Heritage awareness and appreciation among community residents: perspectives from Arizona, USA

This study aims to examine public awareness of heritage properties in Arizona, USA. Data for this study were collected from a random sample of 600 participants from the public in Arizona using a telephone survey. Heritage awareness is conceptualised using a combined measure of heritage awareness and residents’ visits to heritage sites. Based on these two measures, this study proposed a four‐cell matrix that represents: 1) aware/visited, 2) aware/not visited, 3) unaware/visited, and 4) unaware/not visited. When the four types of residents were compared against demographic variables, attitudes toward preservation, preservation criteria, and importance of feature and facilities, most of these variables were significant. The results indicate that the aware/visited group members had more positive attitudes toward heritage preservation than other groups. This paper suggests that visiting heritage sites by residents and tourists can help create heritage awareness. The findings of this study provide important information for heritage site managers and policy makers.