nonetheless, Latvians have also preserved their

that many museums are not able to modernise and become more

the Renaissance, with its high artistic and literary expressions involved

there are 52 such structures, located throughout the various regions, with

particular national identity, language and cultural traditions.

economically viable. Recently, a trilingual website was created featuring

many aristocrats who came to visit the sites of classical culture and the

a current availability of approximately two thousand rooms which will

The largest concentration of cultural tourism elements is located in the

certainly increase in number. Thus, the old medieval city centres, part of

capital. Even the most disinterested tourist cannot help but notice Riga’s

Italy’s rich historical and cultural heritage, are flowering again, bringing a

architecture, national opera, concert and theatre venues, art galleries and

Traditional crafts are still widely practiced in Latvia, providing possibilities

new way of making tourism, in which one feels part of the past and can

museums.

for revenue generation via souvenirs as well as becoming cultural

ancient vestiges of the past on the Grand Tour. Even today, this image of Italy is so deeply rooted and widespread that at least 50% of foreigners who visit Italy do so mainly for cultural reasons. In many cases, the principle reason for travel is not cultural, but travellers still might visit an historical monument, a museum or participate in artistic or cultural

enjoy the pleasure of a simple life far from the maddening crowds of the metropolis.

events. Today, many visitors attempt to combine various types of motivation for travel, even for business, with cultural programmes.

In recent years, the Italian State Tourist Board has tried to encourage the

An important feature of the Italian tourist world is its great variety from

Roman Empire, numerous city states were created in the Middle Ages, each with its own lifestyle, customs, cooking and dialect. Therefore, a visit to the most famous cities, such as Rome, Florence and Venice, does not exhaust the cultural knowledge of Italy. At least 6,500 of the 8,500 Italian cities have their own local tourism offices (Pro loco) and boast a strong cultural offer worthy of being explored. At times, it is enough to excavate

and a symbol of national identity. During periods of occupation,

and a large annual Crafts Market takes place at the Open-Air Ethnographic Museum with smaller equivalents in regional centres.

traditions were preserved through folk songs. The independence Appropriately, the slogan adopted by the Latvian tourism industry is “The

castles, palaces, manors and churches. The product is increasingly popular

Land That Sings”.

for foreign tourists.

The most notable single manifestation is the Latvian Song and Dance

A year ago, LTDA launched a special initiative in Religious Tourism. Its

Festival which unites 13,000 participants into a single choir once every

purpose was to give financial support to maintain churches and increase

It is precisely tourism, encouraged by the internet and low cost flights,

five years. In 2003 the Festival was proclaimed as a UNESCO Masterpiece

tourist accessibility.

which has saved Italian tourism in recent years. Indeed, whereas seaside

of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.

Paradoxically, religious celebrations have become an excellent means of

tourism, particularly in markets such as Germany, has decreased, cultural

demonstrating the benefits of cultural diversity. For example, Lutherans

tourism is constantly increasing, and in the last three years has actually

and Catholics celebrate Christmas from 24-26 December while the

reached 25% of arrivals in cities such as Rome.

significant Russian Orthodox community celebrates on 7 January. So, Latvia has a ‘double Christmas’.

to find remains of ancient monuments. Many minor Italian cities have

The largest annual celebration by far is the Midsummer Festival, which

been defined as veritable open air museums on par with the most famous capitals of culture.

main tourism portal and promotional materials.

Outside Riga the most obvious cultural heritage appeal is provided by

performances.

diversity even among nearby geographical areas. After the fall of the

most museums in Latvia, though it is yet to be incorporated into the

attractions in their own right. Many workshops are open to the public Music is an important part of Latvian culture both as a tourism product

minor centres, gastronomy, cultural events, festivals, concerts and

particularly in the abundance of places which evoke the past and its

and the International Early Music Festival.

movement of 1991 has gone down in history as the “Singing Revolution”.

culture and heritage product associated with the art cities, historicalarchaeological routes, the discovery of artistic and crafts treasures of

region to region and from city to city. Its principle attraction lies

of foreign visitors. Other festivals include Riga International Ballet Festival

Pio Trippa MTS | Italian State Tourist Board

has clear pagan roots. People wear wreaths, light bonfires, sing ritual songs, and prepare traditional food and drink. Visitors to Latvia during this period are amazed by the spectacle and it serves as an excellent demonstration and reinforces unique ‘Latvian-ness’.

Many minor Italian cities have been defined as veritable open air museums on par with the most famous capitals of culture.

Future plans include the construction of a Modern Art Museum in Riga, concert halls in Riga and Liepaja, a Mark Rothko cultural centre in Daugavpils and a new National Library. Riga will be one of contestants for the title of European Capital of Culture in 2014. www.youwontbelieveit.eu www.latviatourism.lv

Eva Staltmane MTS | Director Latvian Tourism Bureau in London

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Museums and Galleries Month Museums need to broaden their horizons

Sustainable Tourism: The grass should always be greener! Engaging businesses in cultural and heritage tourism

perhaps staying with friends and relatives - but it also cuts museums off

The greatest challenge for any destination manager - local, regional or

roaming pigs, locally reared beef and venison, local cheeses,

from a growing and sometimes free spending market.

national is achieving industry buy in to your work. When you start to use

wines, vegetables, sea foods and the now famous New Forest

words such as culture, heritage or sustainability you’re likely to lose the

breakfast.

The DCMS is aware of this conflict of interests and in welcoming the

interest of the majority of your business stakeholders who are

recently announced datasharing between the 24 Hour Museum and

preoccupied with trying to make a living/profit. The fact that badly

VisitBritain, David Lammy, Minister for the Arts, wrote in the Campaign

planned development of “tourism” could actually destroy the cultural

for Museums’ Museums and Galleries Month Newsletter in January:

heritage on which the destination relies and seriously undermine the

“People don’t plan their holidays in a separate box from thinking about the

•

Energy, waste and recycling initiatives - a commitment from businesses to create their own plan to reduce waste and improve energy efficiency in all aspects of their operations.

•

visitor opportunity seems lost on many businesses.

