ABSTRACT
The previous nineteen chapters have presented what is likely the most comprehensive review to date of mining heritage tourism and related attraction development. Some 37 academics with expertise related to the subject area have discussed a wide range of mining site developments, both established and emerging, and have examined them in terms of an equally wide range of issues. For the most part, the organization of the book identifies the major categories of themes in the fields – preservation, interpretation, environmental impact, attraction development, sustainable management and future growth. Not surprisingly, several issues have come to the fore and are clearly pervasive throughout the field. These issues, again not unexpectedly, mirror the organization of the book as well spanning virtually all chapters – the fundamental conflicts between preservation and tourism attraction development strategies, the impact of governmental authorities on the planning and management of sites, the never ending challenge of funding acquisitions and more importantly the operations of sites, the need for and use of committed communities in terms of creation and sustained operations, and the challenge of raising the profile and attractiveness of mining heritage tourism for consumers.
