The Conundrum of Developing Country`s Heritage Tourism: How Tourism Destroys what it Tries to Preserve

Organizations like United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO, have joined with more than a hundred nations in order to develop sustainable preservation techniques for World Heritage Sites, thereby, allowing for a sites continued appreciation for future generations throughout the world. Heritage tourism purports to allow nations to benefit economically from investing in heritage sites as their continued preservation will increase tourist`s cultural motivation to travel to the country, resulting in increased cash flow into the country. However, as more and more tourists visit a location the more wear and tear is put on the site, thereby negatively effecting its preservation. In this thesis I argue that heritage tourism is a counterproductive endeavor with the long term effects being detrimental to the site itself, the surrounding area, and local communities regardless of the economic stimulation it brings to a country. This study reviews the current literature on the effects of heritage tourism and examines the World Heritage Site Angkor, located in Cambodia, as a case study. This case study demonstrates several of the negative economic, social and cultural effects tourists have on a locations and the level of administrative action needed to understand and implement courses of action to mitigate the problems. I conclude that developing countries have to pay both more economically and culturally than what is reaped from tourist revenue as the country already has a week economy, and that a strong governmental presence through protection policies must be utilized if there is any hope of mitigating preservation issues. Introduction In our ever more globalized world, the number of culturally distinct groups is diminishing. In order to combat against this effect organizations like UNESCO have joined with nations in order to try to make publically aware the importance of heritage preservation. Heritage, which includes tangible and intangible culture as well as nature (UNESCOb, UNESCOi), allows mankind to look at the past and to understand how it has formed into the present. Heritage is also a source of economic growth through tourism. In this thesis, I discuss some of the negative side effects of heritage tourism in less developed countries, by examining tourist interaction concerning their treatment of the site and relationship with the local community. Qualitative and quantitative data was collected from textual sources documenting the economic, social, and physical effects of tourism on heritage. The site of Angkor in Cambodia serves as a case study providing site evidence demonstrating several key preservation issues that arise from tourist interaction. I argue that heritage tourism in developing countries is a counterproductive system, with the long term effects being more detrimental to the site itself, the surrounding area, and locals regardless of the economic stimulation it may bring. In this paper I first discuss the growth of the tourist industry and define heritage tourism as a form of tourism. Second, I provide the background for how heritage preservation became a world wide movement through the creation of the United Nations