Communicating sustainability priorities in the museum sector

Abstract

This paper analyses the sustainability priorities evident in the annual reports published between 2001/2002 and 2010/2011 of Australia's six state-museums (which represent the largest and most financially viable cultural heritage tourism organisations in the country). The study provides insight into the communication of sustainability priorities in the heritage tourism sector and offers a fine-grained understanding of what is required for such organisations to effectively manage such priorities. Based on a content analysis of the annual reports, the paper proposes a Sustainability Priorities Model for Cultural and Heritage Organisations. The Model reflects two important findings: first, that the communication of sustainability practices has emerged to play a central strategic role in the annual reporting of the leading cultural heritage organisations in Australia; second, that the conceptualisation of sustainability in the cultural heritage context has widened to include the allocation and utilisation of a wider range of resources. The Model provides a framework for cultural heritage tourism organisations to follow in order for them to effectively identify and communicate the optimal mix of sustainability practices to salient stakeholder groups.