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International Journal of Applied Entrepreneurship (ISSN: 1742-5824) Volume 1 Issue 1
Welsh Enterprise Institute, University of Glamorgan Business School
The paper considers the importance of new Heritage Tourism business formats
and the virtual interface for the development of small museums and other sites
in Wales. Historically, Wales has long been associated with the traditional provision
of heritage in the form of museums, castles, abbeys and churches. However, the
Heritage Tourism industry has experienced unexpected growth in a number of key
sectors. De-industrialisation in Wales, both in the coal mining and steel producing
industries, has in the later stages of the twentieth century shifted the focus
from the traditional heavy industries, associated with the principality, to the
commodification, and in many cases trivialisation, of these industries as heritage
products. The so-called traditional heritage products are under continual pressure
as the industry expands to become a diverse, multi faceted sector embracing all
aspects of Welsh culture and history. As the tourism industry in Wales becomes
ever more competitive the Heritage Tourism industry with its ‘tainted entrepreneurial
character’ remains the sleeping giant of Welsh economic revival. In order
to realise this potential the paper argues the case for the adoption of new heritage
tourism business formats and the virtual interface for heritage tourism sites
especially small museums in Wales.
The three main bodies involved with Heritage Tourism in Wales are CADW: Welsh
Historic Monuments, the National Trust (NT) Wales and the Council for Museums
in Wales (CMW). The paper initially reviews the policy structures of the three
main bodies with regard to their promotion of new business formats and the role
of virtual interfaces in their organisations. This is considered through the
analysis of the three bodies’ Web sites with regard to the type of physical
site, location and the business formats at the real sites. These include museum
shops, restaurants, entrance till areas and visitor information centres. From
the analysis the extent to which each organisation promotes new business formats
and the way they market these formats through their Web sites is determined.
This is considered in relation to their business policy approaches. An important
strand which runs through the activities of the three main Heritage Tourism bodies
in Wales involves small museums which are often located individually or on heritage
sites. The importance of small museums varies in relation to the operations of
the three main bodies from minimal inclusion for historic monuments through location
at certain National Trust properties and sites to considerable significance for
museum networks. In the latter, small museums have a significant role to play
in the ‘Knowledge Economy’ on a local, regional and national level.
The research methodology has involved four main stages including: (i) an assessment
of the existing policy structures of the three main Heritage Tourism bodies in
Wales, (ii) a comparison of the bodies in terms of their business formats and
the role of virtual interfaces, (iii) an analysis of the extent to which each
organisation promotes new business formats through their Web sites, and (iv)
a discussion with recommendations to develop a national policy for Heritage Tourism
business formats and small museums in Wales.
The paper concludes with an overview of how the present policy structures have
evolved and how these structures can be developed into a national framework in
the context of the new business formats available in the 21st century.
Key words: Heritage Tourism, New Business Formats, ICT, Small Museums