Abstract

The aims of this study are manifold. First, to investigate the potentials of architectural heritage in the context of tourism destination development, as well as examine public sector policies and make plans toward the preservation of these resources. Secondly, to appraise the outcome of preservation and its implications for tourism. The study is an effort to explore and understand the interrelationships between tourism and architectural heritage sites through tourist image and perception. For the purposes of this research, numerous heritage sites were sampled in Portugal. A mixed research method was utilized to gauge tourists’ image/perception of heritage resources, and impact (quantitative approach). A qualitative approach was utilized to assess the priority of tourists in their visits and public-sector policies toward heritage resource management and planning. The fuzzy logic method was used to assess the architectural value and the tourist and preservation potential of historical buildings in Porto/Aveiro. The contribution and implications of the study are also explained. The results revealed that architectural heritage resources have the most appeal to tourists. The study to date demonstrates the architectural value and tourist and preservation potential of the buildings observed via evaluation by fuzzy logic methods.

Highlights

  • Cultural heritage has drawn the consideration of tourism planners, urban planners, and historians

  • The data are used to develop a hybrid neural network in which the Genetic Algorithm (GA), as a metaheuristic algorithm, is applied in order to adopt feature selection based on variable rank ordering

  • The interviews were conducted with authorities in the municipality and museums and with architects, namely, Gabriela Mota Marques and Artur Jorge Almeida (Centre of Portugal Regional Tourism Board) and Prof

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Summary

Introduction

Cultural heritage has drawn the consideration of tourism planners, urban planners, and historians. Historical buildings as a part of cultural heritage have become a significant tourism product and many destinations have funded and supported their renovation and reuse. These changes in attitude towards heritage restoration have produced a heightened awareness at the state and European Community levels of the socioeconomic potentials of heritage for tourism purposes. As stated by Embaby [16]: “The obligation to conserve the architectural heritage of our local communities is as important as our duty to conserve the significant built heritage and its values or traditions of the previous era”. The issues associated with the literature explain the relationship between the architecture of heritage buildings and tourist perceptions and experiences

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