Heritage tourism

This article is about tourism based on cultural heritage sites. For tourism in the country of one's own heritage, see genealogy tourism.

Heritage tourism is a branch of tourism centered around the exploration and appreciation of a region's cultural, historical and environmental heritage.[1] This form of tourism includes both tangible elements, such as historically significant sites, monuments, and artifacts, as well as intangible aspects, such as traditions, customs, and practices.[2]

A specific subset of heritage tourism, cultural heritage tourism, emphasises on the human dimension of these sites, focusing on the traditions, practices, and values that are deeply connected to them.[3] Likewise, heritage tourism focuses specifically on the history of a region, as well as its natural heritage.

Heritage tourism can look like visiting historically significant locations, engaging with local traditions(Folklore), and gaining insights into the historical and contemporary aspects of a community, culture or religion.[4]

Consequently, heritage tourism also underscores the importance of preserving cultural and historical resources. This can be extremely beneficial for a region, not only by helping in the preservation of vital customs and culture, but also by contributing to the economic development and sustainability of the area.[5]

  1. ^ Jin, Yang; Hou, Bing; Kong, Xiang (June 2024). "The Practice Characteristics of Authorized Heritage Discourse in Tourism: Thematic and Spatial". Land. 13 (6): 816. doi:10.3390/land13060816. ISSN 2073-445X.
  2. ^ "Cultural Heritage | Kentucky Tourism – State of Kentucky – Visit Kentucky, Official Site". Kentucky Tourism. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
  3. ^ Rosenfeld, Raymond (2008). "Cultural and Heritage Tourism". Eastern Michigan University.
  4. ^ Zhang, Juan; Xiong, Kangning; Liu, Zhaojun; He, Lixiang (March 23, 2022). "Research progress and knowledge system of world heritage tourism: a bibliometric analysis". Heritage Science. 10 (1): 42. doi:10.1186/s40494-022-00654-0. ISSN 2050-7445.
  5. ^ Timothy, Dallen J. (January 1, 2018). "Making sense of heritage tourism: Research trends in a maturing field of study". Tourism Management Perspectives. 25: 177–180. doi:10.1016/j.tmp.2017.11.018. hdl:11059/14282. ISSN 2211-9736.