Short answer

When designing tourism experiences around cultural heritage, proactively address policy gaps and facilitate communication channels between diverse stakeholders to ensure project viability and success.

Field: Innovation & Design
Source: Journal of Environmental Planning and Management (2017)
Method: Qualitative research
Sample: 38 participants
Evidence: Strong effect

Effective management of creative tourism destinations, particularly those leveraging cultural heritage, hinges on fostering cross-sectoral collaboration and establishing clear local policies. This innovation & design research insight is drawn from a 2017 study published in Journal of Environmental Planning and Management. Using Qualitative research with 38 participants, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: When designing tourism experiences around cultural heritage, proactively address policy gaps and facilitate communication channels between diverse stakeholders to ensure project viability and success.

Study

Innovation & DesignHigh ImpactStrong effect

Cross-sectoral collaboration is key to unlocking heritage tourism potential

Effective management of creative tourism destinations, particularly those leveraging cultural heritage, hinges on fostering cross-sectoral collaboration and establishing clear local policies.

Journal of Environmental Planning and Management · 2017

Key Findings

01Lack of specific local policy for archaeological heritage hinders its tourism potential.
02Absence of stakeholder communication and cooperation exacerbates development challenges.
03A flexible framework and collaborative environment are crucial for creative tourism development, especially with shared resources.

Application

Design takeaway

How to apply

Before initiating a heritage tourism project, conduct thorough stakeholder analysis and explore existing policy frameworks, identifying potential gaps and opportunities for collaborative initiatives.

Project actions

01When researching a design project, consider the 'ecosystem' of stakeholders and policies surrounding your chosen area.
02Think about how your design solution might need to influence or be influenced by existing regulations or collaborative structures.

Method & Evidence

AimWhat are the necessary conditions and organizational models for managing creative tourism destinations that rely on shared heritage resources, especially in regions with limited existing cross-sectoral collaboration?

MethodQualitative research

ProcedureThe study involved conducting interviews with 38 regional stakeholders from the tourism, heritage, and development sectors in the Alqueva region of Portugal to understand the challenges and opportunities for developing heritage-based creative tourism.

Sample38 participants

ContextCreative tourism destination management, heritage tourism, regional development

Variables

IVLack of specific local policy, Absence of stakeholder communication and cooperation

DVTourism potential of archaeological knowledge, Management of creative tourism destinations

CVShared heritage resources, Regional cross-sectoral collaboration

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

+Provides a practical case study of challenges in heritage tourism development.
+Offers a conceptual model for managing creative tourism destinations.

Limitations

The study's focus on a specific region means that the exact policy needs and collaboration models might differ in other geographical or cultural settings.

Reliability & validity

The qualitative nature of interviews provides rich data but relies on the subjective experiences of participants. The findings' validity is strengthened by the triangulation of perspectives from various stakeholder groups.

Think critically

How might a designer proactively influence policy development or foster collaboration in a context where these are initially lacking, rather than simply identifying their absence?

Design Principles

"Heritage assets can be transformed into vibrant creative tourism destinations through strategic policy development and robust cross-sectoral collaboration."

Designers and researchers involved in destination development or heritage interpretation must recognize that the success of such projects is not solely dependent on the intrinsic value of the heritage itself. It requires a strategic approach to stakeholder engagement and policy creation to ensure resources are effectively utilized and integrated into a cohesive tourism offering.

What This Means for Your Design

To make a place good for tourism using old things, you need rules that help and people from different groups (like tourism, history, and building) to work together.

How to use in your project

1.Use this research to justify the importance of stakeholder analysis and policy consideration in your design process, especially if your project involves cultural heritage or regional development.

Add to My Project

Quick Cite

Paragraph starter

This study underscores the critical role of cross-sectoral collaboration and supportive local policies in realizing the potential of heritage-based creative tourism. The findings suggest that without a concerted effort to bridge communication gaps between stakeholders and establish clear governance frameworks, the development of such destinations can be significantly hampered, as observed in the Alqueva region.

Source

Journal of Environmental Planning and Management

The clustering conditions for managing creative tourism destinations: the Alqueva region case, Portugal

journal · 2017

View source

Questions About This Research

What does the research say about cross-sectoral collaboration is key to unlocking heritage tourism potential?: When designing tourism experiences around cultural heritage, proactively address policy gaps and facilitate communication channels between diverse stakeholders to ensure project viability and success. Evidence: Journal of Environmental Planning and Management (2017).
Why does "Cross-sectoral collaboration is key to unlocking heritage tourism potential" matter for design?: Designers and researchers involved in destination development or heritage interpretation must recognize that the success of such projects is not solely dependent on the intrinsic value of the heritage itself. It requires a strategic approach to stakeholder engagement and policy creation to ensure resources are effectively utilized and integrated into a cohesive tourism offering.
How can designers apply this research?: When designing tourism experiences around cultural heritage, proactively address policy gaps and facilitate communication channels between diverse stakeholders to ensure project viability and success.
What were the main findings?: Lack of specific local policy for archaeological heritage hinders its tourism potential.. Absence of stakeholder communication and cooperation exacerbates development challenges.. A flexible framework and collaborative environment are crucial for creative tourism development, especially with shared resources.
What research method was used?: Qualitative research with 38 participants.
How strong is the evidence?: Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2017 journal from Journal of Environmental Planning and Management.
What should I do differently in my next project?: Before initiating a heritage tourism project, conduct thorough stakeholder analysis and explore existing policy frameworks, identifying potential gaps and opportunities for collaborative initiatives.
What are the limitations?: The findings are specific to the Alqueva region and may not be directly generalizable to all heritage tourism contexts without adaptation.