ABSTRACT
Introduction Tourism and its management in historic towns involve two broad areas of expertise: the fields of tourism marketing and management, and those of urban planning, environment and conservation. Although closely linked in remit and areas of conduct, the two are often administratively isolated from one another, resulting in contradictions and conflicts. The focus of this chapter is decision making in historic towns for urban conservation and urban tourism, and the concern for the management of the resources which constitute the urban ecosystem, built, natural and human. Urban management encompasses planning, directing, organising (coordinating) and controlling roles (Page 1995). Management is defined as ‘taking conscious decisions, with an eye to the future, about ongoing operations or the use of assets, or both in combination within a structured organisation’ (Lichfield 1988:38). The intention is to identify the key decision-making roles in the management and development of conservation and tourism in historic towns, and to address the time frame for which decisions are being made.
