ABSTRACT
Chapter 2 focuses on two of the performance indicators identified in Chapter 1: innovation and environmental sustainability. The importance of innovation lies mainly in the opportunities to expand the tourist use of heritage assets in light of technological and market transformations. Innovation also entails new skills and, consequently, new training needs, with extremely positive effects in terms of employment. The analysis focuses on technological innovation and digitisation – both of which are particularly relevant for the heritage asset sector as they offer significant opportunities for modernisation. The issue of sustainability, on the other hand, relates to the sustainable management of cultural heritage, recognising the positive externalities it can generate. The analysis focuses in particular on the environmental sustainability of heritage assets, first in their general meaning as cultural and landscape assets – in terms of energy savings and use of renewable sources – and then in their specific role of tourist attractions – in terms of sustainable tourism and load capacity.
