A Comparison of the Cultural Heritage Management in the European Union Countries

Abstract

This paper examines the management of cultural heritage in the 28 European Union member states. Cultural tourism is one of the essential forms of tourism. Cultural Heritage Assets receive millions of tourist visits every year as a result of cultural tourism. Nevertheless, the private sector-oriented, profit-making structure of tourism is in contradiction with public-sector oriented, not for the profit-making structure of cultural heritage management. Therefore, this paper aims to examine the involvement of society in the management of cultural heritage in European Union member states. The involvement of government, non-government and mixed (both government and non-government) bodies were examined in the cultural heritage management context of 28 European Union member states. The result of the paper suggests a multilateral example of cultural heritage management as in the United Kingdom is an example of a thriving cultural heritage management practice.