ABSTRACT
Heritage has arguably generated the most remarkable growth industry of the late twentieth century, continuing now well into the twenty-first. Its commercial impact, upon tourism especially, is too easily discussed in straightforward economic terms. However, there are problems with this: those who manage relevant jurisdictions are not necessarily positive to heritage — or to particular heritages — when heritages are in competition with one another or with alternative tourism or other planning objectives. This chapter discusses the cases of three small jurisdictions in warm (pen)insular locations, in all of which official perspectives on heritage — specifically of former Royal Navy bases — are significantly at variance with those of non-governmental organizations dedicated to heritage resource conservation and related tourism promotion. The discussion is a salutary reminder, with greater resonance for larger and more complex societies, that the course of heritage development — and ultimately of its impact assessment — does not necessarily ‘run smooth’.
