Penang International Conference on Sustainable Cultural Development Economics of Heritage Revitalization

Penang International Conference on Sustainable Cultural Development

Economics of Heritage Revitalization

October 8 & 9, 2009 at g Hotel, Penang

 

10.00am

Keynote Speakers

 

Tim Curtis, UNESCO Bangkok

 

Mr. Tim Curtis opened his speech by thanking the honorary delegates, guests and participants. He stated that this conference is important as it provides a forum to address pressing challenges facing Georgetown and the historic towns throughout Asia that has been recognized by UNESCO as a living heritage and culture, but more particularly sites that are historical towns that have built heritage as well as vital living culture.

Stated that this conference is timely as Penang and Melaka just celebrated its one year anniversary of the inscription as a World Heritage Site, and is the first cultural property to be recognized for Malaysia. On behalf of UNESCO, he wished Penang and Melaka congratulations.

​Stated that he has great hope for the state government and organizers for convening for this event that allows colleagues to share views and exchange practices, both from the private sector and other fields in sustaining world heritage

​He further stated, that with our collective experiences and varied roles throughout all the cultural sites across Asia, the paramount question is how do we make the most of world heritage sites? How do we ensure economic growth and promote heritage conservation at world heritage sites?

Curtis noted that 186 World Heritage Sites consisting of cultural, natural and mixed sites. 129 are cultural sites, from Taj Mahal and Great Wall, to cultural landscapes and historical towns.

He noted that at today's conference there are many representatives of nations that have World Heritage Sites in their country such as China, Japan, Vietnam, Philippines. Some have been World Heritage Sites for decades while some have just joined the list. He expressed that this conference represents a great opportunity for countries to learn from each other's experiences, both the positive and negative aspects.

He acknowledged that inscription to the World Heritage List does lead to a boom effect. To be recognize as a collective heritage of humanity has economic ramification but also leads to a renewed pride in one's heritage, especially among local residents.

From a policy standpoint, the safeguarding of heritage sites often receives the highest priority through local and national legislation and often accompanied by an increase in

budgetary allocations. In many cases such legislation can directly translate to support of local homeowners and local residents

Over the years, UNESCO has noticed that being on the World Heritage list does lead to a boom effect, not just in terms of economic boost but cultural pride as well.

Some of the work UNESCO has done include homeowner manuals and guides by conservation experts on how to preserve houses in the context of their historicity.

Listings have resulted in increases in property values, encouraging the reuse of heritage buildings and allowing them to be sustained in context of modern society.

World Heritage Sites can be seen as be seen as good for business. Local entrepreneurs and outside investors can see potential commercial opportunities. Private public partnerships or private investment in restoring heritage buildings can be an attractive proposition once the site have been protected under World Heritage Site designation.

Evidence shows that well restored buildings will see an increase in property value and rentals. Adapting buildings to contemporary reuse that is compatible with heritage techniques can bring about renewed life, allowing them to sustained in the best possible manner as allowing them to be used and be a part of the built landscape and society such as Georgetown's example of Suffolk House through the support of public-private partnership. Serve both as local residents and visitors as a cultural center

By making heritage sites accessible it allows for an increase in public awareness about the unique legacy and heritage of the center and encourages people to participate in the center

Visitation of heritage sites has been on the rise for past few decades. Reports show that in the Asia Pacific region in 2003, tourism has been key impetus current boom in heritage conservation in the region

Tourists are a powerful source if harnessed and managed in order to safeguard the authenticity and integrity and value of the properties that as been inscribed by the World Heritage Site list.

In the town of Hoi An, Vietnam, there was a significant increase in tourist arrivals since December 1999 after inscription to the list. Tourist arrivals jumped by 24% increase in 2000 and 82% in 2001. After the first five years, tourism had tripled from 160,0000 in 1999 to 600,0000 in 2004. This included an increase in both domestic and international visitors.

Revenue attributable to tourism also increased, from about 2 million dollars in 1999 to 50 million in 2004, in relation to tourism services and productions and sales of related goods. The biggest gainers were those from the hotel and guest houses industry who accounted for more than half of the revenue from tourism services, followed by the food and beverage industry.

Tourism has been the preferred strategy as a leverage tool for heritage conservation in Asia. If properly managed, tourism can be an important force for development, poverty alleviation and in creating employment especially though eco tourism, heritage tourism and community based tourism.

At the same time there are also many cautionary examples of the potential dangers of overly enthusiastic development for tourism in World Heritage Sites after inscription.  

The very cultural resources that we are trying to protect are being threatened by rapid social transformation and economic growth after inscription.

Long time businesses and residents can be squeezed and pushed out due to modern economic pressures therefore straining the physical and social fabric. Changes can creep in after years of accumulation until the spirit of the place has been lost.

