Enhanced Heritage Tourism Management through a Themed Landscape Approach: The Case of Brussels’ Art Nouveau

Besides being known as the birthplace of fries and waffles, Brussels is also referred to as a superlative Art Nouveau Capital. However, it appears that many of its visitors are unfamiliar with this city's architectural style which is spread throughout the Capital Region. Due to both the specific opportunities and barriers of the Brussels context, an improved valorisation was explored through a themed landscape approach. This innovative tourism approach can enhance both the management and experience of the Art Nouveau patrimony as an entity. Applying a survey and interviews, this research examined the views of two relevant stakeholder groups: policymakers and tourism managers, and visitors. Two main research questions were addressed: whether these groups could identify the Brussels Art Nouveau as a themed landscape; and, in which way a themed landscape approach can overcome fragmented management and weak experience. Confronting both groups revealed interesting discrepancies as hidden hurdles for tourism destination management.