Tourism's Contribution to World Heritage Site Management PDF

HERITAGE TOURISM MODULES MODULE 7 TOURISM’S CONTRIBUTION TO WORLD HERITAGE SITE MANAGEMENT (Photo grabbed from UNESCO World Heritage Center Website and Google) INTRODUCTION This chapter ex...

HERITAGE TOURISM MODULES MODULE 7 TOURISM’S CONTRIBUTION TO WORLD HERITAGE SITE MANAGEMENT (Photo grabbed from UNESCO World Heritage Center Website and Google) INTRODUCTION This chapter examines partnership approaches and other management initiatives which can maximize potential revenues and conservation benefits from tourism. The relationship between tourism and conservation or management can be enhanced for the mutual benefit of both parties. This chapter also present ways on how heritage sites can maximize revenue from tourism. LEARN IT! Learning Objectives: Explain the various contributions of Tourism in managing World Heritage Sites Explain the Management Structure and Partnership approach in World Heritage Management Determine on how Tourism can be managed with care Determine ways on how to build links with the Tourism Industry Determine variety of ways on how to maximize revenue from Tourism ———————————————————————————————————————————————— TOURISM’S CONTRIBUTION TO WORLD HERITAGE SITE MANAGEMENT This topic is important to discuss because TOURISM at World Heritage Sites (WHS) and other protected areas is increasing, bringing with it the challenges to the sites from wear-and-tear and the impacts that large numbers of visitors can have on their ‘spirit of place’ – in turn, methods in order to balance conservation with the livelihood needs of local people and the ‘right’ of tourists to enjoy such places should be established. Some of the benefits WHS get from Tourism are the following: additional funds for conservation profile of the site can be raised help generate greater government support SUPPORT FROM THE TOURISM INDUSTRY The ideal situation is to have a symbiotic relationship between tourism and WHS operators use WHS to add value to their products local service providers earn money from tourists sites earn higher revenue and achieve a higher profile nationally For conservation and management of WHS: - Site earn profile nationally which can encourage government bodies to devote stronger protection measures to them However, at the same time, tourism can add to the cost of managing protected areas: Sites have to invest in, manage and maintain tourism facilities in order to prevent damage to sensitive areas While presence of visitors can threaten the integrity of: Ecosystems Fragile buildings or other cultural artifacts The ‘spirit of the place’ Therefore, TOURISM has to be MANAGED WITH CARE To manage tourism with care: - Tourism and conservation efforts must be efficiently included in the plan - It is essential for site managers to assess and balance that costs and benefits of visitation - Local people and communities must benefit from tourism for them to be involved  Range of goals and means to maximize the benefits of tourism: Generate revenue to reduce threats to biodiversity Encourage support from all stakeholders, particularly private sectors, to support the active conservation of biodiversity and the sustainable use of its components Effective participation of the local community in the development, operation and monitoring of tourism activities Channeling revenues towards conservation like management of protected areas, education, research programmes or local community development Zoning and control of tourism development and activities (managing building structures and tourism facilities) Diversification of economic activities to reduce dependency on tourism (creation of other activities in a WHS apart from tourism) Emphasizing the role of protected area as key locations for good practices in the management of sustainable tourism and biodiversity Some WHS are unsuitable for use as tourist attractions because of geographical or political factors. Which make them inaccessible, or because of their fragility. MANAGEMENT STRUCTURES AND THE PARTNERSHIP APPROACH Traditionally, government departments have had sole responsibility for the administration of WHS, with funds for managing them allocated from the national budget or from international bodies. However, in countries with budgetary constraints, conservation is not generally prioritized and levels of funding are likely to be low. Some countries have legal restrictions that prevent government departments from generating their own incomes. In consequence, sites managed through government departments are often under- funded. Such limitations have meant that a approach is increasingly applied in managing WHS. Generally, partnership philosophy is assuming a wider influence at a strategic level because project-based or single-sector initiatives aimed at addressing economic decline often fail to achieve lasting results; the approach is relevant to many spheres and is becoming increasingly common in tourism (WTO, 2003). One aspect of the partnership approach is the devolution of resource management. Another aspect of this is the integration of private and public sectors.  