Sustainable heritage tourism: quality not quantity

Heritage tourism, once known as special interest tourism or niche tourism, has become a mass phenomenon over the last two decades. As noted, towns and cities whose cultural heritage is important loom large amongst over-visited destinations: from Venice to Chiang Mai, sites and communities suffering from overtourism have struggled and at times failed to manage the risks it poses to their heritage, cultural identity and authenticity. The COVID-19 pandemic presented both challenges and opportunities for tourism, but it inflicted the greatest damage on the destinations that were most tourism-dependent, and showed the critical need to rethink tourism development in more sustainable and holistic ways: to mitigate its adverse effects and ensure the long-term viability of popular destinations. Heritage tourism, if carefully planned and managed, has the potential to enhance destinations and secure sustainable, creative and regenerative futures for tourism.