Landscape conservation - businesses helping to support wildlife from putting up bird and bat boxes to planting native

things they want to do and see when they get there. So this new link-up

Because of its rich cultural heritage, the New Forest has always been at

(see above) will make it easier for people coming to Britain and those

the forefront of the “green” tourism revolution and in the past few years

already here to get the most out of their visit. It means visitors with a

has been working with Tourism South East, South West Tourism,

specialist cultural or historical interest will be able to find what they want

VisitBritain and DCMS to develop a three-step model to help businesses

liaison with the Forestry Commission businesses learn about

more easily.

take advantage of this big change in customer expectations.

forest management, sensitive habitats, recreational issues etc

With the expansion of our web-based culture and the development of new

The New Forest vision of the “VICE” approach to destination

generation websites like MySpace (www.myspace.com), Google Maps

management - where the needs and demands of visitors, industry,

(maps.google.co.uk) and Windows Live Local (local.live.com) - the

community are met within environmental limits - remains central. The

relationships with the local communities of the New Forest and

cultural sector needs to stand up and be counted. This is a really interesting

challenge is to move to a national approach which is locally flexible.

engaging them in sustainable tourism and destination

opportunity to provide cultural information to mix into these sites.”

This is where the 3 step model comes in. Step 1 seeks to improve the

British trees. •

Forest friends visitor stewardship - visitor gift aid and in

cascading that to staff and then to visitors.

In today’s performance driven world, most public funded museums are focusing on very specific audiences. These are laid down by Department for Culture Media and Sport, followed by many local authorities and

This is really good news, so is Superbreak Holiday’s support for Museums

focus on the C2, D, E as well as ethnic minority audiences.

and Galleries Month in May which will be on every Superbreak Email Bulletin to those who book a short break in May. In addition, VisitBritain

In principle this is a good thing. We do want to broaden the market for museums and galleries and to encourage those for whom it has not been

is planning a tourism workshop for sector representatives from museums and galleries in Birmingham in May.

part of their day to day life to explore the treasures which also belong to

•

management. relationship between sustainability and the National Quality Assurance

Seventy New Forest hotels, B&Bs and other accommodation businesses

Scheme (NQAS) / Visitor Attraction Quality Assurance Scheme (VAQAS).

have signed up to the scheme and more are signing up every month.

How this is best achieved is currently being considered by Visit Britain’s Quality Review Group. Step 2 is the promotion of a range of “tools” for

Industry is starting to recognise the huge marketing advantage to be had

supporting businesses at a local level to take sustainable action1. Step 3 is

for those businesses that can present their “green” credentials to

the roll out of a nationally consistent sustainable tourism accreditation

customers and local step 2 schemes such as GLTS enable destination managers to help businesses move on to a fully fledged Step 3.

them. In practice it means that many museums devote their limited

Museums and Galleries Month which was first held in 2000 is now in the

scheme, which market forces has shown to be the Green Tourism Business Scheme (GTBS).

amount of marketing spend to just those audiences. However, when

second year of a three year cycle with funding from Museums Libraries

doing that, they get caught between two conflicting demands. Frequently

and Archives Council. A small development group, chaired by Ashley

their public paymasters will also ask them to increase their commercial

Jones, Commercial Manager at the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum has

income. In the real world that means encouraging more of the regular

been set up, to see how MGM might transform itself for 2009 into

museum going audience to spend at special exhibitions, in the café and

something new, more exciting and more vibrant and of appeal to visitors

In the New Forest Green Leaf Tourism Scheme (GLTS) businesses are

in the shop and others to hold corporate events, conferences and parties

of all kinds - and link to the Cultural Olympiad.

committed to supporting:

There’s now no question that one of the major routes to sustainable

The New Forest Green Leaf is proving a huge success as a local step 2

destination success is the protection and enhancement of culture and

scheme in a national demonstration of the three step model.

heritage. It’s not only what sets each destination’s quality apart, it’s actually what makes it a better place to live in and visit!

at their museums.

Step 2 includes the development of a destination manager’s pick and

mix toolkit, which will also be a component of the proposed “Online During this Spring, we are looking for ideas. If you, as members of the

The tourists, visitors to Britain and British visitors travelling around their

Tourism Society, have thoughts about how the UK’s 1,500 museums and

own country, get short changed in this politically direct audience

galleries can promote themselves more effectively to a wider market

development policy. Some museums (and this does not apply on the

including tourists during a national promotion - please let me know.

•

Car-free tourism - working with rail, air and bus operators to reduce the amount of visitor traffic including car-free discounts from hotels and businesses, a New Forest tour bus to pick up and drop off walkers and cyclists and 100 miles of off-road cycling tracks.

whole to our great national museums) feel that they should not be promoting to this market - so obviously better off as they can travel around! Not only does that make assumptions about people who travel -

Ylva French FTS | Director The Campaign for Museums

•

New Forest Marque produce - fresh, environmentally friendly, locally distinctive and free range produce. Pork from forest

Tourism Resource”. (An online incorporation of the best of TMI’s Destination Management Handbook, Insights and Visit Britain’s database of information).

Anthony Climpson OBE FTS Tourism Destination Manager New Forest District Council

The Tourism Society Journal

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Community tourism - supporting and establishing positive

Email: journal@tourismsociety.org

Website: www.tourismsociety.org

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TSCG Survey Results and Analysis

Historic Towns Modern Tourism

The survey that was carried out at the end of 2006 gave some

London based meetings and regional meetings with the West Midlands as

One of the paradoxes of tourism is that, in a world obsessed with

interesting information from which we can build the future of the TSCG.

the most favoured region.

modernity and the transience of celebrity, heritage remains a huge draw

Of the activities that the TSCG could carry out for its members the

With regards accreditation and obtaining work opportunities there was a

for visitors. Tourism is a fact of life for most historic towns.

favourite was to have a high quality searchable web site. This was well

split personality. Most responses, nearly two thirds, said that lack of

Any attempt to describe and asses the nature of this tourism is

accreditation was not a hindrance to work opportunities (nearly a third

complicated by the fact that the concept of a historic town is a rather

were not sure) but just under half acknowledged that there were

fluid one (as is tourism for that matter!). The English Historic Towns

difficulties with job opportunities Commissioning organisations were

Forum includes not just the usual suspects - Oxford Cambridge, Bath,

opportunities; Job opportunities, Professional development and Dissemination of information. The comment was made that the Group

perceived as risk averse and biased against the smaller consultancies.

