Visiting Heritage Sites Research Articles

Developing a Typology of Heritage Site Visitors: A Consumer Styles Inventory Approach

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to examine the behaviour of heritage site visitors using a consumer decision-making styles framework and to identify different groups of visitors based on their behavioural patterns and criteria when selecting a heritage site. To investigate the behaviour of heritage site visitors and identify different groups, an empirical research was conducted. Data were collected from 332 respondents and analysed using descriptive statistics, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, Cronbach’s alpha coefficient, and k-means cluster analysis. The current study found that seven out of eight consumer decision-making styles related to visiting heritage sites were identified. In addition, k-means cluster analysis revealed that respondents could be classified into three clusters based on their consumer decision-making styles. These findings have important implications for the marketing strategies of heritage sites. At the end of the paper, implications are discussed and recommendations for future research are suggested.

Accessing vicarious nostalgia and memorable tourism experiences in the context of heritage tourism with the moderating influence of social return

PurposeHeritage tourism is an increasingly popular form of tourism that allows individuals to connect with the past and immerse themselves in cultural and historical narratives. Hence, the purpose of this study is to explore the intricate relationships among vicarious nostalgia (VNOS), memorable tourism experiences (MTEXs) and their collective influence on tourists’ behavioral intentions (BINTs). Additionally, this study examines the moderating effect of social return (SN) in the context of heritage tourism.Design/methodology/approachData were gathered using a self-administered questionnaire from 259 tourists visiting heritage sites in Jaipur. The proposed model was tested using structural equation modeling.FindingsThe results confirmed that VNOS had a significant positive impact on BINT in the context of heritage tourism. The causal relationship between VNOS and BINT was fully mediated by MTEX. The results further verified that the presence of SN strengthens the association between MTEXs and BINT.Practical implicationsThis research will guide the firms associated with heritage tourism to target specific cohorts interested in heritage tourism. Policymakers may find it easier to create unique offerings and packages that appeal to visitors interested in historical sites and produce memorable travel experiences. One key implication is to create “social media friendly spaces” at different locations of the sites. To increase tourism, managers may use the findings from this research to create plans for the ethical promotion and protection of cultural and natural heritage sites.Originality/valueOverall, this research advances the understanding of the role of VNOS in heritage tourism by elucidating its cognitive and emotional aspects and their subsequent influence on the memorability of tourist experiences and BINT s. Additionally, by considering the moderating effect of SN, this study provides a comprehensive view of how these factors collectively shape tourists’ decisions and actions in the context of heritage destinations. This research has been conducted in the heritage city of Jaipur (North-Western India), which, surprisingly – despite its popularity as a heritage tourism site – has not been sufficiently explored in the scholarly research.

Experiencing accessibility of historical heritage places with individuals living with visible and invisible disabilities.

Around 16% of world's population lives with visible and invisible disabilities. People with disabilities' participation may be limited because of the environmental obstacles. Moreover, historic heritage places were built before the development of accessibility standards and the rights of people living with disabilities and the majority were not designed to be accessible. Access to historic heritage places is important for carrying out the activities in place but also to create and reinforce identity. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of people with visible and invisible disabilities when visiting heritage sites considering accessibility issues. This study is a qualitative interpretive description. Participants were adults with visible (e.g., motor disability) or invisible (e.g., autism) disabilities. For data collection, go along interviews (also referred to in the literature as "walking interview" in two different locations in the Historic District of Old Quebec in Quebec City were conducted. Thematic analysis was done. Twenty-one participants completed two go along interviews: one in the Séminaire de Québec (Seminary of Quebec City) and the other in Petit-Champlain and Place Royale areas of Quebec City. Three themes emerged: (1) Obstacles and impact on participation; (2) Disabling accessibility; and (3) Heritage meaning. The barriers identified by participants are diverse and differ according to the person and the type of disability. However, social and leisure activities were particularly limited, despite the strategies developed by some participants. Participants in the study demonstrated an interest in accessing to heritage places, therefore it seems essential to consider the needs of people with disabilities when developing accessibility solutions, and to seek a balance between preserving heritage and promoting inclusive and equitable access for all.

