INTERNATIONAL VISION OF THE SIGNIFICANCE AND AVAILABILITY OF CULTURAL HERITAGE

Many studies evidence that the modern world is characterised by two quite explicit trends: the expansion of globalisation in the economy, politics, culture, and, at the same time, by the preservation of national identity. The preservation of national cultural heritage and its use in real life are emphasised as significant indicators of national identity. One of the ways towards this phenomenon is the growing interest in cultural heritage and one of the ways of practical activity is the integration of it in cultural heritage products. The present research seeks to find an answer to the question of how representatives of various countries assess and explain the current situation with cultural heritage as well as future prospects in their country. The research findings evidence that in the countries included in the research, cultural heritage preservation is viewed as a very important activity to be handed over to the next generations, and this process is mainly affected by the public attitude to cultural heritage as a value. At the same time, quite significant differences can be observed regarding opinions of the government policy and the public attitude to cultural heritage which relates with the education level of the particular country's population.