Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Socio-economic Development - Tourism and Development: Concepts and Issues - page 240

Snyder, 2013; Wang & Bramwell, 2012). Even small island states that have
heretofore ignored cultural heritage in favor of sun, sea and sun-types of
tourism are beginning to capitalize on the growing tourist interest in heri-
tage (e.g. many Caribbean and Pacific islands) (Cameron & Gateway, 2008;
Catalani & Ackroyd, 2013).
Since the mid-20th century when heavy industry began to decline rap-
idly, heritage tourism has been instrumental in transitioning economies from
extractive and manufacturing industrial activities to post-Fordist, service-
oriented economies in at least two ways. First, it commonly functions as a
regeneration tool for declining or derelict industrial zones, brownfields, and
other waste areas. This results in the development of parklands, greenways
and other recreation areas that attract public and private investments and
entice entrepreneurs to open businesses that help stimulate local economies,
including employment growth. Similarly, dilapidated industrial centers (e.g.
mines and factories) can be reoriented into important attractions for tourists
both in urban and rural areas (Otgaar et al. , 2010). Second, heritage tourism
can help alleviate high rates of unemployment caused by the dismantling of
factories, mining operations and other heavy industries.
Although tourism is labor-intensive, it is typically unable to provide
enough high-paying jobs to replace those that were lost in the process of
deindustrialization. Nonetheless, it provides adequate jobs to help communi-
ties survive difficult times and grow economically. Even during good
economic times, heritage employs millions of people directly and indirectly
in an array of positions at cultural events, museums, living history parks,
religious sites, ancient monuments, heritage railways, lodging establish-
ments, food services, shops and in transportation (Timothy, 2011).
Another related concern of development specialists is the prospective role
of heritage tourism in poverty alleviation (Chok et al. , 2007; Galla, 2012;
Pessis et al. , 2012; Timothy & Nyaupane, 2009). Pro-poor heritage tourism
involves allowing residents to participate in the benefits of tourism, espe-
cially since it is their heritage that is being sold to outsiders (see Chapter 4).
While some heritage tourism development programs in the past have resulted
in the forced displacement of villagers from their ancestral lands and
restricted their ability to earn a living from tourism, most development
efforts today try to empower local people in decision-making, educate them
about the benefits of heritage tourism, and provide opportunities for resi-
dents to help preserve their cultural traditions and built environment
(Chakravarti, 2008; Timothy, 1999).
Social Development
Social development is as important as economic development, and they
are not mutually exclusive. There are many ways of understanding social