Funerary heritage tourism: definitions and principles
Abstract
In many major cities, the ‘first’ nineteenth-century cemetery is increasingly the focus of cemetery tourism. This paper recognises ‘funerary heritage’ as an associated but separate development. It indicates that there can be an uneasy relationship between cemetery tourism and funerary heritage, in part resting on unwillingness directly to associate cemetery visits with death. Poorly framed cemetery tourism can actively undermine both the tangible and intangible heritage of cemeteries. Many cemeteries are still in use, and this paper regards these sites as ‘living heritage’. In these circumstances, interpretation should acknowledge the bereaved as relevant stakeholders; interpretation needs to be more confident in the ways in which it talks about the various aspects of mortality; foregrounding how the cemetery ‘works’ presents an under-explored narrative frame; and there is a need to be aware of the ways that interpretation can skew conservation effort. Ethical issues also pertain. Here it is suggested that, at the very least, that interpretation should demonstrate how –across all times and cultures– humanity has striven to come to terms with mortality.
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