REMAKING LOCAL HERITAGE FOR TOURISM

The paper outlines the development of Haw Par Villa as a philanthropic gift for leisure among locals to its revisioning by private enterpris e and by the national tourism board as a commercial venture. Against t his background, a survey was conducted among the local population to a scertain their reactions to the remaking of local heritage and among t ourists to determine their perceptions of the ''new'' attraction. Whil e locals cling to the personal and valued memories of the old villa, t ourists consume the theme park in terms of a commodity package. The di chotomous reaction underscores the importance that must be given to lo cal landscapes in the planning of cultural and/or historical attractio ns. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd