Cultural heritage and destination management in the Mediterranean

The challenge for destination management and marketing based on cultural tourism becomes obvious with the example of the Mediterranean region. This area especially is abounding with different expressions of cultural heritage, with special consideration of architectural heritage. Nevertheless, it is difficult to open this cultural heritage in a way to satisfy the customers' expectations on the one hand, and on the other hand to facilitate cooperation between individual countries of the Mediterranean region, which are hindered by broad variations and strong local or regional identities. The article shows the necessity for professional integration of culture‐touristic products and services in the framework of destination management, taking into consideration the various levels of responsibility and identity on a national, regional, and local level, in order to create a basis for cooperation in the Mediterranean region. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.