draw in visitors regardless of a direct association. A significant factor of a Heritage attraction is that they are usually part of a wider itinerary. 47 In the case of Bath, the
heritage is encapsulated in an entire living destination dependant on tourism.
Multiple organisations, private or otherwise, therefore interact for the city to function. 48 When real locations intertwine with the literary and screen depictions, the connection between them gives the city special meaning outside of the established cultural and historical value. 49
Through organisations like VisitBath, the city is able to promote what it can to
sustain the local economy and create a marketable experience based on this long- established literary fan-base. 50 The website features multiple pages connecting the
author to whatever attraction in Bath it can. Some examples include the promotion of
the ‘Thermae Bath Spa’, as Jane’s contemporaries visited Bath for the healing waters themselves. 51 Or blog posts listing the different things Austen fans should do in the city, ranging from museums to – unexpectedly – balloon rides. 52 Regardless of the strength of association, the city exploits existing interest to the advantage its array of businesses, attractions and heritage sites. 53 The extent of this marketing
could be seen as the underlying cause for the city’s strong association with the
author, when tour companies in Hampshire – her beloved home – haven’t seen the same level of increased interest alongside screen adaptions of her novels. 54 This
arguably effective management of this literary association has been shown to
47 Boyd, pp. 55-67 (p. 57). See also Olsberg SPI, Stately Attraction How Film and Television Programmes Promote Tourism in the UK , p. 104. 48 Bath & North East Somerset Council, The City of Bath World Heritage Site Management Plan: 2010-2016 <https://democracy.bathnes.gov.uk/documents/s3586/Appx1%20World%20Heritage%20Site%20Man agement%20Plan.pdf> [accessed 15 July 2023] (p. 24). See also p. 31. 49 Olsberg SPI , Quantifying Film and Television Tourism in England , p. 46. 50 Bath & North East Somerset Council, The City of Bath World Heritage Site Management Plan: 2010-2016 , p. 7. See also Boyd, pp. 55-67 (p. 58-9). See also VisitBath, Welcome to Bath – The Original Wellbeing Destination (2023) <https://visitbath.co.uk/> [accessed 12 July 2023]. 51 VisitBath, Jane Austen’s Bath (2023) <https://visitbath.co.uk/inspire-me/literary-bath/jane-austen- bath> [accessed 12 July 2023]. 52 VisitBath, Ten Jane-y Things to Do in Bath (2022) <https://visitbath.co.uk/blog/read/2022/08/ten- jane-y-things-to-do-in-bath-b57> [accessed 12 July 2023]. See also VisitBath, Must-dos for Jane Austen fans in Bath (2022) <https://visitbath.co.uk/blog/read/2022/08/must-dos-for-jane-austen-fans- in-bath-b44> [accessed 12 July 2023]. 53 For example, the Assembly Rooms or the Holburne Museum. See VisitBath, Jane Austen’s Bath. 54 Olsberg SPI, Stately Attraction How Film and Television Programmes Promote Tourism in the UK , p. 104.
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