Maximising the Local Economic Impact of Heritage Conservation for Cultural Tourism

Abstract

Cultural tourism is one of the fastest growing segments of the tourism industry. For developing countries rich in cultural and natural heritage, cultural tourism is one of the main contributors to local economic development often providing the motivation to conserve a local community’s cultural heritage. The challenge facing many private, public and development organisations is ensuring that heritage conservation for the purpose of cultural tourism provides net positive local economic development benefits to a broad section of the community. Using the case study of the Aga Khan Development Network in the poor mountainous communities of Shigar and Khaplu, in northern Pakistan, this paper identifies the necessary and sufficient conditions required to maximise local economic development while conserving heritage sites for the purpose of cultural tourism. Keywords—heritage conservation, cultural tourism, cultural heritage, local economic development, livelihoods, pro-poor tourism, responsible tourism