ABSTRACT
Tangible heritage includes all assets that have some physical embodiment of cultural values such as historic towns, buildings, archaeological sites, cultural landscapes and cultural objects, or items of movable cultural property (UNESCO 2000a). From a management perspective, such assets are thought of as having an advantage over much that is intangible—their condition and integrity are easier to assess, and scale can be more accurately measured. Even so, tangible heritage is vulnerable to a wide range of processes that can damage or destroy the asset and its cultural values. Tourism is one of many stressor agents that can either accelerate destructive natural processes or encourage development and modifications that damage sites or compromise authenticity (Bowes 1994; Rosenbaum 1995; Wager 1995; Wang 1999; UNESCO and Nordic World Heritage Office 1999; World Monuments Watch 2000).
