Heritage Interpretation and Presentation Practices in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia: Cases from the Wukro Tourism Cluster

Abstract

Interpretation and presentation of heritage is becoming a major challenge as important elements of human culture are misinterpreted and vanishing throughout the globe. It is only when the heritages are sustainably interpreted that tourism can be developed in a sustainable manner. The major purpose of this study is to investigate the practices of heritage interpretation and presentation in Tigray with a case from Wukro Tourism Cluster. Descriptive type of research design inculcating both quantitative and qualitative research methods was employed for empirical investigation. Questionnaire, interview and observation were the main instruments of primary data collections. Primary data was collected from 134 respondents (120 questionnaires and 14 interviews). Findings of the study reveal that the practices of heritage interpretation and presentation in Wukro Cluster are embedded with different pitfalls. A lot of unfavorable factors like limited capacity of heritage interpreters, scant attention to community based heritage interpretation, problems in variety and quality of visitor experiences, problems with stakeholder cooperation, lack of organized interpretation and presentation, problems in the adequacy and quality of interpretation infrastructures and others. Developing appropriate interpretation system, preparing different interpretation and presentation infrastructures and introducing common practices of visitor management can be good remedies.