Irreconcilability of heritage missions: Personalised and general tourism audiences - Dr Jane Johnstone, University of Strathclyde

Event Date: 28 February 2024

Speaker: Dr Jane Johnstone, lecturer in the Department of Marketing, Strathclyde Business School

Biography: Dr Jane Johnstone is a lecturer in the Department of Marketing, here at Strathclyde. Her research focuses on heritage tourism in urban and natural environments, particularly from community and provider perspectives. Her recent externally funded projects explore stakeholder collaboration and destination branding in connection with long-distance trails, reflecting her interest in sustainability.

Abstract: This paper explores the tensions between access to heritage as a social good, its commercialization and the subsequent impact this has on service delivery. Drawing on the context of ancestral tourism, a growing heritage tourism segment requiring a high level of personalization, it develops arguments about the structural irreconcilability implicit in contemporary museum service delivery when staff resources do not meet the individualized demands of specialist markets. Its findings reveal how challenges with delivering bespoke services drive tensions surrounding aspirations for greater public access and the commercialisation of public heritage. Our focus contributes to debates around heritage missions and public heritage management, illuminating the importance of understanding provider perspectives as museums adapt to more visitor-centered service delivery modes.

Published: 30 October 2025