Tourism and place - towards an alliance of policies

Historic towns have a strong identity, local distinctiveness and a unique sense of place. These qualities make them attractive tourist destinations. However, one consequence of tourism is that it changes the place. This process of change is reinforced by the move towards globalised tourism and standardised visitor expectations. It is widely accepted that the destruction of local character is undesirable and action needs to be taken to manage change. This paper explores these issues in the context of the importance attached to place making in government policy. It assesses the extent to which such policy is relevant and applied to tourism. The importance of place and identity in tourism policy statements is assessed. These policies set the context for decision-making on detailed guidelines and action. The paper describes these frameworks and draws out how they seek to retain the special qualities of historic towns and cities.