Abstract

Heritage visitor attractions represent an integral component of the tourism product in many countries. This is particularly so in Scotland, where visitor attractions of a heritage genre continue to attract more visitors than others. However, with varying types of ownership, funding and organisational objectives, many unrelated to tourism, the management of heritage visitor attractions is particularly challenging. Based on a recent primary research study conducted in Scotland, this paper focuses on one particular component of management, that of revenue, and examines the appropriateness, role and utilisation of the concept of revenue management to the operational and strategic management of heritage visitor attractions. The paper concludes that while the majority of heritage visitor attractions employ a number of well-tested revenue-management techniques, there is limited evidence to suggest that pricing and revenue-generation policies reflect the attractions' organisational objectives. In particular, incumbent policies do not appear to reflect the wider needs of revenue management, such as the need to address seasonal and spatial limitations of demand.