Cultural Heritage Interpretation and Tourism English in Relation to World Site Manager’s Tasks, Management Challenges: The Case of OCMHS, Indonesia

Literature studies and a field-study on Ombilin Coal Mining Heritage of Sawahlunto (OCMHS) site indicate that OCMHS site managers have a number of tasks and various challenges among which are heritage interpretation, fragmented governance, site-naming, regional sentiment, less attraction in tourism, lack of being known, lack of commitment, lack of local people engagement, and funding. This paper examined how the world heritage should be interpreted culturally, how the interpretation can be useful for the site managers as resources to address the tasks and challenges, and how tourism English contributes to the site management. The study applies library approach, field-study (survey), and Tilden’s principles. The paper argues that OCMHS heritages are not clearly interpreted. The world heritage historically communicated to visitors. Due to the communication, most of audiences do not catch meaning and value of heritage so they see and feel the heritage just as Dutch colonialist-abandoned objects. To attract visitors, it should be communicated to the visitors by way of cultural interpretation. Interpreting the heritage based on Tilden’s principles can express multifaceted meaning and value thereby making the heritage meaningful and valuable. It can provide heritage as worth visiting, respecting, preserving, and investing in, and it can also bridge the gap among local people, local authorities, and related stakeholders in the cases of site-naming, regional sentiment, and governance responsibility. Tourism English used specifically in OCMHS heritage has a number of Tilden’s interpretative principle-based forms. It contributes to enhancing international visitor engagement with the heritage. The language is an interpretive resource that enables site managers to communicate heritage significance to the visitors.In conclusion, cultural interpretation can be resource for the site managers to address their tasks and challenges.

cultural interpretation, managerial tasks and challenges, resources for site managers

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