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Concerning heritage: lessons from rock art management in the Maloti-Drakensberg Park World Heritage Site. In Makuvaza, S., (ed) forthcoming 'Aspects of Management Planning for Cultural World Heritage Sites: Principles, Approaches and Practices'. Springer.
Abstract
At the time of writing, sixteen years have passed since the inscription of the World Heritage Site (WHS) in the uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park (uDP), South Africa. How has its cultural heritage been managed, and what lessons can be learned in order to inform its extension into the Kingdom of Lesotho? In 2013 UNESCO approved the inclusion of Lesotho’s Sehlabathebe National Park (SNP) to create a trans-boundary World Heritage Site known as the Maloti-Drakensberg Park, Lesotho/South Africa (MDP). This contribution is a critique for those planning and implementing site management strategies at rock art World Heritage sites. It draws specifically from experiences and outcomes on both sides of the international border (uDP and SNP). In this short essay we touch on the underlying management frameworks and how these are affected by the relationships between cultural heritage practitioners, cultural heritage agencies, and site managers. We outline the concerns of sustainability, tourism and marketing and whether these have hampered the park’s integrity. We further indicate how, perhaps, some of the pitfalls hitherto encountered, may be overcome. This is especially relevant to those heritage practitioners currently engaged in the planning of the new visitor centre at the SNP.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, overtourism was a major topic in global tourism management discourse. The continued growth of international tourism placed pressure on many high-profile urban destinations containing some of the world's most important intrinsic cultural heritage. This paper critically examines the operation of Hidden Florence, a heritage tourism augmented reality (AR) application (app) for the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Florence in Italy. Since 2016, the city management plan has actively promoted digital and smart solutions to address the issues induced by mass heritage tourism. Through user engagement data from 2013 to 2018, this paper investigates the nature and extent of app use, both in and away from the city. The paper makes two main contributions. First, from a managerial perspective, the empirical analysis points to several major practical and methodological challenges if AR apps, and the data they generate, are to be employed effectively as part of the management of established heritage destinations. Second, the use of AR apps in, and smart approaches to, tourism management have been recently theorised and advocated. Evidence from Hidden Florence demonstrates that translating conceptual possibilities into longer-term management practices and beneficial change is more challenging than existing discourse concedes.
This paper addresses the general theme of conservation and/or change of heritage sites in urban and regional planning. The particular focus is on the management of UNESCO industrial World Heritage sites in Europe. Industrial heritage refers back to historic innovation and continues to be embedded today in innovation-orientated urban and regional development. The question that our study examines is: In which aspects does the management of an industrial World Heritage site coincide with (or differ from) that of areas of innovation? We identified criteria both for the management of industrial heritage sites ("Good Practice Wheel") and areas of innovation (suc-cess factors for European Science and Technology Parks). In an online survey, we asked managers of heritage sites to evaluate management criteria. Completed survey responses were obtained for 22 of 38 European sites (58%) in 12 of 15 countries concerned (80%). Our study clearly shows an overlap of conservation and innovation priorities even in the management of UNESCO industrial World Heritage sites, and underlines the importance of integrative, "good" heritage management.
Archaeological sites are part of the history and identity of a community playing a strategic role on the different scales of the cultural and economic common life. Whereas on the one end the most famous archaeological sites attract huge flows of tourists and investment, on the other hand, many minor archaeological sites remain almost ignored and neglected. This study proposes a project-evaluation approach devoted to the “minor” archaeological site development, outlining a territorial, socio-economic, and landscape communication pattern aimed at creating an archaeological network integrating other cultural and natural resources. As such, these networks get able to match the demand of customers who shy away from iper-consumerist tourism and want to deepen their knowledge of a place. The proposed approach integrates knowledge, evaluation, and design in a multiscale pattern whose scope is to foster and extend the archaeological research program, involving public and private stake/stockholders to widen the cultural-contemplative experience and promote further educational events concerning the themes of the local identity. With reference to the archaeological basin of Tornambè, Italy, a Web-GIS knowledge system has been drawn to provide the territorial information requested by the economic-evaluation multiscale pattern implemented to verify the cost-effectiveness of the project. The expected negative results of the economic valuation supported the allocation pattern of the considerable investment costs, as well as the hypothetic scenarios about the evolution of the cultural-contemplative experience due to the extension of the archaeological estate. Some disciplinary remarks propose a heterodox approach for a further interpretation of the economic results and financial indexes, by introducing the monetary dimension of such a social capital asset.
The Matobo Hills World Heritage Area in southern Zimbabwe is an acknowledged treasure trove of rock art sites. Despite a century of research and management, there remains much to be done to conserve these sites for future generations. Following a chronological approach, this paper reviews a century of research and conservation efforts, detailing various strategies and achievements by individuals, government agencies, and affiliated organisations. Zimbabwe’s recent economic collapse and ‘land reform’ programme had fundamental impacts on the appreciation and protection of the rock art sites by tourists, local communities, international organisations and government agencies, all of which are explored. The article ends with brief suggestions on how to potentially improve and expand the management of rock art in the Matobo Hills area.
This research explores archaeological heritage management at the Memphis and its Necropolis – the Pyramid Fields from Giza to Dahshur World Heritage Site in Egypt. The case study methodology involved a structured questionnaire in order to gather data from key stakeholders. The results suggest only partial implementation of the World Heritage Site (WHS) management plan due in part to financial constraints, while strategies to raise visitor numbers remain limited. Actions are required to promote tourism, and to find resources for site enhancements. Current site management responsibilities appear centralised, with a need to develop an integrated management plan for the WHS. There could be better understanding of the needs of visitors and how these can be met. The study recommends development of a more Integrated Management Plan for the site, perhaps also involving some restructuring of key (state) organisations and/or specifically the creation of an entity responsible for management of the site.
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