A supply-side angle to understand heritage tourism sites : a value-based assessment approach

Abstract

While conservation is an important research theme in heritage tourism, studies have typically focused on tourist perceptions from a demand-side perspective. Yet, there is an opportunity to better understand the supply-side of heritage tourism, including how resources are ‘marked’ as heritage sites. This study addresses this gap by applying a value-based approach from the Burra Charter, a well-recognized heritage management and conservation guideline that has been translated and adopted worldwide, to evaluate an urban heritage site: Kung Lee Sugarcane Juice, a traditional herbal tea shop situated in Hong Kong. On-site, field observations were combined with secondary research on three underlying dimensions of heritage value (i.e. historic value, architectural value, and social value) to understand the essential facets of heritage management policy-making. Overall, this research concentrates on the vital role of heritage value in achieving sustainable tourism development.