ABSTRACT
This chapter explores conceptually and operationally the idea of cultural assets as tourism products. It begins with the idea that products exist to satisfy consumer needs and can be considered as having at least three elements: the core product; the tangible product; and the augmented product component. Of these, the core product is by far the most important, for it answers the question of what personal needs are being satisfied or what benefits does consumption provide. Ideally, the product development process begins with the identification of core needs followed by the development of tangible and augmented components to satisfy those needs. The challenge for much cultural heritage is that the product development process begins with the tangible from which a compatible core product must be developed and then created. Thinking of cultural tourism assets as products means that assets need to be managed in the same way as other products. A marketing management approach is proposed as the most appropriate way of managing such assets. Importantly, the success of cultural tourism depends as much on compatibility with other products in the destination area as on the overall destination image. The chapter then develops the idea of the environment bubble, or the bubble of familiarity that reduces the level of strangeness to an acceptable degree. The benefits to the tourist, the tourism industry and the cultural heritage asset of standardizing, commodifying and modifying products by creating a suitable environment bubble to facilitate use are discussed.
