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THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE GEOGRAPHER TO THE STUDY OF HERITAGE D. Light CAMBRIA Light D. (1989) The contribution of the geographer to the study of heritage. Cambria, 15, 127-136. ISSN 0306-9796. ABSTRACT The 1980s have witnessed the rapid growth of an industry based on heritage or historical tourism. Recently, geographers have been examining the contribution they can make to the study of this industry. This paper envisages a role for the historical geographer in the investigation of the supply side of the heritage industry and for the recreational geographer in examining the demand for historical resources and the characteristics of visitors t.o historic sit.es. Geographers from both sub-disciplines can also contribut.e to the interpretation of heritage sites. AUTHOR'S ADDRESS Mr D. Light, Department of Geography, University College of Swansea, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP, Wales. (Paper submitted June 1989 revised version accepted Sept.ember 1989) INTRODUCTION Heritage is very much a word of the 1980s. Yet. it is a word that lacks a clear definition. In its widest sense, heritage refers to what is inherited, and this can encompass almost every facet. of both natural and man―made environments. However the key point. about heritage is that it concerns features and artifacts from the past. Today int.erest. in the past has attained unprecedented levels. Nostalgia is rife, and is at.tracting more and more people. It embraces almost all of past and many present. landscapes (Lowenthal 1975). Faced with an increasingly unfamiliar and uncertain future, many people may be seeking security and stability in the supposedly safer world of the past. As the attraction of the past increases, history becanes an increasingly marketable resource and Lowenthal (1985) notes that. remembrance of times past is a growth industry in almost. every country. Hence, it is hardly surprising that the 1980s have seen "the wholescale incorporation of 'history' into the mainstream of British life" (Hardy 1988 333). This decade has seen the emergence of what has become known as the 'heritage indüst.ry' (Hewison 1987).