Introduction

Standardisation is a phenomenon that comes originally from the manufacturing industry. In order to increase the speed and efficiency of production, products are reproduced. The standardisation of the presentation of sites is one key to the so-called 'tourism industry' (Hewison, 1987). It does not only affect all types of tourism sites, but its characteristics can be observed worldwide. Indeed, standardisation can be found in different elements of a tourism site. For instance, the choice of materials shows similarities: the same pebble stones throughout Europe, the same litter bins and the same type of support and 'scene setting', such as classical music in castles.

There are two main aspects to this standardisation. Firstly, standardisation is the application of preconceived standards, required for the safety and health of visitors, which are well known in tourism-related business, for instance, hotels, restaurants etc. They are to be considered as positive as they aim to guarantee appropriate conditions on site for the visitor.

Secondly, standardisation provides easily understandable and uniform information to visitors on tourism sites. In that sense, standardisation can be a threat to the individuality of a tourist attraction. This kind of standardisation refers to all communication types, such as promotional tools and contents, as well as items for sale in the shops.

Standardisation as an underlying issue of the 'heritage industry' (Hewison, 1987) and the heritage 'product' (Ashworth & Howard, 1999) has not received the attention it should have.