Local communities are increasingly given the opportunity to make decisions on their own resources and livelihood infrastructure – which reflects the policy shift away from managerialism and ‘government’ towards entrepreneurialism and ‘governance’ – SCOTT, 2004: 50 Practical outcomes of such approach are the increasing privatization of service delivery, and the development of cross-sectoral partnerships between the public and the private sector with community and voluntary groups. Greater opportunities arise where the tourism and conservation sectors join forces, advantages include the following: Human resources and marketing Greater effectiveness in product development Improved quality of service Increased community awareness of conservation Resolution of potential conflict of interest Reduction in overlapping initiatives Increase focus on partnerships is an example of how the current rationale of heritage sites management is informed by international trends in governance. There are many types of partnership, ranging from simple marketing alliances between neighboring attractions to more complex management arrangements. Example: In 2004, seven historic houses in Yorkshire, in the UK, created a joint marketing strategy around a single product theme. Some individual properties were privately owned while others were owned by the English Heritage or the National Trust, an important NGO in the UK – the result of which are: marketing budgets were used efficiently and target market proved keen to visit each of the seven properties The shifting approach to heritage site management is also evident in the increasing adoption of parastatals as a form of management structure. Parastatals are essentially public sector organizations which incorporate some elements commonly found in private sector organizations Examples of Parastatals: English Heritage, which has the responsibility for managing many England’s historic monuments – including the Stonehenge and Hadrian’s Wall KwaZuluNatal Nature Conservation Service, in South Africa, which manages its protected areas under cooperative arrangements with landowners. Parastatals have much greater flexibility than government departments to: Set fees and charges Establish funding mechanisms such as concessions Implement staffing policies Respond to customer needs WHS can benefit from the partnership approach through: Cost-effective marketing Acquiring additional managerial capacity Ensuring good relations with local communities So, while the government departments may still maintain overall responsibility for protected areas, a variety of more flexible management structures is being developed. For example: the Indonesian WHS of KOMODO initiated a collaborative management scheme (structure, system) in 2002, involves the national park authority, the local government, an international conservation NGO and a local tourism company as well as local communities, government agencies and private sector organizations. This strengthened: the capacity of the park authority to implement conservation management, sustainable livelihood activities and conservation awareness while improved channels for funding conservation through tourism are being created BUILDING LINKS WITH THE TOURISM SECTOR Establish a professional and sound relationship with tour operators or providers Aim is to promote site to a wider range of audience and generate finances In many cases, it might not be appropriate to create a link with tourism but there are advantages: WHS offer tourism companies important possibilities to add value to their holiday products Specialist operators may include visits to sites as an integral part of the itineraries (EX: one German mass tour operator provides excursions from its main destinations to around 120 different WHS – Tapper and Cochrane, 2005) Increased finances – from tourism into conservation Improving acceptance of the site among local populations through ensuring economic benefits to them Site advisers are often reluctant to create a link with tourism industry because the wear and tear caused by tourism is often only too clear, and partly because the advantages of tourism can bring are under-recognized. Basic requirements considered by tour operators when assessing a new tour: Quality of a site’s cultural attraction or wildlife Accessibility ‘Fit’ with the company’s current products Marketability Standard of food, accommodation and infrastructure Reliable local ground handling agents Relationship between the tourism and conservation sectors has to be long-term Naturally, the main purpose of creating closer links with the tourism sector is not just to promote the site to a wider audience but also to maximize the financial benefits. MAXIMIZING REVENUES FROM TOURISM The standard way of collecting revenues for WHS and other protected areas is through ENTRANCE FEES. However, these rarely cover the operational costs other than in exceptional cases such as GALAPAGOS ISLANDS, where visitor fees make a major contribution in Ecuador’s national budget. Nevertheless, studies have shown that ENTRY FEES can often be raised without affecting visitor numbers, resulting in an overall increase in income. More sites are setting fees according to: – Quality-price ratio for the service received – Elasticity of demand – Willingness to pay – Political considerations also have had to be taken into account For instance, one of the policies aims may be to allow reasonably-priced access to domestic population through differential fees DIFFERENTIAL FEES may be set – charging nationals lower fees than those set for international tourists, or by charging reduced fees at time when resident  nationals are most likely to