Mausoleum or museum: Engaging the significance of cultural museum collections for heritage tourism in the 21st century

Cultural museum collections, while rich in tangible and intangible heritage, often lose their functional significance when displayed in Western-style museums, reducing them to 'lifeless' artifacts that require curatorial narration to retain relevance. This study argues that the potential of cultural museums for heritage tourism is undermined by Eurocentric curatorial practices, which fail to engage visitors with the dynamic, living aspects of these objects. Using case studies from the Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove and the Palace of the Oba of Benin in Nigeria, the research demonstrates how decolonizing museum practices—by indigenizing curation and moving beyond static displays—could revitalize the cultural experience for tourists. The findings highlight a critical gap: museums risk becoming mausoleums rather than vibrant repositories of heritage, stifling visitor engagement and the objects' original community roles.

Ezenagu, N. (2023). Mausoleum or museum: Engaging the significance of cultural museum collections for heritage tourism in the 21st century. Curator: The Museum Journal, 66(4), 569–587. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/cura.12552