Cultural Sustainable Tourism 2017 (CST)

Many countries and their economies, and industries depend on tourism, an economic might, which is able to direct the flow of the world. Cultural Tourism is the subset of tourism that is concerned with the country’s lifestyle in certain geographical areas, such as their, art, architecture, rituals, festivals, and more values that help convey the culture of the country itself. Cultural tourism involves the visitor getting involved or in contact with the unique heritage and special character of a place. More awareness of the place’s values, languages, lifestyle, and customs is conveyed to the visitor. Through tourism, lays the possibility of associating cultures together, assisting in creating cohesion amongst the world’s inhabitants. Considering that culture and heritage are two important factors in attracting tourists, they maintain their stature as a resource for development, and for improving the economy.

That being said, Heritage and Culture are both two important assets that should be maintained, conserved, and enhanced. Improving the life quality, living conditions, and reducing poverty will help in further preserving the cultural and natural heritage. Making such assets within reach of humanity, conveying civilizations through a powerful tool as tourism, is considered sustainability of cultural tourism development. Reaching and maintaining such objectives, would require, high standards in design & implementation of tourism policies, and conservation and preservation policies. Involving the participation of communities, in preserving, enhancing, and improving the cultural heritage for the following decades.

Balancing between the society, environment, and tourism in order to lessen the negative impacts, and have more positive effects, can only be achieved through spreading creativity, and cultural diversity, through maintaining awareness for the importance of cultural tourism and their everlasting positive effects. Cultural Sustainable Tourism (CST- 2017) discusses the complex relations between Culture, and tourism, and how planners, architects, and main actors and help in conveying and spreading the right perspective of the importance and role of Cultural tourism and how to maintain it.