At the present context, the chemistry between cultural heritage and tourism is inseparable to boost the economy of a state, to refuel the cultural traditions and to sustain the industry itself. Cultural heritage encompasses those practices, expressions, knowledge, and skills along with associated objects and cultural spaces that transmitted through generations and constantly recreated within different human communities. Cultural heritage provides a sense of identity and belongingness too.
Cultural Heritage as global wealth of traditions has become one of the primary motivators for travel, with tourists seeking to interact with new cultures and experience the global variety of arts, handicrafts, rituals, cuisines, and interpretations of nature. The cultural interaction further stimulated by such encounters promotes dialogue, builds understanding, and, in turn, fosters tolerance and peace at the global level.
Thus, nurturing the responsible use of living heritage for tourism purposes can generate employment, alleviate poverty, curb rural migration, and cultivate a sense of pride among communities. In this respect, tourism can engage in preserving and enhancing cultural heritage to generate revenue for its own long-term survival. For this, only true partnerships between the communities and the tourism and the heritage sectors can ensure its overall survival.
