Tourist experience of heritage tourism in Macau SAR, China

Abstract

In 2005, the 'Historic Center of Macau' was inscribed on the UNESCO world heritage list. This international recognition has strengthened Macau's historical appeal as well as giving the city a facelift as a diversified tourism destination encompassing heritage offerings with gaming entertainments. Although the Macau government intends to develop heritage tourism, few studies to date have actually explored Macau's heritage resources from a tourist perspective. A careful review of literature shows that many academic discussions of Macau heritage originate from a history or conservation perspective. As such, this study aims to assess tourist experience and satisfaction about Macau's heritage offerings. Hopefully, findings in this study would allow policymakers to devise tourism plans that promote the city's heritage assets more effectively.