Heritage Interpretation
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Heritage Interpretation Nowacki 2012.pdf (6.91 MB)
Authors
Date
2012
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Wydawnictwo AWF w Poznaniu
Abstract
Visiting tourist attractions is an important motive behind tourist trips. It provides an opportunity for a wide range of activities, such as watching exhibits, listening to guides' talks, reading descriptions on interpretive boards and panels, asking questions to the personnel, and answering questions asked by a guide. Such visits also promote social interactio between the attraction personnel and visitors, as well as witbin a visitor group (a family or a group of ยท friends). Visiting tourist attractions results in experiences, emotions, understanding, knowledge and other benefits, depending on the type of attraction and expectations of visitors. Heritage interpretation serves to facilitate the achievement all of these purposes: it aims to enrich experiences, stimulate activity and widen knowledge. Interpretation is a method for helping visitors understand the character of the place, explaining its meanings, providing experiences and provoking emotions. It also seeks to inspire visitors to gain knowledge about a heritage on their own. For this purpose, a variety of media are employed: from verbal talks, through printed resources, puppet shows and live interpretation, to advanced computer techniques. Knowledge about interpretive methods is not limited to techniques for communicating knowledge using specific media: it also includes the ability to write interesting interpretive texts, structure them in an adequate way, and formulate themes and subtitles in such a manner that will make the text easier to understand. This knowledge also encompasses the ability to develop a complex interpretation plan for a heritage area. Such a plan integrates the natura] and cultural heritage of the area into a coherent tourism product. It points out what are the main themes worth interpreting and where they should be interpreted, defines what media should be employed and how, and suggests appropriate tourism management strategies with regard to natura! and cultural heritage sites. For the reasons mentioned above, knowledge on heritage interpretation is indispensable to any professionals handling the tourism traffic, including guides, tour leaders, tourist information personnel, tourist attractions staff (in museums, zoos, heritage parks), as well as those involved in tourism management and the development of tourist areas.