York, Chester and so on - but a huge range of places from Birmingham to

out in front. Grouped closely together were meetings of interest and representations at briefings and presentations with outside organisations. The benefits expected by the membership cover - Networking

Morecambe and Ludlow to Newcastle, which all get their share of

should have better quality control of consultants. Looking at members and their membership of other organisations - 44 As to the cost/value of membership of the Group, the vast majority

other organisations were mentioned - most commonly the CIM, HCIMA

backed the fees being around the current levels. £100 was also

and the TMI. Nearly 75% of the responses felt that the TSCG was unique

tourism business. Typically visitors are looking for historic buildings, parks and open spaces,

Second, integrated destination management to accommodate tourism

restaurants and pubs and shopping. Many of them are enjoying the

sustainably. This requires many initiatives. Traffic management, such as

relatively low with additional payments for extras such as attendance at

public realm in its widest sense. Typically they will love the attractions, be

park and ride, needs to work alongside product development, such as the

meetings.

more or less complementary about services and complain about prices,

Oxford Castle complex. National and international marketing must

traffic and parking. Day visitors predominate; domestic visitors

encourage visitors to stay longer; and the public realm must be managed

outnumber overseas ones; and the majority arrive by car. Historic towns

to provide both safety and delight. Visitor services must help the tourist

within easy reach of London and large cities play host to large numbers

to get the most out of the trip and businesses need to invest in training

of coach born visitors.

and staff development.

Local responses are mixed. Businesses count the cash and are happy

The world moves on, of course. There are exciting European competitors

provided there is year on year growth. Local councillors count the cost of

a cheap flight away, local government finance is under great pressure and

services and either think it is money well spent in supporting the local

many historic towns are striving to meet the challenge of rapid

economy or wonder why they are spending on people who don’t count

population growth. Increasingly there is the spectre of climate change.

at the ballot box. Residents both recognise the benefits and yet may

How will historic towns respond to changing visitor markets and what

resent feeling like strangers in their own town.

will the industry do to reduce its carbon footprint?

How do historic towns respond to these pressures? In ways as diverse as

The challenge is to make tourism more sustainable, as the EHTF has been

the destinations themselves, though the Forum argues that these should

arguing for 20 years. Our historic towns should aim to become

be rooted in two key ideas.

exemplars, world leaders, of sustainable products, businesses and

suggested, as was £10! A small majority wanted to see the fees kept

in its work. So what are the committee doing about it?

The web site - cited earlier as the main benefit - would be improved with

The web links and email links are already in place and work is on going

web and email links to web sites, better search capabilities and the

on upgrading the web site. A PDF format for the directory is a strong

capability of downloading it in a PDF format. Other suggestions for the

possibility giving the best of both worlds - electronic and print.

web site covered publishing information tendering opportunities and more guidance on commissioning consultants. Marketing suggestions

Meetings are being created but it is frustrating when a topic that the

included publicity material being given out at meetings, conferences and

survey indicates is ‘an issue’ does not get support and has to be

events and a stronger brand.

cancelled. Briefings and other meetings take place whenever the The previous printed directory published in 2004 had a better than expected reception

opportunity arises and more leads are being sought. A change of name is being investigated - a good number of suggestions

with some positive leads coming from it; have been received and will be discussed.

but it seemed to be most useful in helping consultants to network.

So things are looking positive, we are on the right lines and will continue

On the topic of meetings the

to work for the membership. This page will be a regular feature of the

three main headings of the

journal with additional email bulletins as and when necessary under the

suggestions made were -

title Briefings.

Business Opportunities,

much historic cities as Lincoln and Colchester, though they are newer and

Knowledge Building and

If you have views, thoughts opinions, suggestions then please get in

Professional Development.

touch - especially with regards meetings and helping to create them -

Most consultants want to

topics and speakers please.

attend meetings but not to help organise them! It was a fairly even split between having

First, an inclusive view of heritage. Letchworth and Harlow are just as

Thank you for your continuing support.

cannot boast of great architectural set pieces. Heritage is about people and industry, Dickens in Rochester and fishing in Hull, say, not just ancient stones and grand squares - history and heritage are both cultural

they need private and public investment to achieve it. The philosopher Descartes wrote, ‘Travelling is almost like talking with men of other centuries.’ Travelling to historic towns should be a dialogue with both the past and the future.

and concrete. All these qualities give historic towns an identity, a sense of place and local distinctiveness on which they should build success as

Chris Wikeley FTS | Chair | TSCG

destinations. This must in future be part of their special character - and

destinations.

Brian Human FTS | Chair | English Historic Towns Forum

The Tourism Society Journal

Quarter 1 ISSUE 131 Spring 2007

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Website: www.tourismsociety.org

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Historic Houses Heritage - boosting tourism in the 21st century Of the 1,500 houses, castles and gardens in the membership of the

Historic houses assist the balance of payments, drawing in foreign exchange and dispersing the benefits in the UK economy and provide an alternative attraction for British citizens contemplating a weekend break outside the UK

Historic Houses Association throughout the UK, about 500 are open to the public, more than in the membership of the National Trust, English Heritage and their equivalents in other parts of the UK, combined. Britain’s heritage owners have developed the visitor experience at their houses dramatically in recent years. Where there was once a day visit and a guided tour, there are now opportunities for conferences, concerts, corporate events, re-enactments and weddings. Privately owned houses, castles and parks attract approximately 15 million visitors. Whether the attraction is Anne Boleyn, Alan Titchmarsh or Lily Allen, the setting of the house and park remains central to the success of these events. This privately owned heritage is at a turning point. Decisions to be taken in the coming weeks on the Budget, the Spending Review and the promotion of tourism will have a major bearing on the ability of the sector to make its contribution to tourism in the future. This contribution should not be underestimated. Britain’s historic houses

declined. EH estimates that an increase of £3m per year is needed just to

Such support will succeed, as long as it is accompanied by positive

restore the real terms value of grants to former levels. England now

policies for tourism more widely. In short, we believe the priorities are:

spends less per head on heritage than Germany, Italy, Portugal, Norway,

are a unique cultural asset. The majority are still lived in and, unlike the

Spain and the Netherlands. The position in Scotland and Wales is getting

houses of France or Italy, often still have the art and furniture - and surrounding managed landscapes - that make up the cultural and historic

is already a high cost venue for visitors and should face no

available for privately owned heritage.

further costs if it is to remain competitive

Unless there is an increase in public financial support the cost of repairs

This methodology and HHA survey work indicates a contribution from

72% of tourists from Russia and 66% of those from China say that castles, churches, monuments and historic houses are top of their list of things to visit in Britain (VisitBritain). Britons also love their heritage. The Government’s “Taking Part” Survey

economy.

pressure to sell major works of art to fund essential maintenance. Either

Historic houses assist the balance of payments, drawing in foreign

outside the UK

socio-economic groups too. The 2006 “History Matters - Pass it on

promotion, in all parts of the UK •

The problem is that the long term viability of many historic houses is

Open Days in September 2006.

now threatened. HHA’s 2003 survey revealed a £260 million backlog of repairs.