Envisaging AR travel revolution for visiting heritage sites: A mixed-method approach

Augmented Reality (AR) offers transformative potential for augmenting and replacing realities within a wide range of business and social applications. Within this, this study explores antecedents of behavioral adoption of AR mobile travel apps to visit a heritage site by substituting in-person and corporeal tourism experiences through a visualization technique that overlays 3D simulated architecture in front of a user. This research specifically investigates the collective impact of perceived app attributes of the AR service model, and critical characteristics of users in terms of their underlying psychological predispositions impacting their behavioral intention to use AR travel apps for heritage tourism in an emerging nation. In pursuance of this, we adopt a unique mixed-method research methodology where industry experts and travel enthusiasts are invited to delve into the phenomenon and identify facilitators of AR mobile app adoption for heritage tourism in India. Empirical findings find that experiential authenticity, service quality, and user innovativeness are the significant underlying factors expediting the use of AR mobile apps. Additionally, with a focus on the sustainability aspect of AR tourism, this study considers sustainability within travel. This construct is critical since it discerns how it affects the boundary conditions in the light of consumers' personality characteristics for determining intention to use AR apps, thereby providing insightful inferences for the tourism industry and research.

Exploring the influence of technical and sensory factors on Malaysians' intention to adopt virtual tours in heritage travel

PurposeAdopting the unified theory of the acceptance and use of technology 2 (UTAUT2) and the theory of substitutability, this study examines both the technical and sensory factors influencing Malaysians' intention to adopt virtual tours (IA) and subsequent intention to visit an actual heritage site (IV) in the heritage traveling decision-making process.Design/methodology/approachThis study collected a total of 278 valid survey responses via purposive sampling. The data were analyzed using SPSS26 and SmartPLS4 software.FindingsThe findings support the significant positive effect of IA on IV, which supplements evidence to subdue misapprehensions that virtual tours (VTs) are competitors or substitutes for in-person visitations. Perceived substitutability was found to have an indirect impact on IV through IA, further proving the mediating role of IA in influencing IV. Technical and sensory factors, namely performance expectancy, hedonic motivation, habit and perceived substitutability of IA, were shown to be critical in influencing IA; however, effort expectancy, social influence and facilitating conditions were not.Practical implicationsThis study offers sustainable and practical implications to the tourism industry as well as potential visitors, who can utilize VTs to determine whether targeted tourism destinations are worthy of investing their resources. The findings suggest that the virtual tour experience contributes to tourists' IV by successfully piquing tourists' interest to physically visit heritage sites in the future. The virtual tour could be utilized to generate demand in times of temporary replacement or closure. Destination marketing organizations and destination management companies should consider the technical and sensory aspects of VTs, specifically prioritizing the hedonic motivation factor.Originality/valueThis study integrates the UTAUT2 and theory of substitutability to shed light on the adoption of technological alternatives in the heritage tourism context. Importantly, this study serves as the pioneer effort in examining the interplay of perceived substitutability in the relationship between IA and IV.

Visiting Heritage Sites in AR and VR

Advances in digitization technologies have made possible the digitization of entire archaeological sites through a combination of technologies, including aerial photogrammetry, terrestrial photogrammetry, and terrestrial laser scanning. At the same time, the evolution of computer algorithms for data processing and the increased processing power made possible the combination of data from multiple scans to create a synthetic representation of large-scale sites. Finally, post-processing techniques and the evolution of computer and mobile GPUs and game engines have made possible the exploitation of digitization outcomes to further scientific study and historical preservation. This route was opened by the gaming industry. In terms of research, the exploitation of these new assets in conjunction with new visual rendering technologies, such as virtual and augmented reality, can create new dimensions for education and leisure. In this paper, we explore the usage of large-scale digitization of a heritage site to create a unique virtual visiting experience that can be accessed offline in VR and AR and on-site when visiting the archaeological site.

Is social capital higher in areas with a higher density of historic assets? Analyses of 11,112 adults living in England.

Previous evidence suggests that engagement with heritage such as visiting heritage sites provides benefits for people's mental and social wellbeing, and helps to establish social capital. However, far less is known about whether living in areas of historic built environment also helps build social capital. Furthermore, it remains unclear how the association between historic built environment and social capital may vary across heritage engagement frequency and areas of deprivation levels. This study was therefore designed to explore the cross-sectional relationship between historic built environment and social capital. Analysis was based on three datasets: Understanding Society: The UK Household Longitudinal Study Waves 5 (2013/2015) and 6 (2014/2016), 2019 National Heritage List for England, and 2015 English Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD). Ordinary least squares (OLS) regressions were applied to estimate the relationships between historic built environment (listed buildings, scheduled monuments, and registered parks and gardens) and social capital (personal relationships, social network support, civic engagement, and trust and cooperative norms). We found that people living in places with greater historic built environment experienced higher levels of personal relationships, social network support, and civic engagement. However, these associations were attenuated once rurality was adjusted. Individuals living in areas of greater levels of historic built environment displayed higher levels of trust and cooperative norms, even after adjusting for all relevant covariates. Heritage engagement frequency was found to moderate the association between historic built environment and personal relationships. Similarly, IMD was also found to moderate the association between historic built environment and trust and cooperative norms. These findings highlight the importance of neighbourhood environment in building social capital in communities. Particularly, areas with heritage assets may provide both socially inviting and aesthetically pleasing environments that could help strengthen community and restore pride in place.

