Figure 1. The Three Categories of Heritage Attraction NATURAL ...

seen at the more commercial end of the market, authenticity and commodification are of equalconcern at smaller sites.In contrast, however, other sites have faced the opposite problem: the complete lack of anyconsideration of the visitor's experience in favor of conservation and guardianship, a"curatorial approach." This method sometimes resents the mere presence of tourists, and maystill be found in some muse urns and galleries where the emphasis remains on thepreservation of heritage rather than its everyday enjoyment (Garrod and Fyall, 2000).Nevertheless, this attitude may well change as the need to retain financial solvency in the faceof declining governmental support becomes ever more pressing, and the economic benefits ofpublic access--at the market price--become more evident to heritage managers. Thus,managers face the challenge of providing an experience that strikes a balance betweenobvious simulation and sensationalism, and an overly dry, scholarly air. The heritage visitorseeks an educational, yet equally enjoyable visit to a site that presents accurate informationyet in a stimulating manner (Goulding, 2002).On a more practical level, as the tourism industry--heritage-related and otherwise--continuesto burgeon, and visitor expectations (both in terms of the quality and range of attractionsexpected) continue to increase, competition between destinations becomes ever more fierce.Heritage sites must compete for visitors not only within the heritage market, but also againstother forms of leisure activity (theme parks, shopping malls, entertainment complexes, etc.),as suggested by Garrod and Fyall (2000) and Hargrove (2002).As stated by Prideaux (2002, p. 380), "possession of an interesting landscape, old building,unique event or historic site is no guarantee that tourism will flourish ... Success lies beyondpreservation of the past and construction of the new to celebrate the old. Success has muchmore to do with the decidedly unnostalgic issues of marketing, pulling power, viability andinformed management." a clear vision of a site's purpose, of its potential visitors and theirexperiences, is therefore essential, and should be outlined in the marketing plan for the area.A cohesive plan is also more apt to encourage broad community support, and to attractfunding from relevant agencies, two other vital elements of a successful, tourism-baseddevelopment strategy.Sarah Nicholls is an assistant professor, Christine Vogt is an associate professor, and SooHyun Jun is a master's student, in the Department of Community, Agriculture, Recreation andResource Studies (formerly Park, Recreation and Tourism Resources) at Michigan StateUniversity. The authors recently completed a marketing plan for the US-12 Heritage Route,which passes through the southern portion of Michigan.Table 1. Selected Results from TIA Geotourism StudyAllGeo-Characteristic Travelers SavvysPercentage of American travelers (adultswho had taken at least one trip in thepreceding three years) 100 10.6Average number of trips taken per year 5.2 7.6Average annual household income($,thousands) 62.7 68.2Percent aged 35-54/55 and over 43/27 50/25Percent holding college education(at least one degree) 45 61Statement Geo- Urban(figures represent percent agreement) Travelers Savvys