Heritage’s value to tourism lies in its magnet and multiplier effects. In

management organisations are not working. The funds for

way, the public suffers through a slow but irreversible diminution of its

marketing tourism in England are already small in comparison to

heritage and local communities suffer through reduced employment and

other parts of the UK, before money is further absorbed in

activity. Moreover, a deteriorating heritage is hardly the showcase to

multiple layers. The current Commons Select Committee Inquiry

present to tourists attracted to Britain in advance of or after the

into tourism should review these arrangements and recommend necessary changes.

This sounds gloomy, but only a modest injection of public support would turn a downward spiral into a virtuous circle. A joint paper by the HHA, English Heritage, National Trust, Heritage Lottery Fund and Heritage Link,

1999 the British Tourist Authority found that historic sites not only

Costs of specialist conservation and compliance with regulation such as

“Valuing our Heritage” (available at www.hha.org.uk) estimates that

attracted tourism but also generated additional expenditure in

the Working Time Directive and Fire Safety regulations rise faster than

£37m per year, equal to only 80p per person in England, would produce

accommodation, catering and retailing, so much so that only 4% of

the ability to increase revenue in a competitive leisure market. At the

this outcome, with wider and enduring benefits for the country as

heritage tourism expenditure was at the entrance gate, 96% was outside.

same time local authority and English Heritage grant support have

a whole.

Nick Way | Director General Historic Housing Association

The Tourism Society Journal

Quarter 1 ISSUE 131 Spring 2007

Greater simplicity in tourism promotion; the current Development Agencies and sub-regional tourism destination

2012 Olympics.

Campaign” revealed that over a million people had attended the Heritage

recognition of the pulling power of heritage in tourism

arrangements of VisitBritain, EnjoyEngland, Regional Some historic houses may be forced to close. Others will face increasing

alternative attraction for British citizens contemplating a weekend break

twelve months, and not just the better off - 56% of adults from lower

of repairs will continue to grow.

heritage tourism in privately owned houses of £1.6 - £2 billion in the UK

exchange and dispersing the benefits in the UK economy and provide an

showed that 70% of people had visited a historic site within the last

•

and restoration will become even harder to meet and the current backlog

Europe, the United States, Russia, the Far East and from within the UK.

No additional taxes on tourism, e.g., on accommodation. Britain

tighter as well and Heritage Lottery Fund grants are not generally

entity of the family house. This cultural richness is recognised by the tourists who visit from Western

•

Email: journal@tourismsociety.org

Website: www.tourismsociety.org

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Book Reviews New Edition of British Tourism - Paperback Edition Selling out its first, hardback edition in little over 12 months, British

The main chapters are divided into four post-war eras to make the

Tourism: The Remarkable Story of Growth has been revised and a

changes more understandable and to locate them in their historical

new paperback edition launched this year. First published by

perspective. The contents explain and assess:

Butterworth Heinemann in May 2005, authored by Victor Middleton with the late Len Lickorish, the new edition includes a brand new contributed chapter on tourism growth in Scotland and Wales, as well as a colour plate section. The book tells the story of British tourism since the First World War; reviews the present situation and looks to the future. Growth, at an

•

The roots of post-war tourism growth - the interwar years

•

Tourism in 1950 and today

•

Developments in accommodation and attractions

•

Developments in transport and regulation

•

Marketing developments and trends - the role of entrepreneurs

•

National, regional and local organization in tourism;

estimated tenfold increase in British tourism over 50 years since WWII, has seen political and media views of tourism shift from dismissive political jibes at a ‘candyfloss holiday industry’ to growing recognition that tourism is a core part of the post-industrial and post-agricultural

Britain, Scotland and Wales

economy; is influential in all parts of the UK; a driver of the ‘new economy’ of the 21st century and a vital contributor to sustainable

•

Future trends and prospects

economic growth... Tourism remains firmly below the political stairs, however, Cinderella of Government as noted by a House of Commons

Detailed appendices cover the problems defining and measuring tourism

Select Committee in 2003.

since the 1930s, noting that the basic thinking on which international tourism satellite accounting is now founded was first explained in

Any story that covers so broad a sweep as a century of tourism inevitably involves judgements as to what to include and what to leave out. It also involves the principal author’s selection and interpretation of events. It is clear, however, that the book has been well received by

England in 1944.

About the Authors

independent reviewers and sales achieved demonstrate its success with

The late Len Lickorish CBE, for nearly twenty five years Director General

readers. Judged above all to be ‘fascinating’ and a ‘good read,’ comments

of the British Travel Association, later British Tourist Authority, was the

since the launch include:

originator of this book. The task of editing and rewriting the drafts was

“The Remarkable story of Tourism is a landmark publication and makes a

taken on by Victor Middleton OBE, FTS who joined the British Travel Association in 1968 and was a Founder Fellow, former Chairman and Vice

significant contribution…” The Lord Marshall of Knightsbridge, former

chairman of the Tourism Society. A chapter on developments in Scotland

Chairman of VisitBritain

and Wales is included in the new edition contributed by Dr Brian Hay and “Essential reading for students, career minded people and others

Professor Elwyn Owen.

interested in this fascinating sector of modern society.” J. Seekings in The Tourism Society Journal

Book Availability

“This fascinating book is a highly readable swing through one of the

Members of the Tourism Society are entitled to a 10% discount quoting

country’s most dynamic growth industries.” M. Quest in The Hospitality

reference APG 3 if telephoning 01865 474010 or in the offer code box if

Matters Journal

ordering online from www.books.elsevier.com/hospitality. RRP £24.99.