근대문화유산관광지의 지각된 진정성과 체험 및 실존적 진정성 간영향 관계 분석

Tourists are increasingly interested in modern cultural heritage sites because they have historical significance and engage living spaces from everyday life. People nowadays seek an authentic life to liberate themselves from negative emotions. Tourists recover from them and live with vitality in everyday life after participating in a tourism experience. Tourists who visit heritage sites are affected by authenticity. This study aimed to investigate the impact of perceived authenticity, experience, and existential authenticity on modern cultural heritage sites in order to better understand this phenomenon. Perceived authenticity was defined specifically as perceived judgment based on objective authenticity. Furthermore, the researcher established the hierarchy for them in the context of the experience perceived by on-site visitors. The research site was Gunsan's cultural heritage sites, and a questionnaire survey was used. The total number of questionnaires collected was 330, and 289 were analyzed. Regression analysis confirmed the effect of variable relationships and the partial mediating effect of experience. This study employed empirical analysis to assess perceived authenticity. It academically constructs and expands on previously limited concepts. Based on the findings, this study provides practical recommendations for improving existential authenticity and experiential tourism content. Finally, the qualitative growth of heritage tourism and change can provide meaningful implications.

Perceived constraints and negotiation strategies by elderly tourists when visiting heritage sites

ABSTRACT This study examined the accessibility of heritage tourism sites for elderly tourists by applying the leisure constraint theory and universal design principles. Qualitative face-to-face interviews with 21 elderly tourists in Macao were conducted. Results revealed major barriers including feeling unsafe, extensive efforts required to use the facilities, feeling crowded, unclear and insufficient signage, and untidy public lavatories. Both protected aspects and supplemental facilities of these heritage sites lacked compliance with universal design principles. Confronted with these barriers, the elderly tourists had several different constraint negotiation strategies to reduce the constraining effects. This study offers a new perspective on accessible tourism within heritage sites by linking the concepts of constraint negotiation and universal design. Practical suggestions to destination planners of ways to enhance the accessibility of heritage facilities for post-COVID-19 usage are also offered.

Heritage Interpretation and Sustainable Development: A Systematic Literature Review

Heritage interpretation is an educational activity that provides information on natural and cultural heritage to people visiting heritage sites and objects. The article aims to identify different ways of using heritage interpretation as a tool for managing areas of sustainable development. The study consisted of a systematic literature review (knowledge mapping) in the field of heritage interpretation and sustainable development. Using the most important databases of scientific publications in the world (Scopus, Web of Science, Ebsco, Proquest), publications on the interpretation of heritage and sustainable development were searched. A total of 106 articles and scientific monographs were identified. Then, quantitative and qualitative data analysis was performed (text mining, topic extraction, content analysis). As a result, six thematic areas were identified: opportunities and threats for the area related to the implementation of heritage interpretation programs; the effectiveness of heritage interpretation in the areas of sustainable development; sustainable tourism development planning in heritage areas; the role of a guide-interpreter in the sustainable development of the area; the role of creativity in the heritage interpretation; and strategies for managing the visitor traffic in heritage areas. These thematic areas were discussed by citing examples from the literature on the subject.

Perceived authenticity of the Pancasila Sakti Museum by high school students

This paper will extend authenticity into heritage management by examining the production of perceived authenticity of the Pancasila Sakti Museum among high school student visitors in Indonesia. The Pancasila Sakti Museum is a historical site commemorating one of the most significant events in Indonesian political history. The museum management responds to the changing political climate in Indonesia by employing strategies aimed at promoting the authenticity of the site. Visitors, however, who are exposed to alternative narratives visit the Museum with their interpretations. Based on interviews with 27 high school visitors, this study shows that despite the visitors' skepticism and conflicting narratives, the site's integrated content that is supported by documentation and verification by historians confirms the site's perceived authenticity among high school student visitors. Thereby, this paper unmasks the state's symbolic legitimation as a significant determining attribute of visitors' authentic experience in visiting heritage sites.

