International Trends in Heritage and Environmental Interpretation: Future Directions for Australian Research and Practice

Abstract

The past decade has witnessed enormous social, political, and economic change in places such as Africa, Eastern Europe, Asia, and the USSR. These changes have played an important role in focusing attention on the “why” and “what” rather than the “how” of interpretive practice. This shift in emphasis has been expressed in at least five international trends in interpretation: (a) a growing concern with theory in interpretive practice, (b) the rise of ecotourism and consequent changes in the interpretation of environmental issues, (c) reactions to globalization and the tension between homogeneity and uniqueness, (d) the need to interpret emotive issues and contested heritage, and (e) adopting a grassroots approach to interpretive planning. This paper discusses these international trends and focuses on three important areas in which future Australian interpretation research and practice could fruitfully contribute to the development of international “best practice.”