Constructing Heritage at the Intersection of Family Business and Place: Heritage Branding in Tourism Family Firms

Abstract

Tourism family firms often possess rich historical and place-based resources, yet it remains unclear how these resources are translated into coherent heritage branding and guest-facing communication. This study examines how family-run tourism businesses in less-visited regions construct family- and place-based heritage and how they communicate it to guests. Drawing on a secondary qualitative analysis of open-ended questionnaire responses collected within the Hosted by Family (HbF) Interreg Slovenia–Austria project, the study analyses narratives from 51 owners of family-run hospitality businesses in Slovenia (Gorenjska, Podravje) and Austria (Styria). Findings indicate that owners most frequently locate their ‘special heritage’ in five domains: gastronomy, seasonal customs, traditional knowledge, family personalities, and built heritage. These domains reflect a layered heritage identity emerging from the interplay of family, place, and business. Heritage is communicated through a diverse but uneven mix of channels, dominated by websites, on-premise signage and blackboards, and personal interaction, while social media use remains limited. Overall, the study reveals a recurring tension between heritage identity and heritage communication: although substantial heritage resources exist, they are often only partially activated through structured, scalable, pre-visit brand touchpoints. The study contributes an empirically grounded account of family–place heritage dynamics in tourism family firms and offers practical insights for aligning heritage resources with brand touchpoints and experience design.