 

How do we forestall such scenarios? What is needed is a strategy to preserve these cultural resources. It requires visioning and prescient planning from outset, room for feedback and, fundamentally a strong participation role of the community to preserve the sites.

Curtis noted that the World Heritage Site is an international treaty process, not just a mere label. By signing the 1972 convention is a pledge to conserve heritage sites locally and internationally for all of humanity, to protect them for future generations. The convention grew out of a need to protect the natural heritage of the world

Curtis mentioned Egypt in 1960 as an example, where Egyptians nearly destroyed Abu Simbel through the construction of a dam, before the intervention of the international community.

Member countries are responsible for identifying potential sites, as well as protecting them. The convention is simply a supplementary authority.

There has been a growing recognition of monumental sites, especially in Asia. We are seeing a paradigm shift in managing these cultural resources, moving from small group of specialists to the general population at large, an important tool for socio-economic development.

The preservation of heritage can lead to development activity, thus alleviating poverty and creating jobs. Doing so successfully can empower local communities. Communities must be encouraged to play a leading role in conservation efforts.

Hoi An has successfully instituted a progressive form of community-based heritage tourism. Through extensive collaboration, it managed to develop cultural measures, such as distributing entry ticket revenue.

Those involved in heritage tourism, including tour operators, should be trained on historical information and conservation requirements. Hoi An is considered by the UN to be one of best practiced studies on heritage tourism management.

In the broader context, development using cultural resources can be instigated using other cultural sectors. This can become an engine for socio-economic development while ensuring cultural heritage is safeguarded. Our collective responsibility is to preserve authenticity and ensure long-term sustainability while enriching local communities.

 

Introduction to George Town World Heritage Site – Maimunah bt. Mohd. Sharif, Acting General Manager, George Town World Heritage Office, Penang

 

Puan Maimunah briefly thanked the crowd. She likened Georgetown and Melaka as Siamese twins bounded by the links of a shared history. She stated that both cities were inscribed as World Heritage Sites on the 7th of July, 2008. She provided a detailed albeit brief history of key events in Penang and Melaka's links as a port city, and as to why they are cities of a unique heritage and multi-cultural legacy.

She stated that Melaka and Penang were featured in Admiral Cheng Ho's navigation chart in 1425, and both cities were part of the 'maritime Silk Road'connecting trade between east and west. At one time, 84 languages were spoken alone in Melaka, thus illustrating the diverse cultures of people from different ethnicities who resided there. Georgetown continued the flourish of Melaka. Pulo Pinang, as Penang was known at the time, was founded by Si Francis Light on behalf of the East Indian Company (EIC). The EIC implemented a free port and free trade policy, and it attracted people from all over the world including the Acehnese, the Minangkabau, Teochew and Hokkien people from China, the Bengalis, Tamils and Parses from India, as well as the Armenians, Europeans and Japanese.

The justification of the listing of Georgetown as a World Heritage Site, was because Georgetown fulfilled three out of six of the cultural criteria for theWorld Heritage Listing. Even though, a site needs only to fulfill one of thecriterions to satisfy the requirement for inscription. To have satisfied three out of six is a testament to Georgetown's rich and multi-cultural history.

The criteria called for an important interchange of human values over a period of time or within a cultural area of the world, on developments in architecture o technology, monuments, town planning or landscape design. Therefore, Melaka and Penang easily fulfilled this criterion as these two cities are exceptional examples of multi-cultural trading towns in East and Southeast Asia, forged from mercantile and civilization exchanges of East and West. Georgetown was and is still a cultural melting pot, the tangible and intangible fabric of its architecture and traditional crafts and trade are still in existence today. It is also one of the few historic cities in the world that experienced a succession of colonization periods coloured with cultural interchanges, and this history is still visible to this present day.

​Another criterion that was fulfilled stems from Penang's living testimony to the multicultural heritage and tradition of Asia, where the world's greatest religions and culture meet. The coexistence of distinct faiths and religious buildings remains as a testament to the religious pluralism of Asia. In Georgetown's core and within the buffer zone there are 37 religious buildings of different faiths. For example, the Street of Harmony in Georgetown illustrates this example of religious harmony with many temples, churches and temples located some meters away from each other.

Georgetown also possesses a unique architecture, culture and townscape due to its colonial past and multi cultural legacy that is unseen anywhere else in East and Southeast Asia, thereby fulfilling yet another criterion.  

Puan Maimunah, raised some of the issues that are at stake that comes with the inscription of George Town as a World Heritage Site. She stated development pressures in the area. However, she quickly stated that development can be both negative and positive, and must be controlled within guidelines and policies. She further briefly stated other prevalent issues such as iIllegal renovation, the impact of tourism, safety hazards, illegal demolitions of heritage buildings and dilapidated buildings, and problems with preserving the intangible heritage of George Town.

