Economic impacts of cultural heritage – Research and perspectives

Investment in cultural heritage (and other forms of culture) are often claimed to be beneficial for a local economy, not only in terms of cultural consumption, but also in the form of increased employment and income. This article addresses some methodological questions regarding economic impact studies of investments in cultural heritage projects. Different types of direct and indirect impacts are being discussed, especially how these can be calculated. We also give a short overview over some studies of economic impact of different cultural and/or tourism activities, and the pros and cons of these studies. In a study of the Norwegian town of Røros, we find that tourism related to the cultural heritages in the region contribute some 7 per cent to overall employment and income.