Heritage Resources of the Municipality of Tomar in the Context of a Sustainable Cultural Tourism

Faced with the continuous evolution of territories, the management of heritage resources emerges as an instrument that supports the safeguarding and enhancement of place identity. Tourist destinations seek to implement innovative strategies, due to the need to act in the face of competition. The main objective of this paper is to map the existing (material) heritage resources in the municipality of Tomar, to understand their importance and how cultural tourism experiences can be enhanced. The adopted methodology is based on a survey (n = 292). There are some empirical studies that analyze this topic, focusing on specific territories. To that extent, this study constitutes a relevant contribution to the reinforcement of the importance of mapping and managing existing heritage resources in a territory, working within a sustainable tourist and cultural dynamic. The results reveal that the heritage resources existing in the territory and those which can be visited, constitute added value and differentiating tourist attractions, in turn enabling diversification of the supply and the enhancement of heritage.