Ajay Kumar at 23:59, 29 August 2023

2023-08-29T23:59:25Z

New page

{{Short description|Tourism based on cultural heritage sites}}
{{About|tourism based on cultural heritage sites|tourism in the country of one's own heritage|genealogy tourism}}
[[File:Tatev Monastery from a distance.jpg|thumb|[[Tatev]], [[Armenia]]]]
[[File:Beiteddine Palace InnerCourtyard.jpg|thumb|[[Beiteddine Palace]], [[Lebanon]]]]
[[File:Gizeh Cheops BW 1.jpg|thumb|[[Giza]], [[Egypt]]]]
[[File:Zamość IC-IC 2006.JPG|thumb|[[Zamość]], [[ideal city]] in Poland]]
'''Cultural heritage tourism''' (or just '''heritage tourism''') is a branch of [[tourism]] oriented towards the [[cultural heritage]] of the location where tourism is occurring.
The [[National Trust for Historic Preservation]] in the United States defines heritage tourism as "traveling to experience the places, [[Cultural artifact|artifacts]] and activities that authentically represent the stories and people of the past",<ref name="nthp">{{cite web|title=Heritage Tourism|url=http://www.preservationnation.org/information-center/economics-of-revitalization/heritage-tourism/#.Uz7tU1flvqE|publisher=National Trust for Historic Preservation|access-date=4 April 2014}}</ref> and "heritage tourism can include cultural, historic and [[natural resources]]".<ref name="nthp"/>

==Culture and heritage tourism==
[[Culture]] has always been a major part of travel, as the development of the [[Grand Tour]] from the 16th century onwards attests. In the 20th century, some people have claimed, culture ceased to be the objective of tourism; tourism is now culture. Cultural attractions play an important role in tourism at all levels, from the global highlights of world culture to attractions that underpin local identities.<ref name="Richards">{{cite book |last= Richards |first= Greg |title= Production and consumption of European Cultural Tourism. Annals of Tourism Research |year= 1996 |publisher= Tillburg University Press }}</ref>

Culture, heritage and the arts have long contributed to appeal of tourist destination. However, in recent years 'culture' has been rediscovered as an important marketing tool to attract those travellers with special interests in heritage and arts.<ref name="Richards" />

[[File:Archaeological dig at Ness of Brodgar (4855841735).jpg|thumb|An archaeologist from the [[UHI Archaeology Institute]] with heritage tourists at the Ness of Brodgar in Orkney, Scotland. Heritage tourism is a major contributor to [[Orkney|Orkney's economy]], with an income of £50 million from tourists in 2017.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Project Case Studies - Neolithic archaeology |url=https://www.uhi.ac.uk/en/research-enterprise/case-studies/neolithic-archaeology/ |access-date=2022-12-20 |website=www.uhi.ac.uk}}</ref>]]

According to Keith Hollinshead, cultural heritage tourism defines as cultural heritage tourism is the fastest growing segment of the tourism industry because there is a trend toward an increase specialization among tourists. This trend is evident in the rise in the volume of tourists who seek adventure, culture, history, [[archaeology]] and interaction with local people.{{citation needed||date=June 2023}}

Cultural heritage tourism is important for various reasons. It has a positive economic and social impact, it establishes and reinforces identity, it helps preserve the cultural heritage, with culture as an instrument it facilitates harmony and understanding among people, it supports culture and helps renew tourism.<ref name="Richards" /> As Benjamin
Porter and [[Noel B. Salazar]] have ethnographically documented, however, cultural heritage tourism can also create tensions and even conflict between the different stakeholders involved.<ref name="Porter and Salazar">
{{cite journal
|author=Porter, Benjamin W. and Noel B. Salazar
|year=2005
|title=Heritage tourism, conflict, and the public interest
|journal=International Journal of Heritage Studies
|volume=11
|issue=5
|doi=10.1080/13527250500337397
|pages=361–370
|s2cid=145581442
|url=https://lirias.kuleuven.be/handle/123456789/198861
}}</ref>

[[Tourism]] and [[Cultural heritage|heritage]] are collaborative phenomena, as tourism has played a central role in the emergence and later affirmation of heritage in the modern sense. For example, in the [[19th century]] the concept of a historical [[monument]] emerged in the [[Western world]] accompanied by tourism.<ref>{{Cite book|title= A Research Agenda for Heritage Tourism | editor1= Maria Gravari-Barbas |publisher= Edward Elgar Publishing |year=2020 |isbn= 9781789903522 | pages=1}}</ref>

==Sustainable development==
Cultural heritage tourism has a number of objectives that must be met within the context of [[sustainable development]]. These are the conservation of cultural resources, accurate interpretation of resources, authentic visitors experience, and the stimulation of the earned revenues of cultural resources. We can see, therefore, that cultural heritage tourism is not only concerned with identification, management and protection of the heritage values but it must also be involved in understanding the impact of [[tourism]] on communities and regions, achieving economic and social benefits, providing financial resources for protection, as well as marketing and promotion.<ref>{{Cite book|title= Cultural Tourism | editor1= J.M. Fladmark |publisher= Donhead |year=2014 |isbn=9781873394151 | pages=}}</ref>

==Industrial heritage==
Heritage tourism involves visiting historical or industrial sites that may include old [[canal]]s, [[railway]]s, battlegrounds, military sites, etc. The overall purpose is to gain an appreciation of the past.

==Tribalism==
Gopal Neelkanth Dandekar, a renowned [[Marathi people|Marathi]] writer, used to arrange hiking tours to forts in [[Maharashtra]], to explore the sights closely linked to [[Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj]] and his achievements.

