Heritage and tourism for sustainable development:

ICOMOS, Heritage and the Sustainable Development Goals: Policy Guidace for heritage and Development Actors, 2021.

ICOMOS, Paris Declaration on Heritage as a Driver of Development, 2011. 

UNESCO, UNWTO Muscat Declaration on Tourism and Culture: Fostering Sustainable Development, 2017.

UNWTO, UNESCO, Responsible Tourism Institute, Global Sustainable Tourism Council, The World Charter for Sustainable Tourism +20, 2015.

UNWTO, International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, 2017.

UNWTO, Chengdu Declaration on Tourism and the Sustainable Development Goals, 2017.

World Bank, International Finance Corporation, Twenty Reasons Sustainable Tourism Counts for Development, Tourism for Development knowledge series, 2017.

UNWTO, UNESCO,  Kyoto Declaration on Tourism and Culture: Investing in future generations, 4th International Conference, Japan, 2019.

Culture2030goal, Culture in the Implementation of the 2030 Agenda, 2019

Europa Nostra et al., Cultural Heritage Counts for Europe, 2015.

Europa Nostra, Berlin Call to Action Cultural Heritage for the Future of Europe, 2018.

European Commission, A New European Agenda for Culture, 2018.

Ministers of Culture of the Council of Europe, the Davos Declaration Towards a High-quality Baukultur for Europe, 2018.

OWHC, Study of Heritage and Sustainable Tourism, 2019.

UCLG, Culture 21: Actions toolkit, 2015.

Relating to intangible heritage:

UNESCO, Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, 2003.

UNESCO, Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, 2005.

UNWTO, Study on Tourism and Intangible Cultural Heritage, 2013.

To practically proceed with the protection and management of cultural heritage in culture-based tourism, the following steps can be taken:

1. Map and identify important cultural heritage sites and environments locally. Involve experts and stakeholders to establish a sound basis for protection and management. Use cultural heritage maps and relevant data tools for analysis and planning.

2. Establish management plans that integrate visitor management. Ensure that measures take into account both tangible and intangible values, as well as the complex relationships between local communities and cultural heritage. The plans must govern both preservation and use.

3. Collaborate across management levels (municipality, county, state) to coordinate conservation and tourism development. Plan on the basis of thorough impact assessments that include both cultural and environmental aspects.

4. Develop tourism infrastructure and measures that preserve the integrity and authenticity of cultural heritage, including adaptation to natural and cultural landscapes, biological diversity and host communities. The social and aesthetic aspects must be taken into account.

5. Establish schemes for generating income from cultural tourism that ensure that the funds are returned to conservation and the benefit of the local community. This requires open, fair and responsible management of the funds, and raising awareness among visitors of their contribution to cultural heritage conservation.

The following questions can stimulate critical discussion, strategic planning and interdisciplinary dialogue within cultural heritage management and sustainable tourism.

Mapping and knowledge base

• How can local actors, including residents, contribute to identifying and documenting important cultural heritage sites and cultural environments?

• Which methods and data tools provide the best support for a comprehensive analysis of cultural heritage in relation to landscape, use and vulnerability?

• How can intangible cultural heritage (stories, traditions, crafts) be made visible in the mapping process?

• How can the equal involvement of both professionals and affected local communities in the mapping process be ensured?

Management plans and visitor management

• How can visitor management be integrated into management plans without compromising protection and authenticity?

• What trade-offs should be made between preservation, use and accessibility for different types of cultural heritage?

• How can economic interests be balanced with long-term cultural and social sustainability?

• In what ways can management plans safeguard the relationship between tangible and intangible values?

Cooperation and levels of governance

• How can municipal, regional and national actors interact more effectively to avoid overlap and fragmented management?

• How can planning processes integrate the cultural heritage perspective into regional development strategies and impact assessments?

• What role should local communities and voluntary organisations play in cross-sectoral cooperation?

Tourism and landscape adaptation

• How can new tourism projects be designed to strengthen the integrity of cultural heritage and the identity of a place?

• What does it mean for infrastructure measures to be adapted to natural and cultural landscapes and contribute to the protection of biological diversity?

• How are the social and aesthetic effects of tourism development on a cultural environment assessed?

• How can the visitor experience be used as a tool for learning and respect for the cultural heritage of the place?

Economy, distribution and responsibility

• How can we ensure that the economic benefits of cultural tourism actually benefit conservation and local communities?

• What mechanisms can promote open and responsible management of tourism revenues?

• How can visitors be made more aware of their contribution to conservation and local value creation?

• What kind of indicators can be used to measure fairness and sustainability in financing arrangements?