The bridge between heritage conservation planning and management and the visitor to heritage place

Usuario1

Description

Abstract
The heritage interpretation to visitors has been described as the bridge between heritage conservation planning and management and the visitor to heritage place. Why is it described as a ?bridge?? And why is interpretation for visitors now considered so important in heritage planning and management?

Sujets

• Tourism
• Turismo

Informations

• Publié par: erevistas
• Publié le: 01 janvier 2007
• Nombre de lectures: 7
• Langue: English

Extrait

Vol. 5 Nº 1 págs. 125-128. 2007

www.pasosonline.org


Opiniones y ensayos


The bridge between heritage conservation planning and management
and the visitor to heritage place





Pairin Wechtunyagul
[e-mail]





The heritage interpretation to visitors ing and encouraging an appreciation of all
has been described as the bridge between the qualities, traditions, or features of life
heritage conservation planning and man- that have been continued over many years
agement and the visitor to heritage place. and passed on from one generation to
anWhy is it described as a “bridge”? And why other and of communicating nature
conseris interpretation for visitors now considered vation ideals and practices. Why heritage
so important in heritage planning and ma- interpretation to visitors has been
denagement? scribed as the bridge between heritage
conIf we talk about heritage, it is all the servation planning and management and
qualities, traditions, or features of life that the visitor to heritage place and why is
have been continued over many years and interpretation for visitors now considered
passed on from one generation to another; so important in heritage planning and
especially ones that are of historical impor- management. The answers of these
questance or that have had a strong influence tions will be discussed as follows:
on society (Sinclair et al. 1998, p. 790). And Firstly, heritage interpretation is a
if we talk about interpretation, it is the planned effort to create for visitor an
unprocess of stimulating and encouraging an derstanding of the history and significance
appreciation of our natural and cultural of events, people, and objects with which
heritage and of communicating nature con- the site is associated (Alderson and Low
servation ideals and practices (Queensland 1985 as cited by Hall and McArthur 1998 p.
National Parks and Wildlife Service quoted 166). The heritage manager will use the
by McArthur, in Ecotourism, vol 2, 1998). interpretation to raise awareness and
unThese words can be comprised as heritage derstanding of the values and uses of
heriinterpretation and definition of it can be tage (Hall and McArthur 1998, p. 168). For
defined regarding to the definition of heri- example, guides is an interpretation that
tage of Sinclair (et al. 1998, p. 790) and the are used at many heritage sites to give an
definition of interpretation that quoted by on-the spot commentary outlining the main
Queensland National Parks and Wildlife features of the site (Aplin 2002, p.43-4). In
Service (quoted by McArthur, in Ecotour- order to create the understanding of
visiism, vol 2, 1998) as the process of stimulat- tors to the heritage sites, Alderson and Low
© PASOS. Revista de Turismo y Patrimonio Cultural. ISSN 1695-7121 126 The bridge between heritage conservation planning …

