Integrating Sustainability in Guiding at Cultural Heritage Sites: An Experimental Approach

This project aims to identify, experimentally test, and promote the adoption of sustainability-oriented guiding practices at cultural heritage sites. The project is empirically grounded in the community of Järvsö, specifically at the Stenegårds Cultural Heritage Centre.

A girl sits on a large chair outside three red houses and two women stand below and look at the girl. — Stenegårds Cultural Heritage Centre in Järvsö. Photo: Tage Persson/Mostphotos

One of the most distinctive features of tourism as an industry and a social phenomenon is its contrast with everyday 'normal' life. Being away from home, 'on vacation,' is often perceived as an extraordinary experience where tourists may behave in ways that diverge from the norms of their daily lives. This presents a problematic inconsistency between people's values and their behavior as tourists, resulting in harmful impacts.

Consequently, a key issue related to on-site learning is the perception of heritage site visitation, and tourism in general, primarily as a leisure activity focused on socializing and entertainment rather than education. However, learning and enjoyment are not mutually exclusive, and the primary challenge for destination managers is to facilitate cognitive and affective learning in an engaging manner. This can involve creating a sense of discovery and fascination, appealing to multiple senses, and providing visitors with the freedom to choose from a variety of experiences.

As the tourism sector is often dominated by small and micro-entrepreneurs, there is typically a lack of resources and expertise to monitor and mitigate negative tourist impacts. Promoting both cognitive and affective education through sustainability-oriented guiding represents a relatively low-cost adjustment that can help heritage sites mitigate negative impacts on-site and influence visitors' long-term sustainable behaviors.

Stenegård cultural heritage site is one of Hälsingland's main tourist attractions, drawing many visitors every year. On-site tour guiding, besides conveying information about the heritage site, has the potential to co-create a heritage experience and influence tourist behavior towards more sustainable practices.

The diverse setup of Stenegård is comparable to many cultural heritage centers in Sweden, making the cultural guiding practices developed there applicable to other similar destinations. Therefore, effective interpretation towards sustainability at cultural heritage sites, transforming them into spaces of experiences learning, is the central focus of this project.