Heritage, tourism and community development

In June 2011 the 5th International Conference on Responsible Tourism in Destinations took place in Edmonton, Canada. More than 400 government, industry and community representatives gathered to explore best practice in planning and delivering tourism that creates real benefits for host communities. A key topic explored at the conference was how to ensure cultural heritage resources can be celebrated and protected in a way that respects their value to different stakeholders, and yet at the same time can be used to support a thriving tourism sector in the destination. This paper seeks to summarise some of the discussions that were held at the conference so that Ministers and their advisors can respond to calls for action as delegates return, eager to promote a more responsible approach to the management and development of heritage assets for tourism.