Abstract

In this chapter we will assess the historical process by which the popularity of urban heritage attractions is constructed, based on the example of one of these famous tourist-historic icons, as we call them. We will examine this process from both a historical and a spatial perspective. The Palace of Westminster in London with its world-famous Big Ben clock serves as a case study. The main question of this chapter is: What is the relationship between the history of heritage sites and their sacralisation as tourist-historic icons, as illustrated by the Palace of Westminster in London? The development of the Palace of Westminster as a heritage site has resulted in a dynamic, but also consistent image over the course of the centuries, also during the rise of mass tourism and mass media. Based on MacCannell's model of sacralisation of tourist attractions, we trace the five phases in the process of becoming a tourist-historic icon, ranging from naming, framing & elevation, and enshrinement, to mechanical reproduction and social reproduction. Our case study shows that the sacralisation process MacCannell describes does not exist separately from the heritagisation of historic sites. It shows that a site with a complex layering of historic, political, symbolic, and cultural meanings may reflect all five phases, though not in a linear order. We show how intertwined the historical development of this site is with its more recent sacralisation as a tourist attraction. The narratives and values that are communicated by markers like travel guides, films, and images on social media convey the image of the palace as the centre of a well-organised empire and of Britishness. These values were not invented for the purpose of attracting tourists. Rather, the narrative of the Palace of Westminster as a tourist-historic icon confirms and builds upon the values long associated with the site.

Keywords: tourist-historic icon, MacCannell, World Heritage, Palace of Westminster