Novelty vs. Loyalty in Cultural Tourism

In a thoughtful article about heritage tourism, Neil Silberman – who regularly blogs about heritage on Discovering Authenticity – raises questions about heritage, authenticity, promotion, and audience, which will interest those involved in heritage tourism.

“The implication is clear:  cultural tourist destination should not concentrate solely on investment in new interpretive technologies and expanding physical restoration and infrastructure– always the most expensive investments– but should put special emphasis on developing the living environment and the cultural traditions and practices of the host community as a focus of interaction, not a one-way, one-time gaze.  In that respect, public engagement should be aimed at enhancing the continuous appeal of a destination for cultural tourists, by sharing– not merely showing– the distinctive cultural assets of local communities.”

Read the whole article by Neil Silberman here. Story via Jewish Heritage Europe.