Heritage Tourism/Urban Conservation

Abstract

Abstract The concepts heritage tourism and urban conservation relate to the preservation and conservation strategies of buildings or urban areas. They differ from each other because of the historical contexts in which they emerge and the purposes and uses that are given to the buildings and urban areas conserved. Interest in urban conservation emerged during the twentieth century and expanded in the postwar period, especially during the 1960s. It relates to the reuse and enhancement of certain areas of the city. Heritage tourism appears to be associated with the contemporary phase of conservation. It assumes a connection between the preservation of the past and its intrinsic value as a resource for the modern community as a commercial activity. The emergence and proliferation of heritage tourism is related to social, economic, political, and cultural transformations that have occurred in Western societies since the 1980s.