A study on variances in tourist preferences on heritage tourism

• Main Authors: Gan, Chong Zhi, Dorai, Monisha Abby, Tio, Alicia Li An
• Other Authors: Nanyang Business School
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2013
• Subjects: DRNTU::Business
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/51583
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

This study seeks to explore implications of the different tourist perceptions and needs on a heritage site due to the variances of different nationalities in their perception towards heritage tourism. A survey was conducted to explore if tourists from developed or developing countries would look out for modern, heritage or design aspects in a heritage site. Also, we seek to discover if there is a group of new age of heritage tourists who, while interested in visiting heritage places for its architectural design, might have no specific interest in the history or the culture behind it. Results showed that tourists from developed countries tend towards valuing cultural sites and thus look for the heritage aspects in a heritage site while tourists from developing countries tend towards modern attractions and the modern aspects. The importance of visiting a heritage site to a tourist is also dependent on the various inclinations of the tourists. Therefore, the variances in the different tourists needs would provide avenues of consideration for the conservation as well as the marketing of a heritage site in the context of tourism.