Cultural Heritage Quality Management. Analysis of archaeological heritage managers’ perception

With this work we propose to analyze the perception of the concept of quality by managers of museums and archaeological sites. To this end, we chose to analyze some heritage areas open to the public and certified by HERITY - World Organisation for the Certification of Quality Management of Cultural Heritage, the only international certification of this kind which has been officially recognized by UNESCO and the World Tourism Organization. The application of the principles of quality and Total Quality Management to cultural heritage management is part of the efforts towards a continuous improvement of the cultural tourism offer and - in our opinion – towards an increasing capacity to promote intercultural dialogue between local population and visitors. In this context, we have therefore investigated the perception of quality within the context of cultural heritage management, and how the culture of quality can provide a greater involvement of local communities, contributing to the strengthening of authenticity and destination personality, as well as the promotion of intercultural dialogue between tourists and residents. To answer these questions, we have defined a theoretical model and subsequently carried out an empirical work at European level on the perception of quality by managers of cultural heritage sites, namely archaeological heritage. An in-depth comprehension of areas such as Archeology, Tourism and Quality Management, as well as its role within the broader context of sustainable regional development, are the basis of this work. The latter is intended, in turn, to be a vehicle of reflection within the creation of public policies on territorial management and tourism development. We thus undertook a research line which is still almost unexplored, that is, the analysis of quality principles within the cultural heritage management, their potential and the measurement of their actual impact on the territory, through an integrated approach, by considering in a specular, complex way the two main beneficiaries: residents and tourists.