visit (weekends and on public holidays) In many cases it is appropriate to generate income through USER FEES (getting visitors to WHS to pay): – Car parks – Campsites – Visitor centers – Mountain huts – Canopy walkways Activities: Diving Hiking Mountain climbing WHS can also generate funds through merchandizing themed items such as: Clothing Books Other souvenirs Protected areas can benefit from tourism through: o Encouraging volunteer help o Example: several organizations offer holidays where people pay to work on conservation projects, including helping at archeological digs or with habitat management in national parks. A project which sends English-speaking volunteers to the Museum of the Terracotta Warriors, in China, where they help with signs in the museum, teach English to museum staff and lead guided tours for visitors. o Donations from companies or from individuals o The trend for companies to express their CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY (CSR) through donations to charitable causes is widespread – in exchange, tour operators will expect benefit in return for this type of action like being able to display their company logo o An important aspect of seeking donations is to ensure funds raised is transparent and accountable to see that funds are used properly and effectively. o Lastly, tour operators can also support WHS through selection of accommodation and other services that emphasize conservation and community involvement and implement sustainability policies such as efficient use of water and energy. MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES TO REDUCE THE IMPACT OF VISITORS: Management strategies affecting the level and nature of exploitation of a site and its physical and socio- economic environment seek to minimize or reduce the impact of each visitor. Factors, or variables that can be affected or controlled, include the number of visitors, the types of activity, visitors’ behaviour and the environment’s physical and social resistance and resilience. A number of strategies address these variables: 1. Number of Visitors Visitor levels may be controlled by reducing the total number of people allowed at a site or reducing the number of people allowed in one or several areas of a site by dispersing them or by concentrating them in a specific area. Management options for reducing the number of visitors to a site can include: Restricting the entry or closing an area Limiting group sizes Implementing a quota or permit system  Increasing fees Not providing facilities Options for dispersing people to reduce use in a particular area can include (in threatened areas): Restricting number of tourists who can enter Limiting allowed length of stay Raising entrance fee Not providing facilities Zoning activities and not permitting certain activities Options for concentrating people to reduce use in a particular area can include: Directing tourists to more resilient areas through zoning, visitor education and offering more facilities or fewer facilities Charging different entrance fees on certain days of the week Using promotion and interpretation campaign to influence the use of an area over another 2. Type of Activity Site managers may encourage visitors to practice activities by: Raising or lowering prices for certain types of visitors Offering or not offering infrastructure Restricting opening hours Prohibiting certain activities through regulation and enforcement 3. Visitors’ Behavior Can be changed through: Education programs – teaching low-impact ways to visit a site o Example: techniques of observing wildlife without disturbing it Interpretation programs teaching respect for a site’s resources and protection issues 4. Environment’s Physical Resistance and Resilience A site’s physical environment can be made more resistant to impacts by: Using infrastructure to “harden” a site o Example: hardening a trail with wooden boardwalk or installing permanent moorings Relocating infrastructure to more resilient areas o Example: moving a mountain refuge to an area less prone to erosion 5. Social Resistance and Resilience Actions for reducing conflicts between visitors include: Zoning an area for compatible activities Influencing the types of tourism activities practiced by providing or not providing facilities Options for reducing conflict between local people in the community include: Channeling economic benefits to local people Incorporating socio-cultural values into the site’s management planning and development by increasing community participation References: Historic Preservation Division, Georgia Department of Natural Resources and Tourism Division of Georgia Department of Economic Development. (March, 2010). Heritage Tourism Handbook: a How-to-Guide for Georgia. Atlanta, Georgia Federal Provincial Territorial Ministers of Culture and Heritage. (2012). Cultural & Heritage Tourism: a Handbook for Community Champions. Canada Leask, Anna and Fyall, Alan. Managing World Heritage Sites Partners for Livable Communities. (2014). Cultural Heritage Tourism. Washington, DC Pedersen, Arthur. (2002). Managing Tourism at World Heritage Sites: a Practical Manual for World Heritage Site Managers. France: UNESCO World Heritage Center Randall, Jack. Heritage Tourism Texas Historical Commission. Heritage Tourism Guidebook World Heritage Center. (2022). Retrieved from: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/