“A comprehensive and insightful study of one of the great British Success

Cultural Tourism, Global and Local Perspectives

Vietnam Tourism

Andrew Thorburn Trafford Publishing ISBN: 141208678-7 | 203 pages

Greg Richard The Haworth Hospitality Press ISBN: 0-7890-3117-5 | 347 pages

Arthur Asa Berger The Haworth Hospitality Press ISBN: 0-7890-2571-X | 117 pages

At a time when many people argue that there are already too many small, unsustainable museums in the UK, it is always interesting to consider the experiences of those who are unable, for whatever reason, to realise their own aspirations to establish a facility celebrating an aspect of cultural heritage that appeals to them. Understanding the challenges facing the delivery of any tourism project, no matter what the theme or proposed location, should allow us all to serve the sector a little better in the future.

Cultural Tourism, Global and Local Perspectives, is a comprehensive textbook that will be welcomed by academics, students and practitioners in tourism. It reflects the phenomenal growth of global tourism and accentuates the vital local focus. Change and development in tourism both in practice, and as an academic study form a key feature of the work. As tourism becomes ever more specialised and categorised, there is a need to understand how and why this is occurring. The varied examples provided in the text are well used to illustrate the current growth in cultural tourism.

Vietnam is the fastest growing major economy in South East Asia. So if you want to go before the country loses its charm, will this book help you?

Thorburn’s cri de coeur tells the abortive story of the proposal to set up the London Police Museum using the former Bow Street Police Station in Covent Garden, Central London. He takes the reader through the whole process of assembling the team to design, build and operate the facility, the negotiations with the Metropolitan Police, local authority planners and other stakeholders, ending up with an honest assessment (with surprisingly few fingers pointed) of why the project failed. The book works best when treated as an extended case study, as it gives a good insight into every stage of the museum planning process. Of particular interest is the assessment of the fundamental drawbacks they faced from the beginning the fact that the phrase ‘London Police Museum’ contains at least two words that are anathema to many - ‘Police’ and ‘Museum’. The description of the interpretive planning process provides a particularly useful insight into how the project champions sought to overcome these barriers, and should be read by all budding museum designers and consultants. The style is easy and the publication works well alongside others in the genre, including Tim Smit’s much longer review on how the Eden Project was delivered. The only gripe a small one - is with the quality of the typesetting and printing, which doesn’t do the content justice.

Dr Simon C Woodward MTS Director | PLB Consulting Ltd

The book is based on the work of The Association for Tourism and Leisure Education (ATLAS) and is presented in four parts. This format enables the reader to easily access information about cultural tourism. The globalisation and authenticity of tourism, tourism development in a globalising world, sensitising tourists and communities, and cultural events and festivalisation form the basis of the four sections. These are used to develop what is a very readable, effective, and analytical approach to cultural tourism. Contributors are drawn from many sectors of industry and provide a wide range of topical examples of cultural tourism developments, and the results of their transnational research. These range from religious events, township tourism in South Africa, cities of culture to elements of culture that might be revived or contrived for the tourist market (and subsequently the relationship between tourists and locals). A major strength of Cultural Tourism is the structure and framework for development that is provided through the case studies. At times these are provocative and they will certainly stimulate much discussion, such as the orientation of cultural events for tourists rather than locals. The concepts of the globalisation and commercialisation of cultural events for tourism are discussed in detail. The definition of cultural tourism is broadened to include popular cultural attractions, not just high cultural aspects of historic sites and museums. Thus the evolving nature of tourism and its associated attractions are investigated. Examples of both historical and contemporary culture are presented, as are new, emerging cultural destinations.

ISBN 978-0-7506-8411-8.

In his conclusion Greg Richards hopes that Cultural Tourism will have contributed to our understanding of the subject at both local and global scales. It certainly does!

Professor Victor Middleton OBE FTS

Paul Cleave BA MSc FTS Freelance Researcher

stories of the 20th Century …A must read.” S. Moss CBE, Chairman of Springboard UK

The Missing Museum

Quarter 1 ISSUE 131 Spring 2007

Berger lists six reasons for travelling to Vietnam including "experiencing the beautiful" and "to satisfy curiosity" and one to which I took exception to as will the Vietnamese Tourist Authority. The pros and cons of the country as a destination are reviewed and Berger covers basic data on Vietnam and the tourist infrastructure (or lack of it), the legacy of the Vietnam War, the country as an exotic destination and he highlights places of historic and natural interest. A chapter on the logistics of his trip gets bogged down in his particular travel problems. Later chapters on semiotic Vietnam are Berger's views on what he saw and places he visited, food and culture. At the end he reflects on his trip. The book is illustrated with poorly reproduced half tones and a section of rather garish colour pictures. A two page bibliography gives the game away, this is a book aimed at the tourism and travel departments of colleges and universities; Berger himself is professor Emeritus of Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts at San Francisco University. Reading this book, I was reminded of writers such as Colin Thubron who write equally reflectively but are more readable. However, this is a very personal and reasonably engaging book and may give you an insight absent from more conventional guides.

Nick Booker MTS, Director | Attract Marketing Ltd

The Tourism Society Journal

It's not your usual travel book and its ethnographic approach is claimed to be unique as Berger tries "to understand the deeper significance of the sights and experiences of his travels". He approaches his task in four steps by analysing, imagining, interpreting and reflecting on the country.

Email: journal@tourismsociety.org

Website: www.tourismsociety.org

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Tourism, Culture & Regeneration Melanie Smith CABI Publishing ISBN: 1-84593-130-8 | 186 pages Urban redevelopment has been a concept experienced by most major cities in the economically more developed world for the past 30 years and in many cases tourism has either been a major focus of the redevelopment or has been a consequential beneficiary of the changes to the urban landscape. Although this is a global phenomenon, this book sadly has a bias towards the Americas, despite the use of a photograph of London's Docklands and Greenwich on the front cover. There are references to the experiences of European, Australian and Japanese cities, but most case studies focus on US, Canadian, Mexican or Brazilian experiences. There are 15 chapters covering a diverse range of issues and geographical regions. Each chapter of between 10-16 pages in length focuses upon a theme or case study, supported by a very detailed bibliography. Some chapters are well illustrated with maps, photographs and graphs, whilst others sadly lack the illustrative approach to developing the subject matter. The concise style of writing makes the text accessible and not too laden with terminology. It is inevitable that this book will become dated in its choice of exemplification and that it is hoped that any new edition will build upon the style of this edition and reflect upon 21st Century exemplification and that the reference to the London 2012 Olympics will become more than the two paragraphs it currently receives. With sustainable tourism appearing in most degree and post-graduate tourism development programmes, this book is likely to be on the shelves, if not the reading lists of College and University Tourism Departments and libraries. To conclude, a readable and well written text that will undoubtedly appear in the bibliography of many a tourism student’s essay or dissertation.

