Cultural resource valuation in tourist destinations

Tourism affects the perceived value of cultural resources within a destination through a process of commoditization (e.g., Baron, 2010, Bunten, 2008, Greenwood, 1989, Macleod, 2006, Zhu, 2012). There are competing reports of both positive strengthening of cultural assets and devaluation or transformation of cultural assets due to tourism (Lehman, Wickham, & Fillis, 2014). This research note attempts to rationalize these seemingly contradictory outcomes, by examining how cultural management strategies relate to the form and function of cultural assets in the presence of tourism. The case of heritage languages will exemplify the commoditization process modeled in the paper, given that tourism influences how heritage languages are prioritized within a society