Increased competition in tourist destinations and the recent economic crisis directly affect various institutions that manage cultural heritage. In the case of museums, we may need to reflect more on the challenges that stem from the new financial and social situation for their management. The long-term analysis of relationships with stakeholders is a more reliable way of achieving stability to counteract the effects of income reduction. This study involved conducting interviews with directors of four museums, one for each existing management model, contrasting with direct observation and unstructured interviews conducted in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands (Spain). The data obtained were analyzed with UCINET (a software package for analyzing social network data), to determine relationship indicators. The research suggests that stakeholder networks, as a competitive advantage in cultural institutions, play an important role in creating or improving cultural heritage products, as well as helping to develop responsible tourism.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to affirm that it is possible to segment visitors of cultural heritage into homogeneous groups according to a series of characteristics to detect the variables that have statistical significance to identify visitor clusters.Design/methodology/approach: Four case studies were selected, where a total of 500 questionnaires were made to visitors. The authors proceeded with cluster analysis using SPSS software to differentiate visitor segments. Four groups of visitors were first identified and which have subsequently been reduced to three, according to several factors.Findings: The main contributions of this paper are: (1) the segment to which each one of the determinants of the cultural tourism product is dedicated; (2) the variable object of the analysis, i.e. the formation of visitor segments; and (3) the inclusion of less studied variables such as type of accommodation contracted, treatment offered in the museums or entrance price.Research limitations/implications: The analysis has been developed in different museums, with different management models, in a specific place. However, the results are generalizable to other places and to other institutions that manage cultural heritage. The implications are management strategies for a sustainable cultural development in institutions of tourism and heritage.Practical implications: From a practical point of view, the results are useful for cultural managers, travel agencies, tour operators, tourism companies or political offices, among others, because they generate new ideas and strategies focused on maximizing the use of the resources of cultural institutions.Social implications: For both local and non-local agents, the knowledge of the factors that make up the groups of visitors in the heritage sites represents a strategy in aspects of marketing, promotion and distribution, thus generating capacities for the different intermediaries, and the possibility of negotiating lower prices with better benefits. It is also possible to create new products destined for other publics.Originality/value: The study is original because this has not been published.

The responsible management of cultural heritage requires the formation of a competitive tourism product, which in turn requires a high level of collaboration, the need for diversification and differentiation from other tourism sites. The application of governance mechanisms and their effect on the optimization of visitorship in the heritage tourism industry has been understudied. Although there are four models of management in museums, the needs of heritage sites invite an analysis of them, particularly in the consideration of the role of the stakeholders in shaping the product offered. Four case studies in Gran Canaria (Canary Islands, Spain) examine how the application of local governance mechanisms affects museums and interpretation centers to optimize the goals of the tourism product. For this analysis, a qualitative analysis has been carried out through direct observation and interviews, analyzing the results with CAQDAS. The study found that strategic planning linked to the territory and public-private partnerships could increase effectiveness and efficiency in the allocation of public resources, and that the application of certain governance strategies could increase the impact of stakeholder involvement in the efficacy of the site management. Future study needs are established for other institutions that manage cultural heritage.

An ecomuseum orients its conservation, formation and reproduction of identity and patrimonial tasks based on the proximity to the territory and the population area it serves. This entails a flexible management system that adapts to contextual specificities of this socio‑cultural and geographical area, empowering local populations to govern themselves in relation to a common project. This study explores the activation of governance processes in ecomuseums, The Cultural Project of Community Development of La Aldea on the island of Gran Canaria (Canary Islands, Spain) is taken as a case study, related to manners and traditional work. Methodologically, interviews, informal conversations and direct observation have been conducted to determine the presence of governance in the management. To assess the opinion of the visitor, questionnaires were made. From the analysis it is possible to confirm that co‑management, in accordance with governance provides better decision‑making in the formation of the cultural tourism product