Abstract (150 Words)

Development and management of heritage tourism attractions pose several challenges, such as conserving heritage under limited financial resources. Heritage sites or attractions often include numerous attributes (e.g., education, guided tours) that can be provided at various levels. However, the financial constraints of heritage tourism sites inhibit the ability to implement every preference of visitors and potential visitors. The purpose of this study is to identify and compare the preferences of visitors and non-visitors for the improvement of management programs and services of the South Carolina National Heritage Corridor using a choice experiment (CE). Users and non-users indicated some different preferences for the development options. As agencies seek to develop programs and services that will increase total visitation, both groups are important to assess to satisfy current visitors so they will be repeat visitors, as well as implement programs and services that offer the best opportunity to convert non-visitors to visitors.

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Understanding Public Preferences for Development of a Heritage Tourism Corridor: A Choice Experiment Approach

Development and management of heritage tourism attractions pose several challenges, such as conserving heritage under limited financial resources. Heritage sites or attractions often include numerous attributes (e.g., education, guided tours) that can be provided at various levels. However, the financial constraints of heritage tourism sites inhibit the ability to implement every preference of visitors and potential visitors. The purpose of this study is to identify and compare the preferences of visitors and non-visitors for the improvement of management programs and services of the South Carolina National Heritage Corridor using a choice experiment (CE). Users and non-users indicated some different preferences for the development options. As agencies seek to develop programs and services that will increase total visitation, both groups are important to assess to satisfy current visitors so they will be repeat visitors, as well as implement programs and services that offer the best opportunity to convert non-visitors to visitors.