==Immigration==
[[Decolonization]] and [[immigration]] form the major background of much contemporary heritage tourism. Falling travel costs have also made heritage tourism possible for more people.<ref>Winter, T. (2007). ''Post-Conflict Heritage, Postcolonial Tourism: Tourism, Politics and Development at Angkor''. Routledge. {{ISBN|041543095X}}</ref>

Another possible form involves religious travel or [[pilgrimage]]s. Many [[Catholics]] from around the world come to the [[Vatican City|Vatican]] and other sites such as [[Lourdes]] or [[Fátima, Portugal|Fátima]]. [[Islam]] commands its followers to take the ''[[hajj]]'' to [[Mecca]], thus differentiating it somewhat from tourism in the usual sense, though the trip can also be a culturally important event for the pilgrim.<ref>Basu, P. (2007). ''Highland homecomings: Genealogy and heritage tourism in the Scottish diaspora''. Routledge.</ref>

Heritage tourism can also be attributed to historical events that have been dramatised to make them more entertaining. For example, a historical tour of a town or city using a theme such as ghosts or Vikings. Heritage tourism focuses on certain historical events, rather than presenting a balanced view of that historical period. Its aim may not always be the presentation of accurate historical facts, as opposed to economically developing the site and surrounding area. As a result, heritage tourism can be seen as a blend of education, entertainment, preservation and profit.<ref>Timothy, D., & Olsen, D. (Eds.). (2006). ''Tourism, religion and spiritual journeys''. Routledge.</ref>

==Indigenous peoples==
[[Anthropology]] and [[Ethnology]] were two major disciplines interested by the life of aborigines, their customs and political structures.<ref>Harris, M. (2001). The rise of anthropological theory: A history of theories of culture. AltaMira Press.</ref> Although the first fieldworkers were not interested in expanding the colonization of main European powers, the fact was that their notes, books and field-work were employed by colonial officials to understand the aboriginal mind.<ref>Restrepo, E., & Escobar, A. (2005). ‘Other Anthropologies and Anthropology Otherwise’Steps to a World Anthropologies Framework. ''[[Critique of Anthropology]]'', 25(2), 99-129.</ref> From that moment on, anthropology developed a strange fascination for the [[Other (philosophy)|Other]]'s culture.<ref>Clifford, J., Dombrowski, K., Graburn, N., LeiteGoldberg, N., Phillips, R., Watkins, J., & Clifford, J. (2004). Looking several ways: Anthropology and native heritage in Alaska. ''[[Current Anthropology]]'', 45(1), 5-30.</ref> The concepts of heritage and colonization were inextricably intertwined.<ref>Starzmann, M. T. (2008). Cultural imperialism and heritage politics in the event of armed conflict: prospects for an ‘activist archaeology’. ''Archaeologies'', 4(3), 368-389.</ref>

[[File:Community Tourism (Riven No 2).webm|thumb|Community tourism in Sierra Leone: The story of a community in Sierra Leone trying to manage tourism in a socially responsible manner<ref>{{cite web|title=Community Tourism - Number2 River Association, Sierra Leone|url=https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL32A3F6F949A3F26D|work=The Vrinda Project|publisher=[[YouTube]]|access-date=4 April 2014}}</ref>]]

Another problem with heritage tourism is the effect on indigenous peoples whose land and culture is being visited by tourists. If the indigenous people are not a part of the majority, or ruling power in the country, they may not benefit from the tourism as greatly as they should. For example, in Mexico tourism has increased because of the predicted [[end of the Maya Calendar]]. However, some activists claim the indigenous [[Maya peoples|Maya]] are not benefitting from the increased traffic through the ruins and other cultural landmarks.<ref>{{cite web|title=Mayans Demand Inclusion in 'Doomsday Tourism' |url=http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2012/01/21/mayans-demand-inclusion-doomsday-tourism-73721|work=[[Indian Country Today Media Network]]|access-date=4 April 2014|date=21 January 2012}}</ref>

== Promotion and facilitation ==
Heritage tourism is supported by municipalities through promotion and tourist information in many countries and their administrative units, e.g. cities such as the Polish [[Bydgoszcz]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Visit Bydgoszcz|url=http://www.visitbydgoszcz.pl/en/|publisher=Bydgoszcz Information Centre (Bydgoskie Centrum Informacji)|access-date=5 December 2017}}</ref> or [[Warsaw]].<ref>{{cite web|title=WarsawTour|url=http://www.warsawtour.pl/en|publisher=Warsaw Tourist Office|access-date=5 December 2017}}</ref>

There are also many forms of presenting selected tourist topics in a harmonized way, for instance [[European Route of Brick Gothic]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Europäische Route der Backsteingotik|url=http://www.eurob.org/|publisher=Europäische Route der Backsteingotik e.V.|access-date=5 December 2017}}</ref> and many others ([[Cultural Route of the Council of Europe]]).

==See also==
* [[Heritage interpretation]]
* [[List of heritage railways]]
* [[World Heritage Site]]
* [[Genealogy tourism]]
* [[Dark tourism]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Wikibooks|1= Development Cooperation Handbook|2= Stories/Community Tourism|3= Community Tourism}}

{{Tourism}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Cultural heritage]]
[[Category:Cultural tourism]]
[[Category:Museology]]
[[Category:Articles containing video clips]]
[[Category:Types of tourism]]

Heritage tourism - Revision history

Ajay Kumar at 23:59, 29 August 2023