The exploration of sensory and multisensory experiences of Hobart’s Salamanca Market and their potential as intangible heritage

To explore the multisensory experience and heritage potential of the major tourist site Salamanca Market (Hobart, Australia), a mixed-methods approach employed semi-structured interviews and field observations/measurements to uniquely obtain quantitative and qualitative sensory experience data over the 2023 winter period. Interviews (n = 9) and a survey (n = 16) considered local/non-local visitors, stallholders and volunteers, examining sensory experience and perceptions, authenticity relationships, and ascribed values of heritage. To ground experience perceptions, field methods documented the multiplicity of sensory experience on-site (visual, aural, olfactory, gustatory and tactile) through sensory walks (i.e. soundwalks, smellwalks), alongside point measurements, photography/videography, and narrative descriptions. The study identified a multitude of (multi)sensory encounters and found recognition of a unique multisensory atmosphere at Salamanca Market, particularly concerning visual, aural and olfactory components. However, sensory heritage was best reflected in local responses, showing that heritage attribution and potential are not similarly impactful across all market users.