RESPONSIBLE tourism and heritage continue to dominate travel trade shows around the world and will most likely be a key focus in the future for industry professionals, as they attempt to lure potential clientele.
Heritage tourism is valued at approximately $42.6 billion and a United Nations report cited that the current one billion people who travel to heritage sites will increase to 1.6 billion by 2020. This prominence was highlighted at the World Travel Market (WTM) 2013 which was held in London, UK in November, focusing on how tourism revenues contribute to the conservation of heritage, and how it benefits local communities who live in or near the sites.
Oliver Maurice, director of International National Trusts Organisation (INTO) was one such speaker at the WTM. Set up in 2007, INTO is the umbrella body for trusts around the world in 50 countries. With 47 per cent of all tourism jobs held by the National Trust, Maurice emphasised the benefit of heritage tourism to the community. One of the key points that emerged from three global case studies in Ireland, Ethiopia and Malta, was the need for destinations to control access to heritage sites to conserve the properties.
The Hypogeum site in Malta, a temple discovered by accident in 1902, only allows 60 visitors per day and is a clear example of where the government is forgoing substantial revenue in order to protect the site.
On UK soil, the 900-year old Durham Cathedral in north-east England welcomes approximately 600,000 visitors a year and has a five-year strategy in place to maintain the fine balance of revenue versus site protection. As the cathedral doesn’t charge entry, creative income generation is a key responsibility for business development manager Vanessa Ward. Income initiatives also have to be in line with the property’s six pillars.
Some of the most successful projects to date include the Lindisfarne Gospels (AD 700), which were being housed in the cathedral. During a three-month period, the gospels attracted 100,000 visitors. Lumiere, a spectacular art event that sees an array of installations and projections illuminating the cathedral, attracts 160,000 visitors during the four days. Measures such as controlling tourist numbers at certain times of the day are implemented in order to preserve the building.
Ward outlines one of the biggest initiatives to be undertaken with the Open Treasure campaign, a $2.3 million multi-phased development project that will provide visitors to the Durham Cathedral. While entry is free, contributions are encouraged providing a source of income that will help preserve the building.
Chris Warren, a sustainable and responsible tourism consultant based in Australia outlined some of the initiatives undertaken in the southern continent. Warren’s case study on Booderee National Park, just three hours outside of Sydney, highlighted a successful programme where an aboriginal settlement lives and works in the park. Offering tours, storytelling sessions, walking trails and other activities, the park creates additional revenue by educating visitors on aboriginal life.
With the oldest archaeological evidence of aboriginal occupation in the region dating more than 20,000 years, the park is a tribute to Australia’s heritage and a prime example of the importance of conserving history and culture.
By Karen Osman