Heritage Tourism Development: Balancing Conservation and Stakeholder Interests

Introduction

Heritage tourism has become an increasingly popular form of tourism in recent years, as more and more people are interested in visiting historic sites and experiencing the culture of different regions. However, the development of heritage tourism can also have negative impacts on the sites themselves, as well as on the local communities and the environment. This paper will review the literature on the impact of heritage tourism development on heritage conservation, and the role of stakeholders in this process.

Heritage Conservation vs. Tourism Development

ICOMOS (1993) emphasized the importance of heritage conservation in tourism development, stating that 'protection should be prioritized over development as the fundamental principle of heritage tourism development and management.' Apostolakis A (2003) argued that the 'authenticity and integrity of heritage tourism attractions are often intentionally distorted to cater to tourists and meet market demand.' However, Mc Kercher B and Ho P S Y (2005) found that not all heritage sites face conflicts between conservation and tourism development. Pendlebury J and Short M (2009) highlighted the impact of commercialization on the 'authenticity of world heritage sites,' while Catibog Sinha C. (2011) argued that heritage tourism development plays an important role in heritage conservation and sustainable development. Zhu Y (2012) found that although heritage tourism development promotes visitors' awareness of 'heritage authenticity,' it also damages 'heritage authenticity.' G￳mez Ortiz A and Oliva M (2013) found that as heritage tourism development continues to rise, conflicts between 'heritage conservation' and 'tourism development and urban development' become increasingly prominent, making it difficult to achieve a win-win situation for economic development and heritage conservation.

Stakeholders' Impact on Heritage Tourism Development

Zamani Farahani H and Musa G (2008) argued that the 'opinions of local residents should be given priority in the tourism development planning of heritage sites,' and a 'certain proportion of the local community should participate in the management of heritage sites.' Nicholas L N and Thapa B (2009) explored the relationship between 'community residents and heritage conservation and development,' and found that 'community residents play a very important and positive role in both heritage conservation and tourism development and utilization.' Yan H and Bramwell B. (2008) conducted a survey on the relationship between the government and 'heritage tourism resource development,' and found that the 'government's attitude towards heritage tourism development largely determines the success or failure of heritage tourism development and growth.' Lee T. J and Riley M (2010) argued that 'political conflicts directly affect the progress of heritage tourism development.' Wang Y and Bramwell B (2012) found that 'government intervention has a significant impact on the decision-making process of heritage tourism development,' and is a 'key factor in determining the priority of heritage conservation and tourism development.'

Conclusion

In summary, the development of heritage tourism can have both positive and negative impacts on heritage conservation, local communities, and the environment. The literature suggests that 'heritage conservation should be prioritized over tourism development,' and that the 'opinions of local residents and other stakeholders should be taken into account in the planning and management of heritage sites.' Governments also play a crucial role in balancing 'heritage conservation and tourism development priorities.' Further research is needed to explore the best practices for achieving sustainable heritage tourism development.