Darren Leftwich Head of Travel & Tourism Enfield College

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Tourism in New Europe Derek Hall, Melanie Smith and Barbara Marciszweska | CABI Publishing ISBN: 1-84593-117-9 | 320 pages

This collection of essays provides an overview of tourism development in the newer members of the European Union, plus some future candidates such as Croatia and Turkey. The first part of the book helps the reader orientate themselves within the complex structures of the EU, with the second part concentrating on reports from specific countries. It soon emerges that the most obvious benefits of EU membership have been improvements in infrastructure, accessibility and development of new tourism products. However, there are great differences in how well each country has managed to use the new funding opportunities. Similarly, tourism infrastructure and planning have followed very different paths in each country or even within the regions of a single state. This is partly due to the different starting points of each country. Tourism has long been one of the most important industries in Mediterranean nations. Former Soviet satellite states such as the former Yugoslavia and Bulgaria have had a degree of exposure to Western tourists, but in contrast the Baltic States and Poland were completely isolated and so have faced the prospect of developing tourist industries from scratch. Each report gives an impression of how mature a nation’s tourism market is, but the research methods and statistics used vary considerably, which makes a direct comparison difficult. Some are very detailed while others are more general, though the continuing difficulty in getting tourist statistical data from official sources makes this understandable. One consistent trend is that the cheap cost of living - and therefore holidaying - in these countries is of overwhelming importance. The fact that these are “new” places adds to tourists’ excitement, too - in some cases a visit is still thought of as a chance to look behind the Iron Curtain, while in others the aim is to rediscover unspoiled locations now that some traditional tourist destinations such as parts of southern Spain have become overdeveloped. The book gives a good insight into political, economic and social factors.

Cultural Tourism in a Changing World Politics, Participation and (Re) presentation Melanie K Smith and Mike Robinson Channel View Publications ISBN: 1-84541-043-2 | 303 pages

2007 Events Calendar

The theoretical approach to the interrelationship between tourism and culture has gained wide coverage in recent years in the tourism literature. Indeed, the issues that arise from a study of how the two merge together, always within shifting contexts, has lead to some of the more fascinating debates that tourism can offer. What sets the present book apart is its use of clear and concise case studies which cover particular aspects of cultural tourism. These focus on four main themes: politics and cultural policy; community participation and empowerment; authenticity and commodification; and interpretation. Each of these themes is explored through a variety of case studies that provide an insight into how tourism is used and manipulated to benefit particular agencies. For example, the third chapter looks at the Ulster-American Folk Park in Northern Ireland, and focuses on perceptions from both sides of the Irish border. While of course, perceptions differ, what arises here is the potential of heritage sites as contributors to social well-being, locations that lead to an appreciation of the ‘other’, and even allowing us to clarify our cultural position, to look to the past, to reorganise it and lessen ‘difference’. There are many issues raised within this book that will be of invaluable use to practitioners in the field of cultural tourism. Not only do the case studies provide clear and concise details on how tourism is embraced by localities, the theoretical discussions, including the difficulty of defining ‘community’ and ‘empowerment’, are also elements that will be of interest to practitioners. The book can also be easily recommended to students, who should find it an engaging work, which offers clear insights into the complexity of cultural tourism, and its continual development in a changing world.

Chris Fell MTS | Teacher Hazelwick School

While this provides an interesting snapshot of the story so far, it largely leaves the reader to speculate on future trends. With some of the fastest growing economies in the EU, rising costs of living and modern facilities quickly replacing the remaining Soviet-era survivors, these new destinations will clearly face major challenges in continuing to attract tourists once the novelty factor has evaporated. Some problems reflected in reports (like a lack of hotels) have already been solved and replaced by different problems (how to fill those hotels). Nonetheless, this book delivers a sound overview of the early stages of tourism development in the New Europe.

Eva Staltmane MTS | Director Latvian Tourist Board

23rd TS Scotland & VisitScotland Sense and Nonsense in the Economic Growth Debate VisitScotland, Ocean Point, Edinburgh What is fact, what is fiction, what is achievable! Prof Brian Ashcroft of the renowned Fraser of Allander Institute ponders over the debate about economic development, growth and fiscal autonomy in Scotland.

24th Tourism Academics & Industry: Communication, Collaboration & Support 80 Strand, London L-R: Michael Hirst OBE FTS, Julian Burrell OBE FTS, David Curtis-Brignell FTS meet HRH the Prince of Wales at the Tower of London on Monday 12th March 2007 at the launch of British Tourism Week.

APRIL 24th Global Warming: The Challenge for British Tourism Sofitel St James Hotel, London

This joint event with Edexcel brings together tourism academics and industry representatives to discuss effective collaboration tactics for the benefit of both!

29th How can London best boost Britain’s tourism? VisitLondon offices, London

JUNE

opportunities for British resorts and attractions from sunnier summers

19th Tourism Society AGM & 30th Anniversary celebration lunch The O2 Arena, London

and longer seasons.

Soon to be confirmed, the Tourism Society 2007 AGM and

Speakers include Lord Lee, Chairman of ALVA, Dermot Blastland, MD of

30th Anniversary lunch will take place at the O2 centre before it

First Choice, Sandie Dawe, Director of Strategy & Communications of

officially opens in July.

Discussion areas include the overview of demand changes as a result of warming in the UK domestic and inbound markets; the opportunities for England’s South Coast to compete with Mediterranean destinations; the

VisitBritain.

OCTOBER

25th TS Scotland & VisitScotland Dubai: A Study in Sustainability? VisitScotland, Ocean Point, Edinburgh Dubai is arguably the most luxurious destination in the world, offering the world’s most exclusive hotels and indoor ski experiences. But is Dubai a sustainable proposition or a bubble that is about burst? Bärbel Kirchner from Dubai Tourism addresses that proposition.

MAY

18th Tourism Society Annual Dinner House of Commons, London Join the Tourism Society for our prestigious Annual Dinner, returning to the exclusive surroundings of the House of Commons. This premier networking event will begin with a champagne reception on the Terrace followed by a sumptuous three-course meal including wine.

