City University provides links to a number of useful heritage and cultural tourism reports and website.

The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has published it’s new strategy setting out it’s priority funding areas for Heritage projects in the next 12 years.  The HLF will grant £1.9 billion, around £180 million annually towards schemes of all sizes and they have confirmed their key aims of conservation, participation and learning.

HLF also announced a simpler application and assessment process will be launched to speed up funding decisions and a new youth participation strategy will be set up highlighting the importance of engaging with young people for heritage schemes.

A reading list focusing on heritage tourism is available on the Tourism Trade website.

Captain Scott’s expedition base in Antartica has been added to the the world’s 100 most endangered historic sites.

The recent fire which swept through the Cutty Sark could become part of the overall visitor experience once it re-opens to the public. Interactive exhibits could be used to tell the story of the recent fire.

Earlier this week an attempt was launched to make Loch Ness a UNESCO World Heritage site, which if successful could help to increase visitor numbers to the area.

Read more in the Financial Times.

Warick Castle has recently been purchased by the Merlin Entertainments Group. Read more here.

Cultural tourism plays an important role in the overall market mix of tourists visiting Malta (12.8% of all tourists visit Malta for its cultural heritage).  Though tourists on summer/winter sun breaks make up the major percentage of overall visitors.  To read more please click here.

9th – 10th May
The show brings together suppliers and operators in the museum and heritage sectors.  The show also runs a number of seminars which cover subject areas such as marketing & audience development; design & interpretation and funding & income generation.

To find out more visit the Museums and Heritage show’s website.

A good reference source for information on heritage tourism has been provided by Visit Britain.

The Culture Minister David Lammy has pledged £250,000 of funding from the DCMS and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. This will be used by the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust to restore Scott’s hut at Cape Evans.

The Heritage Lottery Fund has announced that five visitor experiences which explore British history will receive a total of just over £17 million in funding.

The five attractions include:  Ulster Museum, South Marine Park in South Shields, Durlston Castle in Dorset, Geevor Tin Mine in Cornwall and Stockwood Park Museum in Luton.

A link to a list of heritage based tourism articles and resources.

The Heritage Lottery Fund has recntly announced its latest round of grants totalling £76.5million to an wide range of heritage projects across the UK.