Interpretive services are the reasons visitors come back to heritage sites. Interpretive programs and services can produce reductions in site maintenance, and related management issues when used as a management tool. Interpretive programs and services provide added value to any heritage tourism experience, and heritage site marketing efforts. You cannot have heritage tourism without interpretation. Heritage tourism is dependent upon the story of the site and the willingness of visitors to want to travel to see, learn about and experience the site.
Interpretation brings in more visitors, more repeat visitors and more income.
You are experiencing a reduction in grant aid support from past years. Visitors do not leave your heritage site truly understanding the story of the site, or the value in preservation of historic sites and landscapes. Memberships to your organization are flat or declining. Your marketing brochures have pictures of landscapes, furniture or buildings, but no people in the pictures. You have to reduce hours of operation due to poor visitation.