Tourists’ revisit intention to UNESCO world heritage sites in a developing nation: Investigating the mediating role of place dependence

The purpose for this study is to examine the factors affecting tourists’ revisit intention to UNESCO World Heritage Sites in a developing nation. Additionally, the mediating role of place dependence on this relationship is also inspected. Data were collected via a structured questionnaire from 300 foreign tourists visiting heritage sites in Penang, Malaysia, and were analysed via the Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) approach. Empirical results revealed that emotion of joy, love, and positive surprise, and place dependence affect tourists’ revisit intention to UNESCO World Heritage Sites in a developing nation. Furthermore, the indirect influence of the emotion of positive surprise on tourists’ revisit intention to UNESCO World Heritage Sites via place dependence was the strongest, with the emotions of joy and love ranking behind. The findings suggest that tourism authorities, tourism practitioners, and tourism managements should actively engage with existing tourists and potential tourists via digital marketing platforms and social media marketing tools in order to create long-term engagement and promote the connection of heritage tourism to personal feelings in a memorable way. This permits gathering of high volumes of information from other tourists who share their exciting travel-related details of their visits to UNESCO World Heritage Sites. This study adds the current body of knowledge by furnishing a better empirical understanding of the significant evidence to support the notion that returning tourists (i.e. repeaters) are heavily influenced by emotional aspects and bonding arising from their positive memory during the visit. Directions for future research are also offered.

Sustainable Heritage Management: Exploring Dimensions of Pull and Push Factors

While determining sustainable heritage development, it is important to consider how heritage satisfies human needs. The purpose of this study is to explore the pull and push factors in heritage tourism. This study generated 38 initial items of pull factor and 18 initial items of push factor toward heritage tourism to assess the significance of items influencing people’s decision to visit heritage sites. The study obtained 332 valid questionnaires to implement exploratory factor analysis to capture the pull and push factors. Four pull factors with 15 items and 2 push factors with 9 items were extracted. The pull factors consisted of heritage architecture, art activity, wide nature, and regional attraction, while the push factors comprised recreational benefits and long-term values. The study suggests that the heritage’s outdoor environment should be planned through wide landscaping and natural elements, while art activities can be promoted to enhance attractiveness.

Analysis of sense of places effect on tourist’s length of stay in the Khota Baru cultural heritage zone

Heritage and cultural tourism are part of the tourism industry that must be maintained sustainability. Therefore heritage tourism destinations must be able to carry a “sense of place” as its focus. A sense of place is essential in attracting tourists to visit heritage sites for a long time. This article aims to assess the relationship between the Sense of Place between tourists, both domestic and international, and the length of stay in the Kota Bharu Cultural Heritage Zone. A total of 445 tourists participated as respondents by filling out a questionnaire survey. At the same time, data analysis was carried out using One way ANOVA. The results showed that the Sense of Place in the Kota Bharu Cultural Heritage Area affects the length of stay of tourists with eight correlated scales. Those eight scales are authenticity, historical value, distinction, harmony, maintainability, and cleanliness. This study also finds several important implications for local governments and tourism practitioners in maintaining the economic and social attributes of a tourism destination. This study is expected to serve as the basis for future studies related to the design of urban areas and other heritage tourism sites.

Heritage objects as a resource for the development of tourism within the states and territories of Australia

The article discusses the Australian heritage sites as a resource base for the introduction of new tourist destinations. The relevance of the study of Australian tourism resources related to the increase in tourist flow, the prospects for the development of various types of tourism and the growing interest Ukrainian tourists are taking in this country is substantiated. The significant tourist potential of the country, the uniqueness and specificity of its components are highlighted: natural (primarily, vegetation and wildlife, as well as relief and climate), historical and cultural objects.It is noted the historical and cultural potential deserves to be in greater demand, because a large number of objects of historical and cultural heritage retain and disseminate authentic information about the historical past of the country, its ethnic, cultural characteristics and traditions. The purpose of the work is to explore the distribution of various heritage objects within the states and territories of Australia as an important resource for the development of various types of tourism. The database of the research is the information from the Australian Bureau of Statistics and the website of the Ministry of Environment and Energy. The paper analyses and assesses the number, composition, and degree of diversity of heritage sites and theirlocations on the territory of administrative units. The study was completed using methods of mapping, geographical analysis, information analysis techniques, namely the calculation of the entropy index. It was found that the regions of Australia provide outstanding diverse and unique resources, which creates preconditions for the development of new tourist destinations and the further growth of the tourism industry. The states and territories with the largest number and diverse composition of heritage sites and significant potential opportunities for the development of various types of tourism are identified. It was noted that Australia is a new active tourist destination for Ukrainian tourists that has significant prospects. Inaddition to the classic excursion routes and visits to wildlife parks, there are popular combined routes such as: excursion program with a beach holiday; combination of excursions with active tourism; professional training programs for agricultural workers combined with visiting heritage sites and beach recreation.New tourist routes are associated with the development of author’s tours with a unique program in accordance with the features of the country and the wishes of tourists and the wider use of the country’s historical and cultural heritage.

