Advocating community integrated destination marketing planning in heritage destinations: the case of York

Abstract

ABSTRACTTourist destinations are complex, with a mix of political and commercial activity that, to varying extents, involves or employs different methods of participation in the tourism decision-making process. More specifically, within the context of heritage tourism, planning and development should respond to the values that host communities place upon their heritage. The building of partnerships between destination management organisations and host communities could enable authentic collaboration in the design and development of heritage tourism. The purpose of this paper is to highlight and explore the challenges and opportunities of facilitating community engagement in heritage destination management. Through examining an approach adopted in York, this paper explores the extent to which participation in tourism planning and development allows community members to take ownership of their heritage and result in more positive community attitudes towards tourism. The study concludes by suggesting that the approach adopted in York facilitated positive community engagement with stakeholder involvement in destination decision-making achieved through a focused and well-considered programme of activity.