Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
heritage tourism that derives from diasporic migration. The place-bound notion of personal
heritage tourism is assuredly one of the most historical geography-embedded manifestations
of global tourism (Timothy, 2008). Likewise, migration has also resulted in many cultural
attractions in the new country, such as ethnic festivals, rural and urban ethnic enclaves and
themed villages that draw domestic and international visitors (McClinchey, 2008).
Early transportation networks were not only fundamental to the development of resorts,
historic cities and tourist attractions; they have now become salient elements of the heritage
milieu. Historic train trips and railways, automobile museums, infamous highways (e.g.
Route 66), aircraft museums and shipyards testify to the important role of transportation
innovations in the world's socio-economic development and are now targeted as enjoyable
industrial attractions and traversable routes of nostalgia.
Industrial archaeology is one of the most salient heritage tourism resources today. Patterns
of industrialisation and de-industrialisation are directly linked to the post-Fordist economic
transformation from manufacturing and extractive activities to service-oriented economies.
Symptomatic of this process, factories, mines and docklands that once characterised heavy
industry and transhipment have now become the domain of tourists.
Cities, with their plethoric heritage attractions, are excellent laboratories for historical
geography. Morphological patterns through industrialisation, modernisation and suburbanisa-
tion have created certain concentrations of tourism resources, trails and amenity areas that vary
from place to place, depending on their historical geographies of culture, society and nature.
While they were not discussed earlier in any detail, there are other forms of heritage
tourism that parallel the interests of historical geographers, who attempt to understand
religious patterns on the landscape and pilgrimage routes (Murray and Graham, 1997).
Pilgrimage, for example, is an important part of heritage tourism. Original pilgrimage routes
have become heritage trails, cultural and natural resources of a religious nature have become
heritage attractions for non-worshippers, and the religious traditions associated with sites of
miracles and angelic visitations have become heritage places by association with the divine.
As noted earlier, historical geography is concerned with power and territory. Colonialism
and how it manifests in everyday life is another important historical geography concern
(Lester, 2003; Keen and Tucker,
Chapter 12
of this volume). Despite its negative connota-
tions, colonialism, from a tourism perspective, introduced transportation systems in parts of
Asia that are the envy of many developing countries. Cities were built with Eurocentric
architecture and urban design, and educational institutions were established that today
continue to produce high-quality graduates. The relationship between colonialism and
tourism is manifold and touches upon issues related to conservation, indigenous rights, polit-
ical boundaries and economic disparities.
Heritage is highly political and hotly contested as parties contend for superiority in getting
their story told (Sarmento, 2010; Walton, 2005). The heritage narrative is almost always
recounted from the perspective of those in power and may entail deep societal amnesia, as
certain heritages are selected for show and conservation while others are ignored or even
written out of offi cial history (Hagen, 2005; Johnson, 1999; Teo and Yeoh, 1997). Thus, visi-
tors are shown only a selected 'truth' of the past, what those in positions of power want to
show. Historical geography is crucial in helping to create a more objective heritage product.
Conclusion
Space constraints preclude a thorough examination of all foci of historical geography and how
they translate into tourism terms. A few important ones have been highlighted, however,
