Heritage marketing: The role of information technology

Abstract

At first glance, heritage and information technology (IT) may seem an incongruous fit. Yet on closer exmination, it becomes apparent that IT has an increasingly important role to play in the marketing of heritage. Consideration of the characteristics of heritage highlight the challenge presented to heritage sites to become more marketing orientated than they have been in the past. IT provides a potent means by which heritage marketing can become more dynamic from the perspectives of management, presentation and distribution. This paper explores each of these areas in turn. In conclusion, it is found that IT is not a panacea but a tool which has the potential to add value to the product. For this to happen, IT in heritage sites must adhere to the first principles of marketing, namely the need to be consumer-driven not innovation-led.