Many museums and historical sites are mainly visited by tourists and not local people. Why is the case? What can be done to attract local people?

It is often seen that cultural heritage hotspots are mostly popular among outer visitors, not locals. In

this

essay, I will outline some of the reasons for

this

phenomenon and I will discuss some possible measures to invite local participants. The clearest cause of

this

trend is that cultural attractions are fascinating to guests from different cultures. By way of example, travellers from Europe find Japan a great destination with its authentic traditional culture of architecture, performance and artworks. In the same vein, people from Asian countries enjoy the castles and cityscape in Spain or France.

Furthermore

, ordinary people have learned and seen their own antiques while studying and living.

Therefore

, there is less motivation to go to those venues that are crowded with foreign tourists. In Taiwan,

for instance

, lots of historic works are regularly exhibited in smaller culture centres and even in subway stations.

However

, there are various approaches to engaging local residents.

First

and foremost, historical places and museums could link the masses to cultural objects through well-designed events and exhibitions. The national palace museum of Taiwan,

for example

, had several special exhibitions on the subject of modern society,

such

as social networking, with ancient painting and letters and successfully gained popularity among the young. Another workable means is to spur locals to participate in cultural activities as a guide for tourists. Through workshops for guides, residents could digest the in-depth dimension of their own heritage and

further

bond themselves to their communities. In conclusion, since there are different factors to

this

issue, cultural institutions should include local inhabitants in the operation plan of museums and historical sites to lead a sustainable flourishing future of cultural heritage.