Convict heritage tourism a case study of fremantle prison, Australia : a case study of fremantle prison, Australia
Part of : Tourismos : an international multidiciplinary journal of tourism ; Vol.4, No.4, 2009, pages 199-214
Issue:
Pages:
199-214
Section Title:
Research papers
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Abstract:
History and Heritage have traditionally been strong pull factors in tourism. Thereare countries and destinations with strong tradition in these areas with practicallyno efforts needed for product designing, promotion or marketing. Destinationslike Rome, Vienna or Paris, etc. can be cited in this regard. It is interesting to findthat a country like Australia with a history of approximately 200 years (excludingthe aborigines’ history) has made extensive use of its history and heritage byconverting them into tourism products and convict heritage tourism has emergedas a vital interest area for both domestic as well as international tourism. As avisiting fellow of the Australia India Council (2007) I worked on a project –“How Australia has converted its history and heritage into tourism products?”and further as a visiting Professor under the Australia Endeavour Award 2008 Iworked on Convict Heritage in Australia. For this I carried out extensivefieldwork in different parts of Australia. This paper analyses the decision-makingand planning for converting convict history and sites into convict heritage sitesand further developing them as tourism products. It examines the attractionscreated in this area and the way they are marketed and promoted. Afterdiscussing the broad areas the paper discusses the Fremantle prison as a casestudy whereby it takes into account its conversion into a convict heritage site andits enrichment into a tourism product by introducing prison tours, theme partiesand a live experience of prison life to the visitors. How do the visitors feel aboutthis experience is another aspect dealt with in the paper along with theperceptions and attitudes of the host population, former prison officers andmembers of the Town Council in Fremantle. The paper also makes certainsuggestions for further enrichment and rejuvenation of such tourism products inAustralia. The paper, by dealing such themes, provides an insight into thisemerging area of new tourism products that provide a successful tourism productcase study for others to learn from and follow.
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Subject (LC):
Keywords:
convict heritage, ghost tours, tourism resource, tourism product, tourist gaze
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