Reconstructing Silk Road Tourism Through Digitalisation

Abstract

In today's world, digitalisation, as a process that results from the adoption of digital technologies and application systems built on those technologies, holds an important place in business functions and processes. Digitalisation is considered to be the engine of transformation and has significantly affected the tourism industry. China, one of the leading countries of digitalisation, launched the ‘New Silk Road Project' to revive the Silk Road, which is of great historical importance from an economic, cultural, and political point of view. Since the New Silk Road Project planned for the improvement of land and railway routes connecting China to Europe through Central Asia is of critical importance for countries along the road, it will also contribute to the revival of Silk Road tourism. This type of tourism is instrumental in protecting and preserving cultural heritage values located across the Silk Road and thus can be given a new perspective with opportunities brought by digitalisation. This study sought to discuss the reconstruction of Silk Road Tourism through digitalization.