FUTURE EVENTS

16th-18th Tourism Society Annual Conference Aviemore Highlands Resort, Aviemore To mark its 30th Anniversary, the Tourism Society has teamed up with the UHI Millennium Institute to hold its Annual Conference in one of the UK’s

• Transport & Tourism: The Big Debate • Digital Marketing Strategies • World Heritage Sites • The female role in Travel & Tourism

most special areas - the Highlands of Scotland. The event will be held in the high quality conference centre at the refurbished heart of Aviemore, a

• Car Rally Tourism

long established tourism and winter sports village.

• Visit to the Houses of Parliament

The Tourism Society Journal

Quarter 1 ISSUE 131 Spring 2007

Email: journal@tourismsociety.org

Website: www.tourismsociety.org

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Amendments from Directory

Membership News

Nicola-Jayne Ambrose MTS Business Travel Consultant Carlson Wagonlit Travel 437 a/b Midsummer House Midsummer Boulevard Milton Keynes MK9 3BN T: 019 0868 0680 F: 087 0240 8467 E: nambrose@carlsowagonlit.co.uk W: www.carlsonwagonlit.com Kevin Brown MTS Managing Director Planning Solutions Consulting Limited 9 Leigh Road, Havant, Hampshire PO9 2ES

Welcome to our membership news section! I would like to personally welcome our new members, most notably this quarter Dee Odarley MTS from BAA, Ian Stephens MTS, CEO of Cumbria Tourism, Ute Johnston, MTS from Hall Aitken and Mark Walker MTS from Chameleon PR. A special thanks goes to Superbreak for joining us as Gold Corporate Members and adding Mark Wray MTS and Ian Mounser MTS who join Nick Cust MTS and Ray Jones MTS in membership. Our quarterly congratulations go to Anthony Climpson FTS on his recent upgrade to Tourism Society Fellow and to Stuart Barrow MTS who has been appointed Public Affairs Manager for VisitBritain. Our letters page will be a new addition to this section. If you would like to raise a particular topic please forward no more than 200 words to journal@tourismsociety.org I would also be grateful for any announcements or feedback!

Paul Hammond MTS Hamagination Ltd T: 01634 851 751 E: hftm@btopenworld.com Steve Hamilton MTS Trentham Leisure Ltd T: 01782 657 341 E: shamilton@trentham.co.uk W: www.trentham.co.uk Angus James MTS VisitBritain T: 020 8563 3320 E: angus.james@visitbritain.org W: www.visitbritain.org Ute Johnston MTS Hall Aitken T: 0141 221 2053 E: ute.johnston@hallaitken.co.uk W: www.hallaitken.co.uk Dr Peter Lyth MTS The University of Nottingham T: 0115 846 6493 E: Peter.Lyth@nottingham.ac.uk W: www.nottingham.ac.uk/ttri

I hope you are enjoying our new look and are preparing to help us celebrate our 30th Anniversary at our events this year! Flo Powell, MTS Executive Director, The Tourism Society.

Dee Odarley MTS British Airport Authority E: Dee_Odarley@baa.com

Anthony Climpson OBE FTS New Forest District Council E: anthony.climpson@nfdc.gov.uk

Mark Walker MTS Chameleon PR T: 0207 680 5500 F: 0207 680 5555 E: mark@chameleonpr.com W: www.chameleonpr.com

Gold Corporate Members Superbreak Mark Wray MTS Joint Managing Director T: 01904 628 992 W: www.superbreak.com Ian Mounser MTS Sales Director T: 01904 641 642 E: ian.mounser@superbreak.com W: www.superbreak.com

Recent Graduates Dr Scott McCabe MTS University of Nottingham T: 0115 8466 683 E: scott.mccabe@nottingham.ac.uk W: www.nottingham.ac.uk/ttri

Upgrade to Fellow

Ian Stephens MTS Cumbria Tourism T: 01539 825 052 E: istephens@cumbriatourism.org W: www.cumbriatourism.org

Mark Patton MTS Mark Patton Associates E: markapatten@btinternet.com W: www.markpattonassociates.com

Nikolaus Attapahk Sennhauser Scotch Whisky Experience Edinburgh E: attapahk@yahoo.co.uk

Students Sofiane Ben Ezzeddine London Metropolitan University E: sofianeben@hotmail.co.uk W: www.londonmet.ac.uk Dorian Di Noia University of Westminster E: doriandinoia@hotmail.co.uk W: www.wmin.ac.uk

Welcome New Members

Malcolm Payne MTS Capital Regional Tourism T: 029 2041 7199 W: www.capitalregionaltourism.org

Peter Birnie MTS AA Publishing T: 07917 590 147 E: peter.birnie@theaa.com

Penelope Rose MTS Tourist Guide T: 01962 882 638 E: PennyRose2B@aol.com

Ann Hindley Swansea Business School, University of Wales E: ann_hindley@hotmail.com W: www.sihe.ac.uk

Natascha Crump MTS The Tussauds Group T: 0870 4292300 E: natascha.crump@tussauds.com W: www.tussauds.com

Joseph Shariff MTS Folkcastle Ltd T: 020 7486 7630 E: joseph@lincolnhousehotel.com W: www.lincolnhousehotel.com

Jasmijn Muller NHTV Breda University of Applied Science, Netherlands E: jasmijnmuller@hotmail.com W: www.nhtv.nl

Rob Chenery MBE FTS 2 Rydal Place, Ambleside Road Lightwater, Surrey GU18 5UP E: rob.chenery@btinternet.com Kasia Chmielewska MTS timeout options Tennis & Ski Holidays Po Box 40, Hove, East Sussex BN3 5WL T: 0127 377 8006 F: 0127 377 8006 E: kasia@timeoutoptions.co.uk W: www.timeoutoptions.co.uk Colin Clark FTS Director HTL Consulting 1 Northumberland Avenue Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5BW T: 020 7872 5706 E: info@htlconsulting.com W: www.htlconsulting.com Simon Cook FTS Councillor C/o Winchester City Council E: scook@winchester.gov.uk Charles Currie MTS Marketing Development Manager (North) The National Trust for Scotland The Stables, Sauchen, Inverurie, Aberdeenshire AB51 7LD T: 01330 833225 Ally Dombey MTS Revenue by Design P.O. Box 34554, London SE15 3XS T: 020 7635 6810 W: www.revenuebydesign.co.uk Andrew Duff MTS Tourism Consultant 8 Mallard Close, Hanwell, London N7 2PX T: 020 8930 9811 M: 07947 600 779 E: duffandrew@btinternet.com Olumide Euba C/o Goteborg University 22 Upton Road, Plumstead, London SE18 2TW Prof Harold Goodwin MTS Professor of Responsible Tourism Management Leeds Metropolitan University The International Centre for Responsible Tourism, International Faculty, Leeds Metropolitan University Civic Quarter, Leeds LS1 3HE W: www.leedsmet.ac.uk

