A regular feature, inviting key individuals to comment on an aspect of scenario planning. Anna Leask, Senior Lecturer - Tourism Management at Napier University looks at what the future holds for heritage visitor attractions?

Please note all Viewpoint...articles are not policies of VisitScotland but individual opinions of the authors. The material should not be regarded as specific advice and no action should be taken with reliance on it. Neither the authors nor VisitScotland accepts any liability whatsoever for any loss or damage in any way of reliance placed upon the material.

What does the future hold for heritage visitor attraction?

How do heritage properties, keen to communicate the significance of the resource and context alter their provision to offer quality, interactive and engaging experiences to these changing visitor needs? On the more positive side, significant developments in technology and demographic changes have enabled heritage attractions to tailor their visitor experience and resource needs appropriately and innovatively. The development of niche tourism markets such as genealogy, growth in urban congestion encouraging travel to access natural heritage and opportunities afforded by film tourism have opened doors to new audiences and those seeking different types of experiences, allowing development of new products and services.

Internal factors influencing the future for heritage sites, including the acknowledged need to develop and change organisational culture and to embrace the need to generate revenue, develop and maintain visitor focus and resource access, have all enabled key heritage visitor attractions providers to move forward. This has entailed developing their traditional market base without alienating them, allowing younger, family and corporate markets to engage with heritage and establish a lasting relationship. The fragmented nature of the heritage visitor attraction sector has often acted as an inhibitor to their development, though increased collaboration via organisations and joint marketing appears to have benefited the sector as a whole.

The challenge remains, as always, as to how heritage visitor attractions balance the need to conserve their resource alongside the need to allow sustainable visitor access and participate in the future development of the destination. How well they manage to balance the various activities remains to be seen, though as stated by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (2006) 'Heritage assets, once lost, cannot be replaced; they are a very special resource and we are only now beginning to realise their full benefits’.

Anna Leask is Senior Lecturer in Tourism Management at Napier University