​Puan Maimunah stated that these issues are being combated by both the government and non-governmental organizations. They have taken up an active role by raising awareness, enacting guidelines and policies and, enabling laws within the framework of heritage conservation.

Puan Maimunah reiterated that there is a need to promote George Town's listing as World Heritage site as the growth centre of Penang State through economic development, tourism, and property development. By working together with the community and stakeholder, Penang will retain and enhance George Town's listing through activities and programs, and the effective enabling of the law.

 

 

 

 

 

Question and Answer Session

 

Question by Dr. Lee Kah Choon: What are the challenges and concerns pertaining to heritage sites?

 

Answer by Tim Curtis: The challenges fall under different economic situations. The challenge lies in maintaining the integrity of the site while allowing for development and accommodating the increase in tourism capacity. There is also the problem of gentrification, when a place starts to boom economically it bringsfriction and pressure to the local community, as they cannot afford the placetherefore displacing these people and their traditions. Poverty is also an issue in many other countries. To sum it up, the main issues are poverty, pressures on land prices, development, tourism pressures and social transformation pressures that can change the spirit of the place.

 

Question by Dr. Lee Kah Choon: How do we manage competing interests such as the economic activity of the swiftlet industry while conserving Georgetown's heritage status?

 

Answer by Maimunah: Economic activity such as the swiftlet industry is a great economic contribution to Penang, but at the same time it the industry is within Georgetown's heritage area. Therefore we need to find a balance between economic activity and heritage conservation. Therefore there have been discussions and a committee formed to study the matter of competing usage. Personally, the swiftlet industry poses a conflict to the World Heritage Site listing, and possibly needs to be relocated

 

Question by Dr. Choong Sim Poey of the PHT: How do we keep the living trade that is slowly disappearing alive, even though they are not profitable, in order to keep the intangible living culture alive?

 

Answer by Curtis: It depends on the situation. There could be incentives, the authorities can grant, awards, recognitions to traditional artisans and craftsmen. There are ways to encourage it without artificially sustaining it. Measures can be put into place to valorize it even though they may not be hugely profitable but will allow them to sustain their lives and way of life. In this case public-private partnership is crucial in this matter.

 

Answer by Maimunah: As economic trends change, sometimes we may need to follow suit. Instead of just relying on and selling traditional crafts, they could sell more contemporary items within their traditional shop-lots. Though we would like to have these items produced economically on a mass scale but we also want it done traditionally, thus the imbalance arises, therefore we need a program to raise awareness on this issue. Realization that this trade is an important aspect of Georgetown's continued living heritage as tourists still like to see traditional trades plied.

 

Question from Mr. Oh from Kenangan Investment Bank: Explained his visit to another UNESCO World Heritage Site, the city of Lyon, and he noticed that on the ground floor of all these heritage buildings that were 4 story's high the traditional trade was being overwhelmed by gastronomic activities. At 6.00 pm, he claimed that the pubs come alive. The biggest problem was the noise generated for the people who live upstairs. Do you lose rental value of these properties? No, not enough of these properties, and they're not cheap.Georgetown as a trade city used to have tenants who do trade on their ground floor and live upstairs, but those were the days when transportation was an issue with little or no mobility. With modern mobility, malls and other commercial activities are no longer concentrated in the urban center of Georgetowns, and trade within Georgetown is diminishing.  Should we then not allow some of the businesses already present like swiftlet farming to be permissibly cultivated on the first floor? Can we not make certain exceptions?

 

Question from Mr. Zairi, a land surveyor and city councilor, thinks that the problem with this declaration is that it is particularly concentrated on those who inherited the properties in the city. The descendants can enjoy the wealth left by their parents. But the wealth is not distributed amongst society. Is it not proper to share the wealth of the income from tourism enterprise?

 

Answer by Maimunah: Planning can be the tool in wealth distribution bycontrolling plot ratios and densities within Georgetown sites, and with true planning wealth can be distributed fairly to all building owners. That is whyUNESCO has asked and wants (us) to come up with a special area plan that studies the overall planning in the area so that there is a transfer of development rights and how we can use these tools to transfer wealth distribution. Relocation of modern activities can be relocated but a place must be found for them first.

 

Answer by Curtis:  Issue of sustaining unprofitable industries. The idea to have smaller industries and local industries is good. It is important to give recognitionto these traditional artisans and craftsman as it can give them a little moreincentive to sustain their traditions. In terms of the situation, Kathmandu, Hoi Anrevenue is generated from heritage tourism through revenue generated from hotels and food and beverage. They obtain small levies from the revenue earned to help fund private home ownership renovation with guidance so that property owners can afford to restore their homes. All these are models that have been tried and could be look into by George Town, to be adopted or modified to its needs.