David Hastings MTS Director of Investment & Regeneration Glasgow Housing Association Granite House, 177 Trongate, Glasgow G1 5HR T: 0141 274 6414 F: 0141 274 6217

Andrew Ralton MTS

Deborah Haylock MTS Haylock Consultancy 12 Springfield Road, Abergavenny Monmouthshire NP7 5TD T/F: 018 7385 8187 M: 079 2926 8357 E: deborah.haylock@talk21.com

T: 0131 271 3435

Sarah Howsen Partnership Co-ordinator Yorkshire Dales and Harrogate Tourism Partnership 1st Floor Town Hall, Cheapside, Settle BD24 9EJ E: showsen@cravendc.gov.uk

Assembly Corporate Business and

Philippa Hunter-Jones MTS E: P.Hunter-Jones@liverpool.ac.uk

T: 01685 729338

Bryn Jones MTS Tourism Manager Marketing, Economic Development & Tourism Salisbury District Council 3 Rollestone Street, Salisbury SP1 1DX T: 01722 434359 F: 01722 434440 E: bjones@salisbury.gov.uk

Michael Stickland FTS

Adrian Lawes MTS Consumerdata Ltd Dorset House, Regent Park 297 Kingston Road, Leatherhead Surrey KT22 7PL T: 01372 824566 F: 01372 824579

Designate

Richard Linington MTS Director Planning Solutions Consulting Limited 9 Leigh Road, Havant Hampshire PO9 2ES

University of Bedfordshire

Quarter 1 ISSUE 131 Spring 2007

Economic Development Midlothian Council 1 Eskdaill Court, Dalkeith EH22 1AG E: Andrew.Ralton@midlothian.gov.uk W: www.midlothian.gov.uk Julie Russell MTS Corporate Business Coordinator Communication Branch, Wales European Funding Office Welsh Assembly Government Rhydycar Business Park Merthyr Tydfil CF48 1UZ E: julie.russell@wales.gsi.gov.uk

Managing Director Planning Solutions Ltd 9 Leigh Road, Havant, Hampshire PO9 2ES Jason Triandafyllou MTS Client Services Director 4 St Georges Place, Brighton BN1 4GA T: 01273 704040 F: 01273704041 E: jasont@designate.co.uk Dorota Ujma MTS E: dorota.ujma@beds.ac.uk John Vimpany FTS Director Exhibition Consultant Ltd

Karen Long MTS Welsh Local Government Association Local Government House Drake Walk, Cardiff CF10 4LG T: 02920 468 601 E: Karen.Long@wlga.gov.uk W: www.wlga.gov.uk

9 Manchester Square, London W1U 3PL T: 07796 170 486 E: jrvimpany@boltblue.com Rita Williams MTS Tourism and Heritage Manager Old Royal Naval College

Helen Ord MTS Sales Manager Marriott Hotel Gosforth Park High Gosforth Park, Newcastle upon Tyne NE3 5HN T: 0191 236 1614

Cuty Sark Gardens, Greenwich London SE10 9LW E: ritaw@gcc.ac.uk Rob Wilsher MTS Tourism Services Project Leader

Helen Palmer MTS Palmer Squared PO Box 523, Stockport, Cheshire SK2 6WP E: Helen@palmersquared.co.uk

Lancashire County Development Ltd

Bill Phelan MTS Managing Director Event Communications Ltd India House 45 Curlew Street, London SE1 2ND

E: rwilsher@lcdl.co.uk

John Powell 55 The Willoughbys Upper Richmond Road West London SW14 8DF

Lancashire County Council Robert House, Starkie Street, Preston PR1 3LU T: 01772 551 888 F: 01772 886513 W: www.visitlancashire.com

NOTICE TO ALL MEMBERS: Please remember to inform the Society of any changes to your details so that our database is kept up-to-date.

The Tourism Society Journal

Project Support Officer

Email: journal@tourismsociety.org

Website: www.tourismsociety.org

ISSUE 131 Spring 2007

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Macdonald Aviemore Highland Resort

Application Form Please circle: Mr / Mrs / Ms / Miss / Dr / Prof

Other, please specify:

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From luxurious brands...

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Experience the finest shopping in Scotland at the Macdonald Aviemore Highland Shopping complex. You’ll find a whole host of

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luxurious brands from around the world, including Ralph Lauren, Anta, Paul Costelloe, Beretta. Geiger, DKNY and Timberland for kids, Wedgwood and Folli Follie. Or why not play on Scotland’s new and exclusive Spey Valley Championship Golf course?

Prefered Address:

This spectacular 7153 yard golf course has some of the most breathtaking scenery in the Highlands, if not the world, it is predicted to be one of Scotland’s leading golf venues and destined to be in the top 5 rankings in the UK. Postcode (if UK):

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So however you want to spend your time with us, you’ll be guaranteed the ultimate Highland experience.

...to spectacular fairways

Tick here if you do not wish receive occasional mail from other selected tourism organisations Membership Fee (valid for 1 year): £92 or £29 for full-time students Please make cheques payable to ‘The Tourism Society’ and enclose with this form. Please note that credit card payments are subject to an additional £2 processing fee. Visa/MasterCard/or Debit Card Number: (AmEx not accepted) Start date: ___ /___

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For our latest offers call 0845 608 3794 or visit www.AviemoreHighlandResort.com

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To discuss your design needs please call Steve Plummer T: 0131 467 7734

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Elastic Creative provide design consultancy to many of Scotlandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tourism leaders. From branding, brochures and visitor guides to web sites and online education. Our depth of expertise is second to none. Proud sponsors of the Tourism Society Annual Conference 2007

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