In the previous chapter, under social factors, we acknowledged that the heritage marketer must stay abreast of any changes, locally, nationally or internationally, which might give rise to opportunities. There are hundreds of examples that could be cited as the industry is vast, although the heritage marketer will usually be located within a particular sector, which makes the task somewhat more manageable. In the following two chapters this theme will be carried forward and many examples of heritage tourism and food and drink connected to the identity or heritage of regions and countries, localities and specific individuals will be given. However, there are a few general trends, particularly in the developed West, in terms of the current psyche of consumers that have great relevance for heritage marketing and are worth considering here.

In recent years, in the UK, there has been a growth in the demand for consumer foods that are sourced from as close to their origin as possible and have perhaps been grown or produced using traditional methods . Increasingly, these have become available outside normal shopping environments (supermarkets) and notably at places such as Farmers Markets , which are often held in the open-air . The reason for the exponential growth of such markets is because they are reminiscent of how shopping was transacted in the past nostalgia again. In many parts of the world, of course, this is still the norm and consumers are looking to capture some of the enjoyment they have experienced