Heritage issues in urban tourism: An assessment of new trends in Lancaster County

Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, a popular heritage tourism destination in the northeastern US Megalopolis, is undergoing new trends that have significant implications for its natural and cultural heritage. One involves growing direct participation of segments of the Amish community in tourism. Is th...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Tourism management (1982) 1995-08, Vol.16 (5), p.381-388
Main Author: Hovinen, Gary R.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Amish
authentic
heritage
planning
proactive
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, a popular heritage tourism destination in the northeastern US Megalopolis, is undergoing new trends that have significant implications for its natural and cultural heritage. One involves growing direct participation of segments of the Amish community in tourism. Is the growing complexity of the Amish response towards tourism a sign of the incipient breakdown of the Amish cultural heritage, and what are the implications for the future of tourism? A second trend, promotion of major new discount outlet centers, has contributed to further diversification of the county's tourist base and a partial move away from focus on the Amish. Has this development affected the county's unique cultural heritage and produced environmental problems? The premise of the investigation is that a passive response by the public planning sector to tourist marketing in the private sector may have been detrimental to Lancaster County's authentic heritage; therefore, a proactive planning approach seems needed.
ISSN:0261-5177
1879-3193
DOI:10.1016/0261-5177(95)00042-M