ICTs in the tourism experience at religious heritage sites: a review of the literature and an investigation of pilgrims’ experiences at the sanctuary of Loreto (Italy)

The offer of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) is, today, wide and varied, and they have reached a ubiquitous diffusion, with a deep impact on any kind of human activity. They are, though, neither goods in themselves nor undoubtably facilitators of experiences. This article investigates the border between ICTs as obstacles and ICTs as supports, taking into consideration the dialectic between religious experience and tourism experience, when it comes to visiting heritage sites of a religious nature. A first investigation of the role ICTs may have in a visit – or pilgrimage – to a Christian place of worship is presented: visitors to the Sanctuary of the Holy House of Loreto (Italy) were surveyed, with the aim of unveiling differences between a worship-oriented and a tourism-oriented use of ICTs. Findings show that the motivation driving the visit impacts the perception of ICTs and that the religious/spiritual experience needs to be kept personal.

Crowding standards at Petra Archaeological Park: a comparative study of McKercher's five types of heritage tourists

ABSTRACTTo achieve sustainability in heritage tourism, tourists should be placed at the heart of the management and planning processes. Indicators and standards-based frameworks were developed in the field of outdoor recreation management to manage and measure crowding and other problematic issues in parks and related areas. Using normative theory and visual research methods, this article aims to examine crowding standards of tourists at Petra Archaeological Park, and compare these standards between the types of heritage tourists suggested by a model developed by Bob McKercher. Results showed that tourists’ acceptability levels go down with an increasing number of tourists, and tourists who are highly motivated to visit heritage sites (i.e. purposeful and sightseeing heritage tourists) had the most restrictive acceptable number of tourists at the park. The normative standards formulated in this article provided a guidance to manage crowding at Petra.

From Québec to Carthage or how to be there when you are here

This article presents the results of a study of the private thoughts that Québec tourists felt and expressed during and after visiting heritage sites in Tunisia. The data studied here were drawn for the most part from interviews conducted with these tourists. The objective was to identify heritage emotions through the tourists' verbal or physical manifestations of admiration, enthusiasm, and vehemence. The analysis particularly focused on expressions which, implicitly or explicitly, revealed the affective states that brought the tourists' “authentic self” to light. The goal of this article is thus to go beyond a purely theoretical conception of authenticity by proposing a pragmatic approach that sees authenticity as an intangible, even indescribable and indefinable value that is nonetheless experienced, felt, and dreamed of in expressive forms that are sensitive to time and space.

Student Motivations: A Heritage Tourism Perspective

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was multifold: to identify push and pull factors that influence student decisions to visit heritage sites, examine the pattern of interrelationships between them, and investigate their effect on satisfaction levels. Students from a few universities in the United States were surveyed and important push and pull factors were identified. The study results highlight significance of authenticity as an important push factor and its equally crucial role in the enhancement of overall satisfaction levels. Important implications are noted for destination marketing organizations and the heritage sites. For instance, knowledge on motivations and resulting levels of satisfaction can help heritage travel organizations devise tailor-made marketing strategies for potential target markets.

Heritage awareness and appreciation among community residents: perspectives from Arizona, USA

This study aims to examine public awareness of heritage properties in Arizona, USA. Data for this study were collected from a random sample of 600 participants from the public in Arizona using a telephone survey. Heritage awareness is conceptualised using a combined measure of heritage awareness and residents’ visits to heritage sites. Based on these two measures, this study proposed a four‐cell matrix that represents: 1) aware/visited, 2) aware/not visited, 3) unaware/visited, and 4) unaware/not visited. When the four types of residents were compared against demographic variables, attitudes toward preservation, preservation criteria, and importance of feature and facilities, most of these variables were significant. The results indicate that the aware/visited group members had more positive attitudes toward heritage preservation than other groups. This paper suggests that visiting heritage sites by residents and tourists can help create heritage awareness. The findings of this study provide important information for heritage site managers and policy makers.