Adopting a Marketing Approach to Achieve Sustainable Cultural Tourism

Abstract

Over-use, under-use or misuse of attractions pose the greatest challenges to the sustainable management of cultural heritage attractions. Over-use can damage the physical fabric of attractions and destroy the visitor experience. Under-use can result in a lack of revenue to maintain sites, especially if substantial investment has been made in infrastructure development. Misuse, as a result of the wrong types of visitor expecting the wrong type of experience can damage attractions, as well as inhibiting visitor satisfaction. The authors argue that all of these stressor factors are a result of the failure to adopt a marketing management approach to the development and management of cultural heritage attractions. This paper discusses how adopting a marketing approach to cultural heritage asset management can lead to the sustainable use of that asset.