Climate Change, Cultural Heritage, and Tourism in Africa

Abstract

Tourism is an agent of change in many parts of Africa. This agency also applies to cultural heritage tourism, which has been increasingly used for regional development, community empowerment, restoration of degraded sites, and economic diversification. In general, the range of African cultural heritage is rich and varied. However, global climate change is increasingly recognized as a significant threat to the cultural heritage of the continent. This chapter focuses on the relationship between climate change and African cultural heritage tourism. The chapter first discusses the idea of cultural heritage-based tourism and its changing nature on a conceptual level, followed by a critical view of the cultural tourism resources and attractions in the African context, highlighting World Heritage Sites as a demonstrative example. This is followed by a discussion on climate change and its potential impacts on cultural heritage tourism in the African context. It is concluded that large portions of the continent’s most important cultural heritage assets may disappear as a result of the impacts of climate change by the end of the century.