(1985 as cited by Hall and McArthur 1998 has been described as the bridge between
p. 166) have explained that the interpreta- heritage conservation planning and
mantion is a program and activity. The program agement and the visitor because the
interestablishes a set of objectives for the things pretation is a plan that the heritage
manwe wants our visitors to understand. As the ager use to create the understanding and
note in the handout of Staiff (2003, p.13), appreciation of visitors to love and conserve
he has mentioned the fundamental aim of the heritage sites. Moreover, the
interpreinterpretation is to bridge the gap between tation has been described as the bridge,
form and content. The form is any material why is interpretation for visitors now
conobject or physical site and the content is sidered so important in heritage planning
any information that pertains to that mate- and management. The importance reason
rial object or physical site that has been that can define the importance of
interpredesigned or shaped for a visitor viewing the tation to the heritage planning and
manobject or visiting the site. Beside, the con- agement is the interpretation as the tool of
tent is any information or memories or ex- planning and management of heritage
maperiences the visitor has accumulated and nager to raise awareness and
understanduses to make sense of their viewing of an ing of visitors to values and uses of
heriobject or the experience of a heritage site. tage. The result of understanding and
apIn order to design the interpretation to preciation of value and significance of
hericreate the understanding of visitors, the tage will stimulate the visitors to conserve
heritage manager should set the objective the heritage sites. As Moscardo (1996
to link the heritage objects or heritage sites p.377) has mentioned that successful
interand information that be used to explain pretation is critical both for the effective
those objects or sites. For example, the management and conservation of built
booklet of the Emerald Buddha Temple is heritage sites and for sustainable tourism.
used to explain and educate the visitors Secondly, interpretation is the
commuabout the history, meaning, and architec- nication process which aims at helping
tural style of the heritages at the Emerald people to discover the significance of things,
Buddha Temple by using the picture and places, people, events and help to change
information to explain. Beside a program, the way they perceived themselves and
Alderson and Low (1985 as cited by Hall their world through a greater
understandand McArthur 1998 p. 166) have defined an ing of the world and themselves (Colonial
activity is another interpretation. They Williamsbueg USDA as cited by Hall and
explained that the activity has to do with McArthur 1998 p. 166). The heritage
manthe skills and techniques by which the un- ager will use the communication process in
derstanding is created. Aplin (2002, p.39) order to explain the value and significance
has mentioned that different audiences or of heritage objects and sites to the visitors.
market segments require different forms of If we consider the applied diagram of
cominterpretation. This statement has told us munication model to Museum of Shannon
about different visitors might require dif- and Weaver (Hooper-Greenhill 1994. p.
40ferent activities when they visit the heri- 1) as Figure 1, it is possible to describe the
tage sites. For example, the social insects exhibition team as the source, the
exhibiare good interpretive subjects. The visible tion as the transmitter, with objects, texts
beehive at Rock Nature Center, Washing- and events as the channel of
communicaton, D.C., is attractive to young and old tion, the visitors’ heads as the receives,
visitors (Tilden 1977, p. 6). In order to set with the visit’s understanding as the final
the activity to motivate the understanding destination (Hooper-Greenhill 1994. p.
40of the visitors, Hall and McArthur (1998, 1). It can be explained that the exhibition
p.170) have explained about a target audi- team of museum will use the exhibition as
ence, as every visitor is different. Each has the interpretation to present the objects of
different values, interests and mental and the museum to the view and the experience
physical characteristics. The identification of visitors to make them understand and
of target audience can ensure that the in- appreciate the value and the importance of
terpretation is relevant to visitors’ needs. It the objects in museum. If the visitors
apcan be concluded that the interpretation preciate and understand the value and
PASOS. Revista de Turismo y Patrimonio Cultural, 5(1). 2007 ISSN 1695-7121

Pairin Wechtunyagul 127

significance of the objects in museum, they heritage objects and heritage sites to the
will help to preserve these objects. It can be view of visitors. If the visitors can
undersummarized that the interpretation has stand meaning and the value of the
heribeen described as the bridge because it is a tages, they will like to protect and conserve
communication process, which is used the the heritage sites.
send the meaning and the importance of


Objects
Exhibition Visitors'
Exhibition team texts Visitors' heads
encoded message Understanding
Events
Fatigue
Crowds
Workmen
Poor graphics


Figure 1: Shannon and Weaver Model of Communication Applied to Museum (Hooper-Greenhill 1994.
p.40-1)


Furthermore, the interpretation has awareness of heritage values and the
been described as the bridge, why is in- need to protect them. Beside, they can
terpretation for visitors now considered so increase pressure on the government to
important in heritage planning and man- manage and protect the site adequately.
agement. The reason that can explain the It can be said that interpretation has
importance of interpretation to the heri- been described as the bridge because it is
tage planning and management is the a tool of heritage manager use to
motiinterpretation as the communication me- vate the understanding and appreciate of
dia of planning and management of heri- visitors to the conservation of heritage
tage manager to use to access and attract sites. Beside, why