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“We have to be aware that the landscape that we see is not out there: it is in our heads, filtered by our cultural perceptions, structured by our psychological needs. Heritage is part of the fabric of people’s lives, consciously or unconsciously accommodating aspirations and providing symbols of continuity, icons of identity and places for pleasures, enjoyment and enlightenment in the fast-changing world of communications.“ (Leask and Yeoman 1999 pp2)
The word “heritage” is often associated with the word “inheritance”, in other words, something transferred from one generation to another. It’s also considered a mixture of history and culture that can exist in a natural or manmade environment. This can imply a variety of things such as historic buildings, works of art and beautiful scenery. However, the term “heritage” has evolved to something bigger and more complex. (Sigala and Leslie 2005; Timothy and Boyd 2002; Mintel International Group 2004 pp5-8)
It is also wrong to equate “heritage” simply with history and nothing else. There is certainly a relationship between history, heritage and culture, and most researchers do accept that “heritage” is linked to the past. However, whilst there is no clear definition of what heritage is, there is a universally accepted perception about what heritage consists of. (Sigala and Leslie 2005; Timothy and Boyd 2002)
The key point is that Heritage, as a dynamic concept, has evolved and should not only be considered as simply the past, but rather the modern-day use of elements of the past. Whether tangible or intangible, cultural or natural, it is a part of heritage as it is linked as well to broad concepts of identity, power and economy. Due to this perceiv ...