World Applied Sciences Journal 24 (12): 1589-1596, 2013 ISSN 1818-4952 © IDOSI Publications, 2013 DOI: 10.5829/idosi.wasj.2013.24.12.1403 Corresponding Author: Suraiyati Rahman, School of Housing, Building and Planning, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800, Minden, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia. Tel: +604-6535913, Fax: +604-6533177. 1589 Heritage Management Challenges in Historic Town of Ludlow, England Suraiyati Rahman School of Housing, Building and Planning, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800, Minden, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia Submitted: Aug 11, 2013; Accepted: Sep 18, 2013; Published: Sep 22, 2013 Abstract: The concept of heritage management appears ambiguous and the perceptions of it are varied, depending on the interests of the stakeholders involved, conservationists, heritage managers, visitors, private sector, local communities and local authorities will all have their different views. Research on heritage management has tended to look at the values, motivations and expectations of visitors and at the process of managing heritage facilities or a heritage town. The principal issue is controversial domain in heritage management in historic town due to different perspectives among stakeholders and lack of integration among them. This paper intended to explore the role of key stakeholders in managing and promoting heritage tourism in historic town and the interaction among stakeholders. The town of Ludlow, South Shropshire, England was selected as a case study. The study adopted qualitative approach involving semi structured interviews with appointed officials and heritage managers, direct observation in selected case studies and also engaging with the events held in Ludlow. Finally, the key findings revealed the spectrum of challenges in heritage management is not primarily due to stakeholder roles but includes the morphology of the town and heritage ownership. Key words: Heritage Heritage management Stakeholders Challenges Ludlow England INTRODUCTION among stakeholders. Furthermore, they indicated that Heritage buildings, monuments and culture promote integrated with values and journeys of people’s lives. a feeling of pride in the nation because they contribute Yet, limited studies on the different roles and motivation towards a sense of place and remind us of past history as of stakeholders in managing and promoting heritage we move towards the future. Heritage resources attract tourism in historic town associated to challenges in tourism and tourism may revitalize the towns in which it heritage management. Thus this paper aim to explore the takes place as explained by [1] in their concept of the role of key stakeholders in managing and promoting ‘tourist-historic city’. Today, heritage tourism in an urban heritage and how they interacts and collaborate in small context can also be beneficial in boosting the local and English historic town in England. national economy and in revitalizing historic places and their surroundings. There are social, political and The Importance of Heritage: Built heritage, cultural economic dimensions to the development of the heritage heritage and contemporary culture are the strongest ‘industry’, as it has often now become. Much heritage product driver in most overseas markets and is the management research has focused on the definition of highest rated attribute when perceiving Britain as a tourist heritage, dissonance of heritage and the commodification destinations. Heritage resources are irreplaceable and of heritage [2-9]; or on heritage motivation, visitor non-renewable; they require conservation and good management, resource management and staff management. The broad field of heritage values, management [10-14], as well as on integrated heritage questions of whose heritage and for whom heritage is management [15-17]. emphasized many heritage commodified are the major issues in developing heritage management problems are caused by a lack of interaction as a ‘product’ which thus requires ‘heritage management’, heritage management is a process which needs to be